The only problem with terrifyingly consistent bands like Converge is that we can sometimes get a little immune to their sheer brilliance. It’s little surprise then that eighth album ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ is another corker. Just as we all expected…

Well into their third decade as a band, Converge show little signs of going soft. They’ve remained at the forefront of hardcore punk/metal for a long time without a sniff of compromise. ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ shows no signs of stopping this reign.

Depending when you first got into Converge, you’ll inevitably compare all their new releases to your favourite. For me, like most, ‘Jane Doe’ was when I first got sucked in but they were around far before then. Although those classic albums will always hold a special place in your heart, there’s no reason why this can’t go down in the ‘just as good’ category.

Kicking things off with contradictory titled ‘Aimless Arrow’ soon shows you where Converge are at; Viscous, snarling, raucous and straight to the point. Short bursts of typical Converge fury lavished in glorious feedback. The buzz-saw riffs complimented as usual by Bannon’s strained roar. It’s all there present and correct.

Not that it’s a case of going through the motions. ‘All That We Love We Leave Behind’ sounds as fresh and as vital as any album in the catalogue. That’s pretty good going for saying they’ve been at it for so long, but like I said…these guys are consistently awesome!

9/10

Out now on Epitaph

Rob W