Converge is an American metalcore[2] band formed by vocalist and artist Jacob Bannon and guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990.

[3][4] While recording their landmark fourth album Jane Doe in 2001, the group became a four-piece with the departure of guitarist Aaron Dalbec and the addition of bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller.

With their extremely aggressive and boundary-pushing sound, rooted in hardcore and heavy metal, they are pioneers of metalcore and its subgenre mathcore.

"[5] Converge was formed in the winter of 1990 by Bannon and Ballou, they were later joined by high school friends Jeff Feinberg and Damon Bellorado in 1991.

[11] In 1995 Converge released their first compilation album, Caring and Killing, which featured tracks from the band's early work from the years 1991 to 1994.

The band was reported to take part in a Metallica tribute split series titled Crush 'Em All with Today Is the Day for Undecided Records in 2000 but the release fell through.

"[32] Converge began writing for You Fail Me after they recorded Jane Doe; they wrote on the road during sound checks of shows.

[40] Converge's first tour in support of No Heroes started in November 2006 with Some Girls, Modern Life Is War, Blacklisted, Kylesa and Gospel.

[41] Despite their growing prominence, Converge continued to appear at small independent events such as Fluff Fest in the Czech Republic, which they played in 2007.

Following a short tour in March 2009 with Ceremony, Coliseum, Pulling Teeth and Rise and Fall, Converge entered the studio to begin recording in May 2009.

In August 2009, two months prior to the release of Axe to Fall, Converge made the opening track, "Dark Horse", available for streaming and as a free download.

[46] Converge's first headlining tour in support of the album started in April 2010 with Coalesce, Harvey Milk, Gaza, Lewd Acts and Black Breath.

On April 29, 2016 Converge announced plans to reissue the album You Fail Me (12 years after the original release); it was made available for pre-order the same day.

[71] On June 29, the band released the Beautiful Ruin EP via Epitaph and Deathwish, along with a music video for the song "Melancholia", directed by Tony Wolski.

Under the name Shattered Void, Converge contributed the new song "I Won't Let You Go" to the soundtrack for Cyberpunk 2077, a 2020 video game.

Converge's music is rooted in both hardcore punk and heavy metal[74] and they are considered one of the earliest and most influential metalcore bands.

"[5] Their 2001 album Jane Doe, which has become their most acclaimed work,[91][92][93] introduced an experimental approach and emphasis on rhythmical complexity, which are defining features of mathcore.

At that time they started incorporating influences like Starkweather,[95] The Accüsed,[95] Rorschach,[95] Born Against,[95][96] Moss Icon,[96] Universal Order of Armageddon,[96] Heroin,[96] and Mohinder[96] into their approach.

"[98] Scott Butterworth of Noisey has described Bannon's vocals "as just another sonic element—more percussive and tonal than lyrical—allowing listeners to develop an emotional understanding of the material even without a precise knowledge of the words.

"[99] Sammy O'Hagar of Metalsucks stated Bannon's vocals "[are] as much a part of Converge's uniqueness as is Ballou's nimble riffing".

Because of the nature of the work and the need for flexibility in the imagery, I decided to build it in physical layers and scan certain elements for future use.

[101] Converge have collaborated with numerous musicians throughout their work such as members of Cave In, The Hope Conspiracy, Genghis Tron, Neurosis and Disfear.

The band have also worked with Tomas Lindberg (of At the Gates, Skitsystem, The Great Deceiver, and Disfear),[104] Aaron Turner (of Isis and Old Man Gloom),[104] and Kevin Baker (of All Pigs Must Die and The Hope Conspiracy),[104] all of whom provided vocals for a cover of Entombed's "Wolverine Blues" performed by Converge.

[105] After touring together in 2004, every member of Cave In and Converge entered Ballou's GodCity Studio to lay the foundation for what was intended to become a full-length collaborative album between the two bands.

But as with anything that has too many cooks in the kitchen, the project got delayed, and certain people felt one way or another about the pieces we came up with, and in the end, there was a very small portion of material that everyone could agree on.

[109] Brodsky said what became "Effigy" was some of the best material from the sessions and expressed interest in going back and finishing the remaining unreleased tracks at some point.

Koller became a temporary drummer for Cave In during their support tour of their fourth studio album, Perfect Pitch Black.

[117] The fourth and final Blood Moon show took place after a special one-off Converge set where they played their 2001 album Jane Doe in its entirety for the first and presumably last time, to celebrate its 15-year anniversary.

[117] In Tom Hartley of NME's review of their London performance, he said: "As one of only four European cities visited by Converge on this tour, it felt truly fortunate to witness such a unique show and once again reaffirmed they are crushingly brilliant with whatever they choose to do.

"[116] In Kim Kelly of Noisey's review of Blood Moon's Roadburn Festival performance, she said: "I hadn't realized Converge's Jacob Bannon had such a powerful clean voice, or just how well it would mesh with Chelsea Wolfe's; I stood rooted to the spot for a good half hour if not more, totally sucked in by what was happening onstage.