Jane Doe

With the 2001 release of their fourth official studio album, Converge has put the final sealing blow on their status as a legend in the world of metallic hardcore. A relatively logical extension from the chain of events that led from Halo in a Haystack up to their split LP with Agoraphoric Nosebleed, Jane Doe seems completely watertight and flawless. Their churning, chaotic guitars are more dense and layered -- fleshed out. Jakob Bannon's vocals seem somehow even more raw in the right places, more beautiful and ethereal in the others. Rhythms are as hectic and ADD-driven as ever, ripping back and forth, locking into mindless grooves, and then blurting back out in a structured mess. Experimentation with texture and mood unravels itself throughout the 12 tracks, yet maintains some cohesive element of undefined focus. Throughout all of the morphing and movement, some element of feeling remains, insisting that this album is an experience -- an encyclopedic envelopment of so much at once.