Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Converge - Jane Doe (2001)
Jane Doe is considered to be Converge's greatest achievement, and that sounds just about right! Everything is in a seamless flow as each band member pours out all their emotion to be able to fuse together this math-metalcore classic album. They have their signature intense screaming vocals, crushing guitar riffs, insane drumming, beautiful undecipherable lyrics, and strongly present killer bass, all put in this perfect cauldron of hardcore metal madness!
If you're not a fan of music this brutal and don't dare to go past that opening paragraph, or in other words, you're like my mother who thinks this is nothing but noise, disagree with me if you want. Converge would still be a jolly good underground metalcore fellow which nobody can deny. What's brilliant about Jane Doe is not only the great tracks but also how they flow into a superb concept album. Is this a concept album? Probably... The lyrics focus on heartbreak and separation, whereas the music pins you to the wall and starts punching you in the head and kicking you in the b*lls until you're bleeding and begging for mercy.
"Concubine" opens the album starts beating you senseless right away. This perfect opener almost counts as an intro due to its one-minute length. It has everything crammed into that minute including memorable brutal riffs, insane drumming, and intense screams by vocalist Jacob Bannon. That's what extreme hardcore is all about! "Fault and Fracture" segues in without skipping a beat, continuing the earth-quaking brutality. If you're unfamiliar with this awesome heavy sh*t, you're gonna get floored hard. While not reaching the extreme level of the "intro", the memorable technical guitars and drums can still cause mass destruction. The drum fills are so fast it's crazy, and the guitars are practically torn apart. Bannon's furious shrieks are still fantastic as h*ll, causing brilliance in the lyrical intricacy. "Distance and Meaning" has an opening dissonant guitar riff before becoming calmer but still ultra-extreme. What I like the best is when the instruments calm down with eerie whispers from Bannon before exploding into feedback fury that can really obliterate your eardrums. "Hell To Pay" is really slow, with the thick bass to help give it a sludgy vibe and a great suiting tone.
Then "Homewrecker" cranks the chaos back to full throttle. It is a definitely a killer standout in everything from the lyrics to the vocals and instruments with higher versatility than bands like Botch. There's some more brilliant guitar work and drumming. The brilliant chorus kick a** with drums, riffs, and vocal howls that can really wreck your home if you play it at full blast. "The Broken Vow" has remarkable lyrics from not just Bannon but also from other hardcore vocalists like Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), Tre McCarthy (Deathwish Inc.), and Caleb Scofield (Cave In) (RIP), especially during the final screaming line, "I'll take my love to the grave!!" Another short track "Bitter and Then Some" continues the chaotic vocal/riff assault. "Heaven In Her Arms" is another showcase of dangerous high-voltage brutality.
"Phoenix in Flight" continues shaping the album into an absolute classic. The song's "outro", "Phoenix in Flames" is just drums and vocals, allowing Bannon's awesomely demented vocals to really shine. Then it flows to another wonderful gem, "Thaw". You can feel the intense vocal emotion overpower you as he screams over the brutal instrumentation. Saving the absolute best for last, the 11 and a half minute title epic is probably the longest track by Converge. This is Converge's "Shogun"! It is the final piece of this metalcore puzzle that high-school hardcore fans would be blasting through their speakers. This is a brilliant incredible work of emotion! Bannon softly sings "I want out" in the chorus (much softer than Helloween's "I Want Out") to escape this nightmarish chaos. There's even a soloing section! At the 9-minute mark, Bannon screams the final lyrics, "RUN ON, GIRL, RUN ON!!!", as a riff makes an epic layering buildup going on until the fade-out. A terrific ending to a true metalcore closing epic!
So that's it! That's Converge's ultimate masterpiece Jane Doe. I would recommend this to fans of music that is intelligent, emotional, and brutal. You have to make a full listening experience to put it in the best part of your metalcore collection. Jane Doe ain't anonymous no more!
Favorites: Concubine, Fault and Fracture, Homewrecker, Heaven in Her Arms, Thaw, Jane Doe