User:Fezmar9/sandbox3
Style and theme
"Anytime anybody writes a song, that's one less thing that you can do and still be original. You can't come along and write [Black Sabbath's] "Iron Man" today. All the heavy riffs that are that simple are already taken. So, you've gotta find new riffs, and as more of those become taken, there's fewer places to go."
Kurt Ballou interview with Decibel[1]
trashy, introverted and don't look outside for influences, vocals, no auto tune, metal pink floyd - new times mathcore - new york press
music
- "When people say we don't sound like a hardcore band, that musically we've grown beyond it, I think that maybe that's what a hardcore band should be doing. Maybe a hardcore band should be trying to progress. But at the same time, what I love about hardcore is that a 13-year-old kid can pick up a guitar, start a band with his friend and record a tape on a boombox in his garage that could still have that energy. It could still be awesome."[1]
- "And I think the reason we can do that is that what we're putting out there is real. We're not posturing. We're not trying to be hard or tough or fashionable in some way. We're trying to put out real, honest emotion. And that never goes out of style."[1]
- "After having done four albums with this lineup, it becomes harder and harder not to repeat yourself," Ballou points out. "Sometimes a new perspective is invigorating. So, we wanted to bring in outside influences to help us look at what we do in a different way."[1]
vocals
lyrics
Unlike previous Converge releases, the songs on Axe to Fall don't have a central and consistent lyrical theme throughout the record.[2] Each song was meant to be a "standalone song" about Bannon's life between this album and No Heroes.[3] Bannon has said that he uses his lyrics and Converge to "vent about things in a healthy way so I'm not a person that walks around with a lot of negative energy."[4] The opening track, "Dark Horse," was written about the passing of a close friend of Jacob Bannon, and how he died while trying to succeed as the "underdog".[5][6]
Reception
Critical reception
as is on Axe to Fall
Charts and sales
Axe to Fall debuted at number 74 on the Billboard 200 with 7,400[7] copies sold, becoming Converge's highest charting album in the US to date.[8] It also became the first Converge album to not appear on the Billboard Top Heatseekers albums, which ranks the top 50 albums release by bands that have never charted higher that 100 on the Billboard 200. By November 4, 2009, the album had sold 10,487 units.[7] Axe to Fall also appeared in Canada's Chart Magazine, a weekly chart that complies airplay data from various Canadian campus radio stations, and peaked at number 42 on their "Top 50" album chart[9] at number 1 on their "Metal/Punk" chart.[10]
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Sound[11] | UK | Top 75 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 2 |
| Metacritic[12] | International | The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year | 2009 | 14 |
| Decibel[13] | US | Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 2 |
| NoiseCreep[14] | US | Top 10 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | – |
References
- ^ a b c d Bennett, J. (December 2009). "A Cut Above". Decibel (62). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc.: 69–74. ISSN 1557-2137. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
- ^ Castillo, Arielle (October 30, 2009). "Q&A With Converge, Playing With Mastodon and Dethklok November 8". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Sutherland, Sam (November 2009). "Aggressive Tendencies: Converge - Axe to Fall". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Slevin, Patrick (October 22, 2009). "Interview with Jacob Bannon of Converge: Unfelled, Unchanged". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ F, Jeanne (October 20, 2009). "Track By Track: Converge's Axe to Fall with J. Bannon". Decibel. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Thomas, Andy (November 18, 2009). "Q&A with Jacob Bannon of Converge". Westword. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "News Bit Archives: Search for Converge". LambGoat. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ "Converge - Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Full Top 50 Chart: November 15 - November 21, 2009". Chart. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Burland, Chris (November 17, 2009). "You Say Party! We Say Die! Stay At #1 For Fifth Week". Chart. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Top 75 Albums of 2009". Rock Sound (130). London: Freeway Press: 28. January 2010. ISSN 1465-0185. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ "Best of 2009". Metacritic. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ ???, ??? (January 2010). "Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2009". Decibel (63). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc.: ???. ISSN 1557-2137. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite journal}}:|last=has numeric name (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Ramirez, Carlos (November 23, 2009). "Top 10 Albums of 2009". NoiseCreep. Retrieved November 29, 2009.