Converge - "Love Is Not Enough"

By -

Photo by Jason Zucco

It seems bonkers to me that Converge has been around for thirty-five years now, but considering they formed in 1990, it makes mathematical (if not emotional) sense. The Boston metalcore titans are once again back with a new single. "Love Is Not Enough" is, predictably, a powerhouse song. It's loud and dissonant and filled with all of the aggression you require for a Converge song. Despite being around for three and a half decades, they're showing zero signs of even slowing down a tiny bit. What makes them stand out apart from most of their peers, and makes them appeal to those of us who don't typically love music this heavy, is just how hard a song like "Love Is Not Enough" grooves. Plus, it cycles through multiple speeds and sounds in just under two and a half minutes. I certainly don't need to tell anyone how great Converge are, especially since they continue to prove it again and again.

Vocalist/lyricist Jacob Bannon says the new single...:

"...explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in the modern world. A reckoning with who we are today and hope to be in the future— if we can fend off the scavengers."

You can watch the video for "Love Is Not Enough" below. The album Love Is Not Enough is due out February 13 on Deathwish/Epitaph Records. For more on Converge, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook. They'll be headlining their own Saddest Day Festival, taking place December 13 at Roadrunner. Touche Amore, Coalesce, The Hope Conspiracy, Soul Glo, and more will also be playing.

On Repeat...

Minibeast - "High Sea"

By -
Image
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
Read more

The Beths - "Mother, Pray for Me"

By -
Image
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it.   “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
Read more

Midnight Peg - "Thirstland"

By -
Image
Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
Read more