Converge

Converge is an American metalcore band from Salem, United States, formed in 1990 by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou. The group is associated with hardcore punk, mathcore, metalcore, post-hardcore and atmospheric sludge metal, and is also described as part of the chaotic hardcore and noisecore scene. Its line-up includes, at different points, Jeff Feinburg, Damon Bellorado, Aaron Dalbec, Stephen Brodsky, Nate Newton, John Digiorgio and Ben Koller. The band is active from 1990 to the present and releases material through Converge Cult, Equal Vision Records, Epitaph and Undecided Records.

Formation and early releases

Converge begins as a cover band, playing songs by hardcore punk, punk rock and heavy metal acts before developing original material. Jeff Feinberg and Damon Bellorado join in 1991. Aaron Dalbec joins in 1994 as a second guitarist, making the band a five-piece. That year the group releases its debut album, Halo in a Haystack, as a limited vinyl pressing on Earthmaker Records. In 1995 it issues the compilation Caring and Killing, which gathers recordings from 1991 to 1994, and the EP Unloved and Weeded Out. Petitioning the Empty Sky follows in 1996 and is later expanded and reissued several times, giving it an uneven status as either a studio album or compilation.

Line-up changes and growth

Feinberg leaves in 1997 and is replaced by Stephen Brodsky, the same year the band signs to Equal Vision Records. Its third studio album, When Forever Comes Crashing, is recorded between December 1997 and January 1998 and released in April 1998. Brodsky departs later in 1998 and Nate Newton replaces him, initially as a part-time member. In 1999 Damon Bellorado leaves; John DiGiorgio takes over drums first, then Ben Koller becomes the permanent drummer later that year. During the recording of Jane Doe in 2001, Converge becomes a four-piece after Aaron Dalbec leaves.

Jane Doe and wider recognition

Jane Doe is released in 2001 and becomes the band’s best-known recording. It is the first studio album with Newton and Koller and the last with Dalbec. The album receives critical acclaim for its composition, lyrics and production, and helps increase the band’s visibility. A video for “Concubine/Fault and Fracture” appears in 2002. In 2003 the band releases an expanded version of Unloved and Weeded Out and the DVD The Long Road Home, which documents live performances and archive material.

Epitaph years and later releases

Converge signs to Epitaph Records in 2004 and releases You Fail Me, its fifth studio album and first to enter the Billboard 200. A video for “Eagles Become Vultures” follows in 2005. Earlier albums including Petitioning the Empty Sky and When Forever Comes Crashing are later reissued with revised audio and artwork. The sixth studio album, No Heroes, appears in 2006 and is self-produced by Ballou. Axe to Fall follows in 2009, with tracks such as “Dark Horse” and the title track preceding it; the album includes collaborations with several musicians and is supported by extensive touring, including the Metalocalypse tour.

2010s and 2020s work

In 2012 the band releases All We Love We Leave Behind, which reaches higher chart positions than its previous studio album. Videos are made for “Aimless Arrow” and “Precipice / All We Love We Leave Behind”. In 2015 Converge issues the live video collection Thousands of Miles Between Us, and in 2016 it releases You Fail Me Redux, a remixed and remastered version of You Fail Me. The live album Jane Live appears in 2017, followed later that year by The Dusk in Us, preceded by the singles “I Can Tell You About Pain”, “Under Duress”, “Reptilian” and “A Single Tear”. In 2018 the band releases the EP Beautiful Ruin, made from material recorded during The Dusk in Us sessions.

Collaborations and side projects

Members of Converge take part in side projects and collaborations including Supermachiner, Old Man Gloom and Mutoid Man. In 2021 the band releases Bloodmoon: I, a collaborative album with Chelsea Wolfe, with additional contributions from Stephen Brodsky and Ben Chisholm. Under the name Shattered Void, Converge contributes “I Won’t Let You Go” to the soundtrack for the video game Cyberpunk 2077.

Recent releases

Converge releases Love Is Not Enough in 2026 and later announces Hum of Hurt, also from 2026.