Sunday, June 17, 2007

Converge - Halo In a Haystack (1994)



I dont have proper artwork for this, but this is one of the more important records in my lifetime. At a time when chugging metal riffs were becoming the trend, and Hydra Head was just a though in someone mind, Converge were tossing real deal metal into their almost emo-core hardcore styles. With Jacob Bannons poetry and Kurt Ballous ingenious guitar playing and the rest of the bands incredible back-up, Converge cemented themselves name in progressive hardcore from the start. While Converge suprised us all by adding more technical death metal and industrial grime to their recordings, it is nowhere more apparent that Converge were fans of 80's metal than on Halo In A Haystack, their legendary, out of print first LP. Trebelly guitar leads meet with furious hardcore breakdowns and cry-if-youre-human vocal delivery juxtaposed with shredded vocal outpourings and twinkling indierock style guitars...

I know most of these songs were rereleased on the Caring and Killing comp from Equal Vision (originally Lost and Found records, notorious for releasing awesome releases in which the band never got paid) but you can compete with the original tracklist in its original order. Not to mention there are a few songs here that never made it to the Caring and Killing release. Anyway, my friend hated this record with a passion, and I loved it so much, and he had one of the last ones, even back then they were limited, and he lent it to me, and I had it forever, and then I gave it back to him one day and he promptly sold it... I was so mad, I told him I wouldve bought it from him... I felt like I shouldve never given it back...He was the same kid with the Crud Is a Cult record and a Moondog demo 7" that he sold back also... I felt so dissed. Just bad timing I guess... Well, here it all is for you to enjoy....


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I found a few more cassette tapes of mine. One is a hardcore comp from some girl that has some good stuff.. it has the Threadbare 7" on it, so I'll try to get that up soon, and then I have the Channel 7" and a Barrit 7", and I think the Jesuit 1st 7" is on that tape too. So it looks like I will be around, just not as much...

For those that were still interested in a combined attack of musical blogging, just hit me up here, or find me on myspace. Im still down for that....

16 Comments:

Blogger The Ghost of Jerry Reed said...

whoa, thanks for the OOP converge! this album blew a lot of minds back in the day!

5:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i don't have the track names for the spirit assmebly, sucks sorry... all my records are back in PA in storage.

thanks for the mouthpiece, it's been so long since i heard "can we win".

i upped two converge songs, people may or may not have them. but there rad.....

wolves - off the you fail me lp

11:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

damn it, i always have troble posting in the comment box. -----part two ------

wolves - off the you fail me lp
disintergration - cure cover from a tribute album

http://www.mediafire.com/?4ywyvmmyaen

11:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

* trouble

11:41 PM  
Blogger blend77 said...

trubble, michael, trubble.

8:40 AM  
Blogger blend77 said...

thanks for the converge songs!

8:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow, man thanks for this! your site is a good thing...

have you seen or heard J. Bannon's side project, Dear Lover?

2:57 PM  
Blogger Dan said...

Dope man - Still my fav converge album, i still have it on vinyl!

10:26 AM  
Blogger blend77 said...

is that you dnew?

11:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow, this is a surprise for me. I'm only familiar with Converge's newer stuff which is so much more frantic and dissonant. I really only tend to like a few tracks off each of their releases ("distance and meaning" off jane doe, "first/last light" off you fail me) or maybe it's just that they exhaust me after a couple of songs. anyhow, this is easy to listen to and despite the fact that it's straight ahead stuff there's a composure to it all. I like.

-Terry

12:44 PM  
Blogger blend77 said...

terry!

i still mean to write back to you!! sorry its been so long. new job, new dog, warm weather has kept me away from the comp. i am barely on for more than a few minutes at a time... except at work, of course, but then i am working...

i'll hit you up this weekend..

2:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even though I no longer carry the "sXe" torch I can still recognize "Fact Leaves Its Ghost" as THE BEST straight edge anthem ever. In my littlest opinion anyway.

12:04 AM  
Blogger blend77 said...

i agree will... are you will from PV?

i love that song, and i am nowhere near straight edge..

3:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nope. Will from MVHC! haha.

8:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can you re-upload the "Halo In A Haystack" link?

1:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah! i have that 12" I also still have the converge demo tape with sky and zodiac.. i got it from them at the new bedford hardcore festival before anyone was familiar with them.. actually, after going through so many record selloffs and what-not, that album is the only 12 " I still own..

9:40 PM  

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