Converge – The Dusk In Us (Epitaph, 2017)
The ninth album from the metalcore pioneers is their most halting and claustrophobic record in years. The band’s knack for sharp hooks comes through as they reject internal conflict to challenge an unknown entity larger and more muscular than the scale of their songs. They’ve consistently altered their blueprint into something more expansive and evocative—an artful mix of hardcore punk kinetics and screeching, distortion-ridden excursions. It’s all present and in boundless quantity on The Dusk in Us, from the feedback-laden dirge of “Murk & Marrow” to Nate Newton’s thunderous basswork at the nervous system of “Trigger.” But as the urgency of the album climaxes, the band’s exploratory impulses emerge like never before. The Dusk in Us is quintessentially Converge, finding catharsis in eccentric theatrics and blissful anger.
Rating: 8.3/10
Trial Track: “Arkhipov Calm”
