Converge/Napalm Death - Split Review

Expectation can be a funny thing sometimes. If you're mainly an optimist, like me, then you would naturally expect only the better things in life to happen. But, say you're a music fan, and you get your hopes up for one release that you expect to be incredible. And really, in the case of this split 7" release between Converge and Napalm Death (both legendary bands in their respective genres) there should be no reason why it should be anything but amazing. Two of my favorite bands sharing a single slab of pretty looking wax? Sign me up! So of course, I was hyped. Especially coming after the astonishingly disappointing split with Dropdead that came out last year, I was really counting on Converge to deliver the goods this time around. So this time around, we have two tracks from each band, and on the Converge side, we get one original and a cover of Entombed's "Wolverine Blues". The original song in question is called "No Light Escapes", and it's very, very, very, very...underwhelming. Goddammit, Converge, I was really hoping for something excellent here!! For one, it's a modest 52 seconds long. Which would normally be no problem at all, if the track was interesting in the slightest. It's just a standard, fast, Converge song, like I've heard many times before. Some D-beats, some skronky riffs, some bass breaks, it's all familiar. None of it is captivating, or memorable. It also just isn't a satisfying amount of music. I mean, the Entombed cover is pulled off faithfully, and it's definitely heavy, but I just don't care about it. It doesn't even really register in my mind as being a part of their side. Maybe if they added another original track that was more fleshed out and memorable, I wouldn't be as aggro towards their side. Fortunately though, this split isn't a total disappointment, as the Napalm Death side really is excellent. Two new tracks from them too. The first one, entitled, "Will By Mouth", is one of the most straight forward, grinding tracks that the band has made in years. The band just sounds ferocious, particularly Barney, who just sounds gnarlier and gnarlier with every release. After that, we get a more standard ND track entitled "No Impediment To Triumph (Bhpoal)". This song, I actually think I like more than the first. Mitch lays down some interesting melodic, semi-dissonant riffs all over this track, and the song has a nice gradual build into a fantastic bridge. It really sounds like the band is having fun while recording this. The recording does sound a little flat though, I would have liked to hear some more low-end. Something that recent ND recordings seem to lack. Overall though, Napalm Death dominate this split in terms of good song writing, and enjoyment, for me. I'm again left disappointed by Converge's contribution, which is upsetting, but hopefully their new full-length will restore my faith in the band.

Rating: 6.5/10

~VII

Converge/Napalm Death Split 7". Umm...FUCK YES!!

This got my dick rock hard. East coast hardcore legends, Converge and grindcore OG's, Napalm Death have joined forces to self release a brand new split 7". This...is just great. For real, I couldn't be more excited. How could this fail? There's no way it can, no way I tell you!

However, when I first heard this news, I was immediately skeptical. And I'll tell you why. Last year, Converge released a split 7" with Dropdead. I was so excited, and so hyped up, and it ended up being my most disappointing release of 2011. Just because of the sheer lack of material that was presented. It's not a good feeling when two of your favorite bands let you down. However, reading more into this release, it should be much better than last years split. For one, there's two songs each (including a cover of Entombed's - "Wolverine Blues" from Converge). Instantly, that makes this seem better. Plus, it sounds like there will be a solid grind track from Napalm Death, as well as a slower, sludgier track. I'm just all around excited, read the full press release here, and get stoked as well!

~VII

Listen to the new Napalm Death track - "Leper Colony"

A little more than a month from now, and a new Napalm Death album (their 14th!!) will be unleashed upon the world. I know we're all very excited to hear the full thing, but for now this newly released track called "Leper Colony" will have to do until February. It's a pretty kick ass song, an obvious continuation from their last full length "Time Waits For No Slave"; occasional weird chords, tight musicianship, and Barneys rabid dog roar is still as fierce as ever. The choruses however whip out some layered, droning, clean vocals reminiscent of the title track of their last album. Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of it then and I'm not a fan of it now, it's a pretty weak chorus. From what I've heard there's supposed to be even more weirdness on this album including a saxophone bit, which I am quite interested in hearing. You can stream the new track over at Brooklyn Vegan here, and pick up "Utilitarian" on February 27th.

~VII

The Albums That Got Me Into Grind: Vii Caso(Hiroshima Vacation)

Napalm Death - Scum
How fitting that the first grindcore album I ever heard is the one generally credited for spawning the genre. This album was given to me from a friend of mine on X-mas a long ass time ago. I was into heavy music at that time, but the heaviest thing I was listening to were bands like Slayer and Pantera. So when I first heard this album, I don't think I got passed the first 3 songs before I turned it off. I hated it, I mean I really hated it. To me at that time it was just noise, but gradually as I kept pulling it out and listening to it I gradually started to appreciate it more and more. Until eventually I could listen to it with genuine enjoyment. It's what started my interest in grind; researching it and finding more bands. It opened the flood gates.


Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Why this album and not "Prowler in the Yard"? Well, because this was this first PxDx album I heard, and once I got into it, it stuck to me like napalm, baby. Definitely a more "metal" release than there previous albums, but "Phantom Limb" is still very much a grind record. Chock full of catchy as fuck yet crushingly brutal riffs, great songs, and some of the best lyrics J.R. ever spewed from his mouth. This was the second grind album I really got into, and it's still one of my favorite.


Magrudergrind - S/T
This was the album that solidified me as a serious grindhead. This album made me go, "yeah, this grindcore stuff is the shit!" This album hit me like a sack full of bricks. The first time I heard the song "Excommunicated" on their myspace page, I got chills. It was so intense, so heavy, so fast, it was love at first listen. I still think that's one of the best grind songs ever written. When my band first started up, we were heavily influenced by this album, it was so infectious. It practically changed the way I listen to grind.

~Vii Caso(Hiroshima Vacation)