Axe to Fall is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on October 19, 2009, by Epitaph Records. It is the band's most collaborative album, featuring a number of guest musicians, including members of Cave In and Genghis Tron and Steve Von Till of Neurosis, who performs lead vocals on the slow, Tom Waits-esque track "Cruel Bloom".[7] The album was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou, and the artwork was created by vocalist Jacob Bannon.
Axe to Fall | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 19, 2009[1] | |||
Recorded | May–July 2009 | |||
Studio | GodCity Studio, Salem | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:04 | |||
Label | Epitaph | |||
Producer | Kurt Ballou | |||
Converge chronology | ||||
|
Axe to Fall peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200,[8] and was well received by critics, who generally described it as their most accessible work.
Background and recording
edit"For a very long time, we've wanted to do a collaboration album where we could include people we're close with or friends with and who we gel with musically and socially. Now, we did that and it's pretty seamless. [Axe to Fall] doesn't feel like a big rock record where the guest vocalists come out and a spotlight is being thrown on them. It's much more involved than that. It's much more refined."
Converge began writing Axe to Fall in November 2008.[10][11] With Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou and Nate Newton all living within a half a mile of each other in Boston and Ben Koller living a couple hours away in Brooklyn, the band could easily practice for weeks at a time. Though most songs originated from a guitar or bass riff from Ballou or Newton, all members had equal input on the writing process, with each member proposing different songs. Bannon wrote a few songs for Axe to Fall, but they were scrapped because they were slower than the rest and did not fit the energy of the album.[12]
Following a short tour in March 2009 with Ceremony, Coliseum, Pulling Teeth, Rise and Fall, Converge entered the studio to begin recording in May 2009.[13] The band had debuted some new material live during the tour.[14][15] As with several of their previous albums, Axe to Fall was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his GodCity Studio in Massachusetts.[14] Throughout the recording process, the band updated their fans via Twitter of their progress in the studio.[16]
During recording, Converge tried to challenge themselves creatively as artists. Ballou stated that with each new Converge album, he "always [wants] to create a new listening-experience", and continued with the concept of "pushing [themselves] forward and not repeating [themselves]".[17] Bannon stated, "We appreciate our past albums, but we're very much about forward movement and challenging ourselves musically and expressing ourselves emotionally". Bannon has stated that he felt that the main artistic difference between Axe to Fall and previous albums was the large number of guest musicians, which included various members from Cave In, Neurosis, and Genghis Tron, among others. Most of the guest-musicians already had an existing relationship with one or more Converge members prior to recording or the band had "admired in some way".[18] Converge had previously thought of the idea of creating a collaborative album with many guest artists for some years, but felt that the "time to execute it [had] never been there".[18] Bannon stated that working with a number of different artists was difficult and something that the band was not used to, but the finished product was "an extremely focused album".[18]
Though writing did not officially begin until November 2008, work on some songs from Axe to Fall began four to five years earlier. In 2004, Converge collaborated with Cave in and recorded some songs together. Dubbed the "Verge In" sessions,[19] the material from this period was never released, and the project later dissolved. The instrumental parts that Cave in contributed to the track "Effigy" were from the original recordings in 2004. Converge took the parts they contributed to the project to create the foundation for what would become "Cruel Bloom" and "Wretched World". While producing their album Board Up the House, Ballou gave Genghis Tron a rough mix of "Wretched World" to contribute their talents. According to Ballou, Genghis Tron "embellished it and created a whole new melodic structure on top of the song that we would've never come up with".[19] Brad Fickeisen from the Red Chord also later added his own drum track to "Wretched World". Much of the song "Plagues" from No Heroes also originated from the "Verge In" sessions. With the release of Axe to Fall, everything Converge contributed to the sessions was finally released in some form.[19][20]
Musical style and themes
edit"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 "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."
Converge took their music in a more progressive direction with Axe to Fall. Ballou noted that drummer Ben Koller had been listening to more progressive rock over the last few years, and that he tried to complement this sound on the guitar. He went on to say that he was getting the "more straightforward, raw punk aggression out in a yet-to-be-named hardcore side project that I started. So that leaves me free to get weird and progressive with Converge".[21] Ballou considers the band's previous three albums (Jane Doe, You Fail Me and No Heroes) to be a trilogy in regards to their sound, and hoped to push their musical boundaries on Axe to Fall.[22] The tracks on the album have been noted to range from "drone-and-pummel" to atmospheric. Bannon said that this album is "not about being as loud and vicious as possible".[23] Feeling that 40 to 50 minutes of metallic hardcore would be difficult for some, Converge used softer tracks, or "slow jams", such as "Damages" and "Wretched World", to take the listener "to some other places".[22]
Unlike Converge's previous albums, the songs on Axe to Fall do not have a central and consistent lyrical theme.[12] Each song was meant to be a "standalone song" about Bannon's life between this album and No Heroes.[24] Bannon has said that he uses his lyrics and Converge to "vent about things in a healthy way so [he's] not a person that walks around with a lot of negative energy".[25] The opening track "Dark Horse" was written about the passing of a close friend of Bannon, and how he died while trying to succeed as the "underdog".[26][27]
Artwork
editThe artwork for the cover and liner note booklet of Axe to Fall was designed and created by Jacob Bannon. The booklet features a different piece of artwork for each song on the album.[28] Bannon tried to create images that "encapsulated some of the emotion of each song" in contrast to more literal imagery, such as avoiding an axe literally falling for the title track. He also experimented with a technique where a single image would be repeated within a frame, but the copies would be distressed or slightly different. This could be seen in the cover art, where a single image of a woman's profile was broken down within the repetition, and some of the copies showed the woman's teeth through her cheek. Bannon stated that for the cover art, he "just wanted to have something that felt timeless and sort of embodied the whole emotional gamut of the record, something that was explosive and powerful but also something that felt poetic and soft at the same time. It could look violent and beautiful at the same time".[29]
Release and promotion
editIn August 2009, two months prior to the release of the album, Converge made the opening track "Dark Horse" available for streaming and as a free download.[21][30] The song was noted for being one of the few tracks lacking guest musicians, and was met with a very positive reaction from reviewers.[17] The title track was also made available for free download in September 2009.[31] The entire album was available for streaming one week before the official release date on Converge's MySpace page.[32] Axe to Fall was released on October 19, 2009 (Europe) and October 20, 2009 (USA), by Epitaph Records on CD and digital formats. The vinyl edition of the album was released through Jacob Bannon's own independent record label Deathwish Inc., shortly after the release of the CD version.[33][34]
In October 2009, a music video for the album's title track, directed by Craig Murray, was released.[35] The short video (1:40 in duration) shows a man and a woman strapped to a machine, a television that gives birth to a bio-mechanical creature and several disturbing clips in between. The video features stop motion animation influenced by horror films, and was referred to as "terrifying",[35] "seizure-inducing",[36] "nightmarish",[37] "excruciating",[38] and "gross".[39] It was filmed in Ronda, Spain with the intent of making "a film in which we see a cycle. This cycle will study an idea of new creation without pleasure and the art of numbing for progression". Murray was inspired and influenced by artists Chris Cunningham, Gaspar Noé, Nine Inch Nails. and the films Ringu, A Clockwork Orange, and Hardware while making the music video.[40] On November 7, the "Axe to Fall" video debuted on MTV2's heavy metal music program Headbangers Ball.[41]
Internet leak
editOn October 4, 2009, a digitally watermarked advance copy of Axe to Fall was leaked onto the internet. The watermark was linked to the advance copy given to Shaun Hand, a staff member of the music news and reviews website MetalSucks.net. Converge posted a number of Twitter messages regarding the leak, one of which read, "Special thanks to Shaun Hand at Metal Sucks for leaking our album," and another one was posted shortly thereafter directed at MetalSucks' Twitter account stating, "have fun with that".[42][43] The source of an album leak is rarely discovered or publicly announced. Converge's method of dealing with their album leaking, referred to as "street justice" by Every Time I Die and Jamey Jasta, avoided a costly lawsuit but still inflicted damages upon MetalSucks by means of viral negative publicity.[44][45] The staff of MetalSucks issued a formal apology stating that the leak was completely unintentional and the first incident since the website's inception.[46] They went on to say:
We are also deeply embarrassed and regretful. We would never knowingly betray the trust of any band or label. And if you've been following this site, you know that we're huge fans of Converge and Axe to Fall. That this happened with a band and record we hold in such high regard makes the whole thing especially upsetting to us. [...] And for what's it's worth, we'd like to re-emphasize that we think that Axe to Fall is a terrific album, and absolutely worth PAYING FOR when it is released on October 20.
— Axl, Vince, and Everyone at MetalSucks[47]
Touring
editConverge's first tour in support of Axe to Fall was the Metalocalypse tour in late 2009. Alongside High on Fire, Converge held an opening slot for co-headliners Mastodon and Dethklok.[48] The band's first headlining tour in support of the album started in April 2010, with Coalesce, Harvey Milk, Gaza, Lewd Acts and Black Breath. The first week of the tour also featured Thursday and Touche Amore.[49] Converge began the European leg of their world tour in July 2010 with Kylesa, Gaza and Kvelertak.[50] For this tour, the band released a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl single called "On My Shield", which was recorded between the US and European legs.[51]
Reception
editCritical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100[52] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AbsolutePunk | 90%[53] |
Allmusic | [54] |
Alternative Press | [55] |
Decibel | 10/10[56] |
Drowned in Sound | 8/10[57] |
Mammoth Press | 10/10[58] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10[6] |
PopMatters | [7] |
Rock Sound | 9/10[59] |
Sputnikmusic | [60] |
Axe to Fall was met with positive reviews from critics. On review aggregation website Metacritic, the album holds a score of 77 out of 100 based on ten reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[52] Citing a wider range of styles on the album, many reviewers found Axe to Fall to be Converge's most accessible album to date.[53][56][58][7] The album features songs like the "doomy [and] noisy" track "Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast",[54] the "synth-drenched shoegazing" track "Wretched World",[59] and "Kerry King-admiring" solos on "Reap What You Sow"[57] in addition to hardcore tracks like "Effigy" and "Cutter".[53] Andrew Parks of Decibel commented on the album's wide range of sounds, stating "it strikes the perfect balance between dry-heaved hardcore – blunt-trauma-tracks that bleed into one another and hover around the 1:40 mark – and post-metal-opusses that embrace Converge's experimental impulses".[56] Juan Diniz of Mammoth Press noted that the album flowed really well, stating that "every track compliments and balances out the one prior and after. To skip tracks would be foolish as it's a compendium of aggression, frustration, beauty, and brutality," and that the album "demands to be taken in as a whole".[58] Cosmo Lee of Pitchfork Media called Converge "this generation's Black Flag", comparing Axe to Fall to Black Flag's 1984 album My War; Lee noted that Converge combined abrasiveness with "slower, abstract sludge", much like how Black Flag mixed "equal parts lightning and Black Sabbath" on My War.[6] Several reviewers compared the Axe to Fall to Converge's highly praised 2001 album, Jane Doe.[56][58][7][61]
Axe to Fall also received some negative criticism. Jared W. Dillon of Sputnikmusic, who had previously given No Heroes a 4.5 out of 5,[62] gave the album a score of 2.5 out of 5, citing his distaste for the large number of guest musicians. Dillon stated that Converge "seems out of ideas as they enlisted a group of musicians associated with the band to fill in at various points of the record", and rhetorically asked, "why replace the band on a decent portion of their new record with far less talented, less interesting musicians?"[60] He also criticized the album's longer and slower track "Wretched World". When compared to Converge's similar previously released-tracks, (No Heroes's "Grim Heart/Black Rose" and Jane Doe's "Jane Doe") Dillon claimed that the song "never builds to anything" and "cuts off seemingly just as it should've started".[60] Noel Gardner of Drowned in Sound also found Axe to Fall's two closing tracks underwhelming and felt that it "would have been a better album for finishing at track 11".[57] Jason Pettigrew of Alternative Press criticized both the lyrics and overall sound of Axe to Fall as sounding too familiar when it "could've been more alien", and that "in many aspects, Converge took the road most traveled for the majority of Axe to Fall".[55]
Charts and sales
editAxe to Fall debuted at number 74 on the Billboard 200, with 7,400 copies sold in its first week,[63] becoming Converge's highest-charting album in the United States[64] until it was surpassed by 2012's All We Love We Leave Behind. Axe to Fall also became the first Converge album to not appear on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, which ranks the top 50 albums released by bands that have never charted above number 100 on the Billboard 200. By November 4, 2009, the album had sold 10,487 units.[63] Axe to Fall also appeared in Canada's Chart Magazine, a weekly chart that compiles airplay data from various Canadian campus radio stations, and peaked at number 42 on their top 50 album chart[65] and number one on their "Metal/Punk" chart.[66]
Accolades
editAxe to Fall appeared on several critics' lists of the best albums of 2009. A "—" denotes the publication's list is in no particular order, and Axe to Fall did not rank numerically.
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank Terrorizer[67] UK Top 40 Albums of the Year 2009 2009 1 Rock Sound[68] UK Top 75 Albums of 2009 2009 2 Decibel[69][70] US Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2009 2009 2 Noisecreep[71] US Top 10 Albums of 2009 2009 — CMU[72] UK Top 10 Albums of 2009 2009 — The A.V. Club[73] US Top 25 Albums of 2009 2009 8 The Skinny[74] Scotland Top 10 Albums of 2009 2009 6 Sputnikmusic[75] US Staff Picks: Top 50 Albums of 2009 2009 5 Revolver[76] US The 20 Best Albums of 2009 2009 4 BBC[77] UK Best Albums of 2009 – Rock & Indie 2009 8 Metacritic[78] International Best Reviews Albums of 2009 2009 13 Allmusic[79] US AllMusic's Favorite Metal Albums of 2009 2009 — PopMatters[80] US The Best 60 Albums of 2009 2009 59 PopMatters[81] US The Best Metal Albums of 2009 2009 3 Stereogum[82] US Top 30 Metal Albums of 2009 2009 1 NPR[83] US Top Metal Albums of 2009 2009 5
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Jacob Bannon; all music is composed by Converge, except where noted[84]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Guest musicians | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dark Horse" | 2:54 | ||
2. | "Reap What You Sow" | Sean Martin | 2:39 | |
3. | "Axe to Fall" | George Hirsch | 1:41 | |
4. | "Effigy" | Converge, Steve Brodsky, John-Robert Connors, Adam McGrath | Brodsky, Connors, McGrath | 1:42 |
5. | "Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast" | 5:52 | ||
6. | "Wishing Well" | Uffe Cederlund | 2:49 | |
7. | "Damages" | Trivikrama Dasa | 4:26 | |
8. | "Losing Battle" | 1:46 | ||
9. | "Dead Beat" | 2:36 | ||
10. | "Cutter" | John Pettibone | 1:40 | |
11. | "Slave Driver" | 2:48 | ||
12. | "Cruel Bloom" | Converge, Steve Von Till | Aimee Argote, The Rodeo, Chris Taylor, Von Till | 4:01 |
13. | "Wretched World" | Converge, Connors, Hamilton Jordan, Mookie Singerman, Michael Sochynsky | Connors, Brad Fickeisen, Jordan, Singerman, Sochynsky | 7:10 |
Total length: | 42:04 |
Personnel
editAxe to Fall personnel as listed in CD liner notes.[84]
|
|
Chart performance
editChart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japanese Album Chart[85] | 106 |
UK Albums Chart[86] | 196 |
US Billboard 200[87] | 74 |
US Billboard Hard Rock Albums[87] | 12 |
US Billboard Independent Albums[87] | 8 |
US Billboard Rock Albums[87] | 33 |
References
edit- ^ "Converge 'Axe To Fall' on Epitaph Records". Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Apatoff, Ben (October 13, 2009). "CD review: CONVERGE, Axe to Fall". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
Axe to Fall continues Converge's habit of outperforming any metalcore band in listening distance...
- ^ "Converge: Axe to Fall". PopMatters. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ^ Kyle Ward (October 14, 2009). "Review: Axe to Fall". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ Terich, Jeff (2 November 2009). "Converge : Axe to Fall". Treble. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c Lee, Cosmo (October 29, 2009). "Axe to Fall Review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Begrand, Adrien (October 14, 2009). "Castle Walls of Blood and Bone". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ "Converge – Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ^ Marchese, David (September 9, 2009). "Q&A: Converge's Jacob Bannon". Spin. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ Shultz, Brian (November 22, 2008). "Converge writing, planning new album for 2009". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ "Converge Writing New Album". Aversion. November 24, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Castillo, Arielle (October 30, 2009). "Q&A With Converge, Playing With Mastodon and Dethklok November 8". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Archived from the original on 2009-11-11. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ Shultz, Brian (January 25, 2009). "Converge / Ceremony / Coliseum / Rise And Fall / Pulling Teeth tour announced". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b "CONVERGE: New Song Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. August 18, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009. [dead link ]
- ^ Rosenberg, Axl (March 31, 2009). "New Converge songs! New Converge songs! New Converge songs!". MetalSucks. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ Tate, Jason (April 29, 2009). "Converge Twitter About New Album". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (August 19, 2009). "Converge 'Dark Horse' Track Teases a New Progressive Direction". Noise Creep. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Interview with Converge". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Bennett, J. (December 2009). "A Cut Above". Decibel. No. 62. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc. pp. 69–74. ISSN 1557-2137. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Phillips, Michael (2009). "Interview: Converge". ScenePointBlank. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ a b "New Converge – 'Dark Horse'". Stereogum. August 25, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Ferris, D.X. (October 14, 2009). "Axe to Grind – Hardcore heroes Converge unleash metallic new album". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ Ortenzi, Rob (August 3, 2009). "UP & AUTUMN: The AP 2009 Fall Preview – DISCS". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
- ^ Sutherland, Sam (November 2009). "Aggressive Tendencies: Converge – Axe to Fall". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ Slevin, Patrick (October 22, 2009). "Interview with Jacob Bannon of Converge: Unfelled, Unchanged". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
- ^ F, Jeanne (October 20, 2009). "Track By Track: Converge's Axe to Fall with J. Bannon". Decibel. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
- ^ Thomas, Andy (November 18, 2009). "Q&A with Jacob Bannon of Converge". Westword. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ Andersen, Eric (28 September 2009). "Hardcore metal band returns". The Daily Iowan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- ^ McQueen, Valerie (October 2009). "Web-Exclusive Interview: Converge's Jacob Bannon on his band's new album and his friendship with Cave In and Neurosis". Revolver. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ Rosenberg, Axl (August 18, 2009). "Holy Shit, the New Converge Song Is Fucking Amazing". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ Zakorchemny, Chris (September 16, 2009). "DOWNLOAD: Awesome Metal from Converge!". Spin. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ "CONVERGE: Entire New Album Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. October 13, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009. [dead link ]
- ^ Pareles, Jon (September 9, 2009). "Hope and Regret, Recorded and Live". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (September 2, 2009). "FYF Fest 2009: Parks and Inspiration". LA Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Burkart, Gregory (October 7, 2009). "FEARnet Exclusive: Prepare for Converge's Axe to Fall". FEARnet. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
- ^ "New Converge Video – Axe To Fall". Stereogum. October 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ^ "Converge Premieres New Video For "Axe To Fall" On FEARNet". Epitaph Records. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ^ "CONVERGE Premiere New "Axe to Fall" Video Online". Metal Kult. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Harper, Kate (October 8, 2009). "Converge — "Axe To Fall"". Chart. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Murray, Craig (August 2009). "Converge: Axe to Fall". Vimeo. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ Arthur, Ty (November 7, 2009). "Tonight's Headbangers Ball Line-Up Details Revealed". MetalUnderground.com. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
- ^ Beringer, Drew (October 5, 2009). "Axe to Fall on Alleged Leaker?". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ de Sylvia, Dave (October 5, 2009). "Converge Accuse Leaker". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Carioli, Carly (October 7, 2009). "Converge invents new use for Twitter: "street justice" for album leaks". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
- ^ Baron, Zach (9 October 2009). "News Roundup: Animal Collective's Fall Be Kind EP Details, Converge's Axe to Fall Leak, New Arcade Fire?". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
- ^ Rosenberg, Axl; Neilstein, Vince (October 6, 2009). "Regarding the Leak of Converge's Axe to Fall". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ Rosenberg, Axl; Neilstein, Vince (October 6, 2009). "Regarding the Leak of Converge's Axe to Fall". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (August 3, 2009). "Mastodon Tour With Dethklok, Converge, High on Fire". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ^ Conoley, Ben (February 15, 2010). "Tours: Converge". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
- ^ Yancey, Bryne (March 16, 2010). "Tours: Converge / Kylesa / Gaza / Kvelertak (Europe)". Punknews.org. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Shotwell, James (July 10, 2010). "Converge self release limited edition 7". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ a b "Axe to Fall by Converge". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ a b c Beringer, Drew (October 14, 2009). "Review: Axe to Fall". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Freeman, Phil. "Review: Axe to Fall". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Pettigrew, Jason (November 2009). "Concrete Minds (Mixed and Set)". Alternative Press. No. 256. p. 105. ISSN 1065-1667.
- ^ a b c d Parks, Andrew (Nov 2009). "Fire Up the Blade". Decibel. Archived from the original on October 9, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ a b c Gardner, Noel (October 21, 2009). "Axe to Fall review". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Diniz, Juan (October 20, 2009). "Review: Axe to Fall". Mammoth Press. ISSN 1556-1216. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Review: Axe to Fall". Rock Sound. October 2009. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c Xenophanes (October 14, 2009). "Review: Axe to Fall". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ Bezer, Terry (October 22, 2009). "Converge Bury The Ghost Of Jane Doe". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ Dillon, Jared W. (October 26, 2006). "Review: No Heroes". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ a b "News Bit Archives: Search for Converge". LambGoat. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ "Converge – Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ "Full Top 50 Chart: November 15–21, 2009". Chart. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Burland, Chris (November 17, 2009). "You Say Party! We Say Die! Stay At #1 For Fifth Week". Chart. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Terrorizer Top 40 Albums Of The Year 2009". New Music Excess. 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ^ "Top 75 Albums of 2009". Rock Sound. No. 130. London: Freeway Press. January 2010. p. 28. ISSN 1465-0185. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ Parks, Andrew (January 2010). "Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2009". Decibel. No. 63. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc. pp. 55–69. ISSN 1557-2137. Archived from the original on December 21, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ "Decibel's Top 40 Albums Of 2009". Stereogum. November 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ^ Ramirez, Carlos (November 23, 2009). "Top 10 Albums of 2009". Noisecreep. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
- ^ CMU Staff (December 9, 2009). "CMU Albums Of The Year 2009: Converge – Axe To Fall". CMU. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ^ The A.V. Club Staff (December 9, 2009). "The top 25 albums of 2009". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ^ Brown, Ally; Kerr, Dave (December 7, 2009). "2009: A Year in Records (#2–10)". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ^ Sputnikmusic Staff (December 2009). "Top Albums of 2009". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ^ Bennett, J (January–February 2010). "The 20 Best Albums of 2009". Revolver. San Francisco, California: Future US, Inc. pp. 85–90. ISSN 1527-408X.
- ^ Diver, Mike (January 6, 2010). "BBC Music's Best Albums of 2009". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ^ Dietz, Jason (December 29, 2009). "The Best Albums of 2009". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ AMG Staff (December 18, 2009). "AllMusic's Favorite Metal Albums of 2009". Allmusic. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ PopMatters Staff (December 18, 2009). "The Best 60 Albums of 2009". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ Begrand, Adrien (December 11, 2009). "The Best Metal Albums of 2009". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ "Haunting The Chapel: The 30 Best Metal Albums Of 2009 (Plus Dozens Of Guest Lists)". Stereogum. December 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ NPR Staff (December 28, 2009). "Viking's Choice: Metal And Outer Sound In '09". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ a b Axe to Fall (CD booklet). Converge. Los Angeles, California: Epitaph Records. 2009. 87035-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "コンヴァージのアルバム売上ランキング". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-02-05.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update (Week 43)". Zobbel. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Axe to Fall – Converge". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
External links
edit- Official Converge Website
- Converge on Myspace
- Converge on Twitter
- Axe to Fall at Epitaph Records
- Track By Track: Converge's Axe to Fall with J. Bannon