Converge
Torche, Kvelertak, Whips/Chains
Fri, November 9, 2012
Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
Union Transfer
Philadelphia, PA
$15
Tickets
This event is all ages
http://www.r5productions.com/event/155729/
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Converge
Converge is a four-piece American band, formed in the winter of 1990 in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Playing a blend of extreme metal and hardcore punk, this pioneer outfit helped define a lot of the rudiments of the fast-burgeoning metalcore and mathcore genres.
They first started by playing covers of hardcore, punk and heavy metal songs, being self-confessed ”hardcore kids with leftover Slayer riffs”. The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991 after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder.
In their latter years, Converge have enjoyed relatively high levels of popularity despite the esoteric feel of their music and the substantial lack of media attention they receive. The extreme nature of their music, particularly the atonal vocals and often complicated finger-work of the guitar riffs make it difficult for some to appreciate this brand of metal. Later records have gradually become more extensively produced largely due to the maturation of their sound.
Converge’s influences range from hardcore punk bands, such as Black Flag, Negative Approach, The Accüsed, and Born Against; metal bands like Black Sabbath, Godflesh, Slayer, and Entombed; and proto-mathcore bands Starkweather and Rorschach. Jacob Bannon has also discussed an appreciation for and inspiration from grindcore on Earache Records, post-hardcore on Dischord Records; thrash metal, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Vio-Lence, and Death Angel, and post-punk groups, such as Depeche Mode and The Cure.
They first started by playing covers of hardcore, punk and heavy metal songs, being self-confessed ”hardcore kids with leftover Slayer riffs”. The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991 after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder.
In their latter years, Converge have enjoyed relatively high levels of popularity despite the esoteric feel of their music and the substantial lack of media attention they receive. The extreme nature of their music, particularly the atonal vocals and often complicated finger-work of the guitar riffs make it difficult for some to appreciate this brand of metal. Later records have gradually become more extensively produced largely due to the maturation of their sound.
Converge’s influences range from hardcore punk bands, such as Black Flag, Negative Approach, The Accüsed, and Born Against; metal bands like Black Sabbath, Godflesh, Slayer, and Entombed; and proto-mathcore bands Starkweather and Rorschach. Jacob Bannon has also discussed an appreciation for and inspiration from grindcore on Earache Records, post-hardcore on Dischord Records; thrash metal, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Vio-Lence, and Death Angel, and post-punk groups, such as Depeche Mode and The Cure.
Torche
Torche, our favorite sludge pop geniuses, who by our reckoning should be HUGE. They may be heavy and loud and distorted, and feature members of Shitstorm and Floor and Dove, but the music they make as Torche is something else entirely. The guitars massive chugging and crunchy, the drums pounding and brutal, the bass thick and buzzy, the vocals a totally unique wail / croon, they sound a bit like the Foo Fighters, if the Foo Fighters were heavier and catchier and more punk rock.
Big guitars, a killer hook of a chorus, amazing harmonies, kick ass drumming, even some shredding leads, this band just keeps getting better and better, but also tighter and more polished, without ever sounding wussier or like sellouts.
Big guitars, a killer hook of a chorus, amazing harmonies, kick ass drumming, even some shredding leads, this band just keeps getting better and better, but also tighter and more polished, without ever sounding wussier or like sellouts.
Kvelertak
Brutally catchy punkrock/metal with a taste of groovy darkness!
Kvelertak shamelessly draw inspiration from every corner of something that could fit into their idea of good hard-hitting and catchy rock'n'roll. Regardless of genre, but always truthful to the basic idea of the band; good songs performed with the tongue-in-cheek attitude of their punk-rock pioneers. Unlike the majority of heavier bands they sing in their native language – adding even more character to their already unique sound.
Releasing their much anticipated debut album, Kvelertak are already well known in Norway for their furious live energy and catchy, melodic, metal-inspired punk rock. Outside Norway they are fairly unknown… yet.
It is a classic story; A bunch of good friends decide to create a band. It turns out to be a very good band, and from the start in 2007 things have been going very fast for these young lads from the west coast of Norway. National radio airplay and stunning live performances have taken them to some of the biggest festivals in the country and also to the infamous Roskilde festival in 2009, where they performed in front of 3000 crazy fans. Quite astonishing for a (then) unsigned act with a few demos.
A classic performance at the Eurosonic Festival in Holland spawned this review in the festival paper:
"Norway and black metal are hand in glove. A bloody serious matter at that, with emphasis on bloody and serious. High time for a more light-hearted look at the case, preferably by a compatriot. Enter Kvelertak, a delicious motley crew from Stavanger that uses the Turbonegro method for its black metal approach: an orgy of thickly sliced punk rock and good old rock & roll in IMAX 3D format. In other words: completely over the top, these six rocking rascals with a three-man guitar front, going for all sacred cows in the aforementioned genres with undisguised fun and catchy melodies. Whether the listener will like it? Let's put it this way: once gripped by Kvelertak you never want anything else."
Late 2009 Kvelertak inked a deal with Indie Recordings and the search for a producer started. On top of the list was the name of Kurt Ballou of Converge, and it is no surprise the band went ballistic when he agreed to produce the album in his God City studio in Salem, MA.
Guitarist Bjarte Lund Rolland comments:
"Kurt was on top of our dream-list of producers. His records always sound amazing; they have that driving energy and the punchy drums we were looking for. To have him say yes to our humble request was the best thing that could have happened to this record. Kurt had a plan from the beginning, and was able to produce exactly the sound we were hoping for."
The story actually repeated itself when it came to finding the right artwork. All time favorite of the band, John Baizley of Baroness, heard a demo while on tour and felt he absolutely had to do the art, which Kvelertak absolutely agreed on.
From the very first demos Kvelertak had a tradition of bringing in people whose work they admired to guest on their songs. Early demos include classic performances of amongst others Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest). The debut album keeps the tradition alive and sees great performances by Hoest (Taake), Andreas Tylden (JR Ewing and Altaar), Ivar Nikolaisen (Silver), and Ryan McKenney (Trap Them). All of which add their unique touch to their respectively tracks.
Kvelertak shamelessly draw inspiration from every corner of something that could fit into their idea of good hard-hitting and catchy rock'n'roll. Regardless of genre, but always truthful to the basic idea of the band; good songs performed with the tongue-in-cheek attitude of their punk-rock pioneers. Unlike the majority of heavier bands they sing in their native language – adding even more character to their already unique sound.
Releasing their much anticipated debut album, Kvelertak are already well known in Norway for their furious live energy and catchy, melodic, metal-inspired punk rock. Outside Norway they are fairly unknown… yet.
It is a classic story; A bunch of good friends decide to create a band. It turns out to be a very good band, and from the start in 2007 things have been going very fast for these young lads from the west coast of Norway. National radio airplay and stunning live performances have taken them to some of the biggest festivals in the country and also to the infamous Roskilde festival in 2009, where they performed in front of 3000 crazy fans. Quite astonishing for a (then) unsigned act with a few demos.
A classic performance at the Eurosonic Festival in Holland spawned this review in the festival paper:
"Norway and black metal are hand in glove. A bloody serious matter at that, with emphasis on bloody and serious. High time for a more light-hearted look at the case, preferably by a compatriot. Enter Kvelertak, a delicious motley crew from Stavanger that uses the Turbonegro method for its black metal approach: an orgy of thickly sliced punk rock and good old rock & roll in IMAX 3D format. In other words: completely over the top, these six rocking rascals with a three-man guitar front, going for all sacred cows in the aforementioned genres with undisguised fun and catchy melodies. Whether the listener will like it? Let's put it this way: once gripped by Kvelertak you never want anything else."
Late 2009 Kvelertak inked a deal with Indie Recordings and the search for a producer started. On top of the list was the name of Kurt Ballou of Converge, and it is no surprise the band went ballistic when he agreed to produce the album in his God City studio in Salem, MA.
Guitarist Bjarte Lund Rolland comments:
"Kurt was on top of our dream-list of producers. His records always sound amazing; they have that driving energy and the punchy drums we were looking for. To have him say yes to our humble request was the best thing that could have happened to this record. Kurt had a plan from the beginning, and was able to produce exactly the sound we were hoping for."
The story actually repeated itself when it came to finding the right artwork. All time favorite of the band, John Baizley of Baroness, heard a demo while on tour and felt he absolutely had to do the art, which Kvelertak absolutely agreed on.
From the very first demos Kvelertak had a tradition of bringing in people whose work they admired to guest on their songs. Early demos include classic performances of amongst others Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest). The debut album keeps the tradition alive and sees great performances by Hoest (Taake), Andreas Tylden (JR Ewing and Altaar), Ivar Nikolaisen (Silver), and Ryan McKenney (Trap Them). All of which add their unique touch to their respectively tracks.
Whips/Chains
Whips/Chains is a new crushing, sludgy hardcore band who have recently been added to Deathwish, Inc.'s roster.
WHIPS/CHAINS plays loud, slow, quiet, fast, noisy, precise, angry, sludgy, blasting, down-tuned, punk, hardcore. WHIPS/CHAINS is Will Allard (Xerxes), Ben Sears (Black God), and Ryan Patterson (Black God, Coliseum).
WHIPS/CHAINS plays loud, slow, quiet, fast, noisy, precise, angry, sludgy, blasting, down-tuned, punk, hardcore. WHIPS/CHAINS is Will Allard (Xerxes), Ben Sears (Black God), and Ryan Patterson (Black God, Coliseum).
Venue Information:
Union Transfer
1024 Spring Garden St.
Philadelphia, PA, 19123
Union Transfer
1024 Spring Garden St.
Philadelphia, PA, 19123