Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signatures, polymeters, syncopations and tempo changes. Early mathcore lyrics were addressed from a realistic worldview and with a pessimistic, defiant, resentful or sarcastic point of view.
Converge is an American metalcore band formed by vocalist and artist Jacob Bannon and guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990. 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. This lineup has remained intact since. The members have also been involved in various side-projects and collaborations, including the bands Supermachiner (Bannon), Old Man Gloom (Newton), and Mutoid Man (Koller). With their extremely aggressive and boundary-pushing sound, rooted in hardcore and heavy metal, they are pioneers of metalcore and its subgenre mathcore.
Kurt Ballou is an American musician and producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for hardcore punk band Converge and for his prolific recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio.
You Fail Me is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on September 21, 2004 by Epitaph Records. The band's first release for the label, it was produced by Alan Douches and guitarist Kurt Ballou, with the artwork created by vocalist Jacob Bannon.
Petitioning the Empty Sky is the second studio album by American metalcore band Converge. However, contrary to many sources, the band considers this a compilation album, being a collection of songs recorded at different times. While tracklists differ between releases, this album features studio recorded tracks along with live recordings of three songs. Petitioning the Empty Sky was released and distributed through several different labels beginning in the mid 90s.
Jane Doe is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on September 4, 2001 by Equal Vision Records. The album was produced by Matthew Ellard alongside guitarist Kurt Ballou, and the artwork was designed by lead vocalist Jacob Bannon. It was the band's first album to feature bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller, and the last to feature guitarist Aaron Dalbec; Converge's line-up has remained stable since.
Modern Life Is War is an American hardcore punk band formed in Marshalltown, Iowa, in 2002. During Modern Life Is War's six-year original run, the band released three full-length albums and one self-titled 7-inch EP. Despite a growing profile on the underground hardcore circuit, and garnering critical acclaim from numerous musical outlets, Modern Life Is War announced its dissolution in early 2008; however, the band reunited in 2012.
Aaron Turner is an American musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal bands SUMAC and Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom, Lotus Eaters and Split Cranium, a collaboration with Jussi Lehtisalo of Finnish band Circle who toured with Isis in 2009.
Unloved and Weeded Out is a compilation by American metalcore band Converge, released on January 28, 2003, through Deathwish Inc.
Caring and Killing: 1991 Through 1994 is a compilation album by American metalcore band Converge, originally released in 1995 through Lost & Found Records and re-released on November 17, 1997, through Hydra Head Records.
Deeper the Wound is a split album between American band Converge and Japanese band Hellchild. The album was released through Deathwish Inc. in America on April 23, 2001. Deeper the Wound was also the first album released through Deathwish. It was later released by Bastardize Records in Japan in 2006. The album features one new track from each artist, one cover song from each artist, and a few live versions of previously released tracks. The new track "Thaw" was later re-recorded and released on Converge's 2001 album, Jane Doe.
Jacob Bannon is an American musician who is the vocalist, lyricist and graphic artist for the metalcore band Converge. He is the co-founder and owner of the record label Deathwish Inc. and the author of many visual works for independent punk rock and heavy metal musicians. Bannon has also composed and performed experimental music as Supermachiner with Ryan Parker and more recently as Wear Your Wounds.
Black on Black: A Tribute to Black Flag is a tribute album to the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. The album, released through Initial Records on October 8, 2002, compiles covers which were originally released as a series of four 7-inch singles. After Initial Records went out of business in 2004, Black on Black was later reissued through ReIgnition Recordings on March 14, 2006 with six new cover songs.
The discography of American metalcore band Converge consists of nine studio albums, three compilation albums, two video albums, six extended plays (EPs), and five split releases.
Jerusalem and Dopesmoker are two versions of the third studio album by the American stoner doom band Sleep. The former title was released in 1999 by The Music Cartel and the latter was released by Tee Pee Records in 2003. The music for these albums comprises an extended hour-length piece, developed over four years and recorded in 1996 under the auspices of Sleep's label at the time, London Records. When recording had completed, London was unhappy with the finished product and refused to release it, leading to Sleep's disbandment and the album surfacing on bootlegs and unauthorized indie releases in subsequent years. All versions of the album received very positive reception from music critics, who described it as a high-water mark in both the stoner metal and doom metal genres.
Anomalies, Vol. 1 is a compilation album by the American rock band Cave In. The album was officially released on December 14, 2010 through Hydra Head Records, however copies could be obtained one month earlier on Black Friday. Despite its title, Anomalies, Vol. 1 is actually the second release in Cave In's Anomalies series, which a grouping of releases that compile previously unreleased or rare tracks. Released earlier in 2010, Anomalies, Vol. 2 was a live album of a recorded performance from 2003.
The following is a list of releases by independent record label Deathwish Inc. The label was founded by Jacob Bannon of Converge and Tre McCarthy in 2000 and began releasing albums in 2001. This list does not include releases by the sub-labels Icarus, Secret Voice or Malfunction Records, or Deathwish's sampler album series.
Fractures is the second studio album by the American hardcore punk band Killing the Dream. The album was released on June 10, 2008 through Deathwish Inc. Fractures was produced by J. Robbins of the 90s post-hardcore group Jawbox, and the artwork was designed by Jacob Bannon of the hardcore group Converge.
Coliseum is the debut studio album by the American rock band Coliseum. The album was released on April 13, 2004, through Level Plane Records. It was met with generally favorable reviews.
Undecided Records was an American independent record label established in 1998 by Clifford Wiener and Alexander Kenny. The record company was founded in Loxahatchee, Florida but its headquarters moved around in various parts of Palm Beach County, Florida; first to Boca Raton, then to Parkland, and finally to Lake Worth. The record label released hardcore, metalcore, noisecore, post-hardcore and emo music, with a principally North American roster of artists spanning from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. Undecided Records released music on vinyl records, compact discs and digital audio formats, with distribution in the United States through Revelation Records, Victory Records and RED Music. Wiener and Kenny were both closely associated with Eulogy Recordings, where they worked in their free time.
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