Converge-Jane Doe (2001)
Artist: Converge
Format: CD
Cat: EVR61
Year of Release: 2001
Country and Year of Edition: US 2001 slipcase
Date of Sale: 7/19/23
Sell Price: $8.97
Condition: VG+/VG+
Discogs Last Sold: 6/17/23 NM/NM $14.83
Low:$2.49 G+/VG
Median: $9.93
Average: $9.23
High: $14.83
Current low price: $5.61
Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 12
Have/Want: 725/204
Where Sold: Blacksburg, VA
Time It Took To Sell: 3 years
Where and When Bought The Fountain Collection purge
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B
Sad To See It Go: No
Somehow a third of a century has gone by without me paying any attention to Converge. From Boston, they were around when I was there, but that meant nothing. They climbed through the ranks over the years from CBGB's level when 4th album came out to NYC's large hall venues and Epitaph Records for a half dozen albums after this including the most recent in 2021. Until today, I have managed to hear not a note of them.
Jane Doe came from my friend Jimmy's purged CD's and another friend Zack said something about the bass tone of one of the better tracks, "Hell To Pay" so I can't even say my Boston peanut gallery ignored them. They just didn't tell me in 2001! If they did, I guess I would have paid more attention, perhaps even followed their career.
To be fair, I had been giving records by Emperor and The Refused "a chance" in the later half of the 90's and saturated metal blended with hardcore was a little clean for me to venture in without any peer pressure. Vocalist Jacob Bannon to me sounds like a cross between John Brannon and Seth Putnam. This is a compliment. Still, instead of blathering about this albums greatness, the first thought that came to mind when it came on was, "Is this fuckin' screamo that I'm going to have to listen to for the next hour?" I know Jimmy had much better taste, but this was a purged CD after all.
I gave this three sold listens and I never would have guess this was a "Berklee Band." Much less deserving of codification by symposium to the musical sphere. I'm not sure if "masterpiece" is the word here. There are good parts, good transitions and a spirited performance. I still find it a little sterile and over-saturated. This gets mistaken sometimes for "tight." The best noise rock of course has alot of dirt. The best Metal has chugging and solos. The best Hardcore has relentless speed and a personable lead vocal. This had good tech and some personality, yet I can't remember a fuckin' thing after three straight listens except a cool part here and there when it is playing. I do enjoy it more but I've enjoyed music by Negative Approach, A. C. and Dream Theatre more than this.
What I'm saying is, Hardcore is Hardcore, this ain't that. While I'm glad Berklee's "heavy" players evolved from some dudes playing air guitar to Van Hagar (they did this at a campus party I went to circa 1988), there is still something here that is a little more Tool than Slayer, more Queensryche than Black Flag. Catch my drift? Yes there might be a little Kyuss sprinkled in there and overall I like this record. Maybe I'll even catch them live someday since they are now on that bucket list in the back of my brain to do that.
And dude, the tone!
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