Earlier this year, Nate and I caught up with our longtime friends at Iron Heart at Outbreak Festival in Manchester. We talked about how we first met, our shared interest in workwear, and the attention to detail that matters to us in both clothing and music.

Nate was the connection. In the early days of Iron Heart Int’l, he and co-founder Giles Padmore bonded over vintage Levi’s denim. Nate introduced me soon after, and that shared interest grew to an obsession that has lasted for years.

Along the way, Giles even commissioned a jacket built to Nate’s specifications: the IHJ-101J-BLK, appropriately named the “Riffblaster General.” Giles and Paula also became regular faces at some UK Converge shows. Having them become part of our world while we became part of theirs has been special for us.

This film gave us a chance to revisit that history and talk about why these things have stayed with us. Clothing and music are both deeply personal forms of expression. The details matter, as does finding something that feels like your own. Something that becomes inseparable from you.

Thanks to everyone at Iron Heart for the friendship and support over the years, and to Morgan Tedd and The Alternative for putting this together.

Directed by Morgan Tedd
Produced by The Alternative

Read the Full Article: https://ironheart.co.uk/pages/ih-x-converge

Converge, on tour;

11/07 San Diego CA Dia De Los Deftones

w/ Sanguisugabogg, Black Braid, Pupil Slicer
12.11.26 Germany Munich Backstage
13.11.26 Germany Karlsruhe Substage
14.11.26 Netherlands Eindoven Helldorado
15.11.26 France Strasbourg La Laiterie
16.11.26 France Paris Le Bataclan
18.11.26 UK Leeds Project House
19.11.26 UK Bristol Electric Bristol
SOLD OUT 20.11.26 Scotland Glasgow TV Studio SWG3
21.11.26 UK Nottingham Rock City
SOLD OUT 22.11.26 UK London Electric Brixton

12/12-12/13 Boston MA Saddest Day 2026

03/17 Melbourne AU Lucidity 2027

06/04 Barcelona, Spain Primavera Sound

06/10-12 Kraków Poland Mystic Festival

Music & Merch

heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net

Stephen Brodsky returns for Part Two of our conversation about the history of Cave In.

Picking up where Part One left off, Stephen talks about the loss of Caleb Scofield, how Cave In found a way forward, and the friendships and creative relationships that have continued to shape the band.

We follow Cave In through the next chapter of their history, the music that followed, and the experiences that brought them to where they are today.

We also talk about Cave In’s long history with Converge, the shared community surrounding both bands, and their upcoming appearance at Saddest Day 2026.

Road to Saddest Day is an ongoing series of conversations with the artists and people taking part in Saddest Day 2026.

SADDEST DAY 2026
December 12 & 13, 2026
Roadrunner Boston

3PM Doors
All Ages
No Barrier
No Overlapping Sets

Live Art / Food / Vendors / Non-Profits / + More

SAT. DEC 12, 2026

Neurosis
Converge
Crowbar
Cave In
Emma Ruth Rundle
Pig Pen
Deaf Club
Final Gasp

SUN. DEC 13, 2026

Converge “25th Anniversary Jane Doe Set”
Chat Pile
Baroness
Agriculture
Deadguy
Reversal Of Man
Habak
Fuming Mouth

FOLLOW SADDEST DAY FEST
Instagram: https://instagram.com/saddestdayfest

FOLLOW CONVERGE
Site: https://convergecult.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/converge
Facebook: https://facebook.com/converge
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ConvergeOfficial

FOLLOW CAVE IN
Instagram: https://instagram.com/caveinband

FOLLOW J. BANNON & MORE
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jbannon
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jbannon
Heartwork.Gallery: https://heartwork.gallery
Bannon Printing: https://bannonprinting.com
Deathwish Inc: https://deathwishinc.com

Opener / Closer by Mike McKenzie: https://linktr.ee/nightedthrone

He was everybody’s friend.

That’s why this one hurts so much.

I met Andy in the late 90s, early 2000s. It was at an early Every Time I Die and Converge show in Buffalo somewhere. A small bar and restaurant, one of those places that probably shouldn’t have been hosting shows in the first place.

There was an magnetic energy within him, even in those earliest years, that was impossible to miss. He was talented, loud, funny, and completely himself. But there was something else there too. When I looked into his kind eyes, I felt seen.

Not looked at. SEEN.

We loved the same things. Art. Music. Fighting. Wrestling. The talons that sunk into an adolescent me had captured him too. We were cut from similar cloth and knew it.

Some time passed, and Every Time I Die grew. Soon they hired me to design their “Hot Damn!” album for Ferret Recordings. After reading Keith’s lyrics, I quickly wrote a visual treatment for the record. It was primarily photographic, so I asked my friend and peer Chris Colohan of Cursed to shoot with us as his style was perfect for the project.

For one snowy evening in Buffalo, we directed and photographed the band and their friends over the course of a night at local dive bars. Attempting to capture the underlying, sultry spirit of the underdog city they loved so much.

All night, while Chris and I were attempting to be serious and arty, Andy kept us laughing. He made the entire experience lighter and somehow much easier. Later, I used those photographs as part of the “Hot Damn!” package design. It was there that we introduced the ETID logo with the old-english “I”, versions of which they would continue to use throughout their tenure. I am forever grateful to have played a small part in the evolving visual language of that band.

From that point on, Andy and I became fast friends. Every Time I Die toured constantly and our paths crossed often on the road. I am grateful of the time we spent together in the far corners of the world.

Whenever we connected, we often talked about our creative lives and about one day making music together.

I wish we did that.

I was on the phone interviewing him when I received the news that my first son was about to be born. I could barely contain my emotion. In that moment off-air, Andy simply said something like:

“...you’re Jake Bannon man, you got this.”

He was right.

I am.

And I did.

As my children grew, their connection to the sport of kings grew as well. Andy was gracious enough to send them his action figures and collector cards to cultivate their passion. Showing them that hard work and perseverance can make dreams come true.

Just days before the pandemic hit, we were preparing to announce a European tour with Converge, Every Time I Die, Full of Hell, and Gouge Away for September of that year.

I was really looking forward to the tour and connecting with ETID again, especially Andy. I knew internally there was some tumult within the band, and part of me hoped that their time with us might help them find new perspectives.

Unfortunately, the world went dark, and the band went on hiatus.

We never announced the tour, nor were able to reschedule.

Here are the poster designs that Pol at Branca Studio assembled for the run:

Over the years, I watched Andy grow as he chased his passions and dreams unlike anyone else.

Music. Wrestling. His friends. His family.

Whatever he loved, he loved completely.

And that love came back to him.

Because Andy was everybody’s friend.

It was early morning when I heard the news of his passing.

I was packing our gear. We were supposed to play Saint Vitus in Brooklyn that night.

Messages began flooding in.

Andy was gone.

I stopped.

I didn’t know what to do.

I sat there amid merch boxes and scattered backline and asked myself:

What would Andy want me to do?

I knew the answer before I had even finished asking the question.

I got up.

And kept moving forward.

Soon Kurt showed up with his gear. We loaded everything and started the drive to Brooklyn.

Four hours.

We talked the entire way.

About Andy. About life. About dreams. About family. About friends. About all of the things that suddenly seem impossibly important when someone disappears.

The vacuum that appears in their absence.

By mid afternoon, we arrived at the new Saint Vitus.

Everything felt different.

Not the room.

The present day.

The sunlight. The ground beneath me. The weight of the air around me.

Friends were there. Dave. Gavin. Tommy Bravo. Bev. Morgado.

People I’ve known for years, connected to different parts of my life, all feeling an immeasurable amount of loss.

Together we hugged.

We laughed.

We hurt.

Because Andy was everybody’s friend.

I don’t remember much about the set.

I remember screaming.

Trying to emote loud enough for Andy’s soul to hear.

I remember crying. Feeling a deluge of emotions rain down.

I was fighting. Trying to take whatever I was feeling internally and put it somewhere outside of myself.

Somewhere it might sting less.

It never did.

Maybe that’s what music has always been for me.

Maybe that’s why I was supposed to be there.

After the set, I dropped the microphone and collapsed into a chair backstage.

Alone.

A stillness came.

A moment of peace before the room began to fill with others.

Friends reappeared.

More hugs.

More stories.

More people trying to understand something none of us could understand.

Because Andy was everybody’s friend.

Dom then graciously loaded my truck with all of our gear while I was a sopping mess.

Eventually I pulled myself together, and Kurt and I made our way back to the truck.

I turned the key.

The engine roared.

Four more hours.

This time through the dead of night.

Again, we talked the entire way, but I can’t remember much of it. It’s a blur.

Our voices propping up our consciousness while our bodies ached for rest.

3:10 AM.

Worse for wear, we finally pulled into Beverly.

We packed Kurt’s gear into his truck.

Off he went.

And I did too.

Sometimes there are moments in life that change our perspectives, and trajectories. This is one of those moments for me.

Condolences to all effected by this monumental loss.

Today is another day, to live.

Andy Williams, forever.

They discuss Cave In’s early years, Stephen joining Converge, the connections between the two bands, the making of Until Your Heart Stops, and Cave In’s continued evolution through Jupiter, Antenna, Perfect Pitch Black, and the years that followed.

The conversation also looks at the friendships and creative relationships that shaped Cave In throughout its history, ultimately leading to the passing of Caleb Scofield in 2018.

Part 2 will continue the story from there.

Road to Saddest Day is an ongoing series of conversations with the artists and people taking part in Saddest Day 2026.

Subscribe at deathwish.fm

SADDEST DAY 2026
December 12 & 13, 2026
Roadrunner Boston
3PM Doors. All Ages. No Barrier. No Overlapping Sets.

SAT. DEC 12, 2026
Neurosis
Converge
TBA Special Guest
Cave In
Emma Ruth Rundle
Pig Pen
Deaf Club
Final Gasp

SUN. DEC 13, 2026
Converge “25th Anniversary Jane Doe Set”
Chat Pile
Baroness
Agriculture
TBA Special Guest
Reversal Of Man
Habak
Fuming Mouth

LIVE ART CREATION & EXHIBIT
Nightswim Project
Jacob Bannon
Thomas Hooper
John Baizley
Marald Van Haasteren
Jay Weinberg + more

FOLLOW SADDEST DAY FEST
Instagram: https://instagram.com/saddestdayfest

FOLLOW CONVERGE
Site: https://convergecult.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/converge
Facebook: https://facebook.com/converge
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ConvergeOfficial

FOLLOW CAVE IN
Instagram: https://instagram.com/caveinband

FOLLOW J. BANNON
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jbannon
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jbannon

Opener/Closer by Mike McKenzie: https://linktr.ee/nightedthrone

Sign up for Pre-order alerts: convergecult.com/janedoe25

Video Directed by Jason Zucco
Photography by Jason Hellmann
Editing by Jacob Bannon
Mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity
Mastered at West West Side Music

Converge, on tour;

10/06 Brooklyn NY St. Vitus w/ L.O.T.I.O.N.
11/07 San Diego CA Dia De Los Deftones

w/ Sanguisugabogg, Black Braid, Pupil Slicer
12.11.26 Germany Munich Backstage
13.11.26 Germany Karlsruhe Substage
14.11.26 Netherlands Eindoven Helldorado
15.11.26 France Strasbourg La Laiterie
16.11.26 France Paris Le Bataclan
18.11.26 UK Leeds Project House
19.11.26 UK Bristol Electric Bristol
20.11.26 Scotland Glasgow TV Studio SWG3
21.11.26 UK Nottingham Rock City
22.11.26 UK London Electric Brixton

12/12-12/13 Boston MA Saddest Day 2026

They discuss the original Saddest Day, finding a home at Roadrunner Boston, and building an event that goes beyond a traditional festival. From the lineup and two distinct Converge performances to live art, vendors, nonprofits, and the importance of creating a community-focused experience, this conversation explores the ideas behind Saddest Day and what they hope to create together on December 12 and 13, 2026.

Road to Saddest Day is an ongoing series of conversations with the artists and people taking part in Saddest Day 2026.

Watch on YouTube:

SADDEST DAY 2026
Tix: https://saddest.day

December 12 & 13, 2026, Roadrunner Boston
3PM Doors. All Ages. No Barrier. No Overlapping Sets.

SAT. DEC 12, 2026
TBA Special Guest
Converge
TBA Special Guest
Cave In
Emma Ruth Rundle
Pig Pen
Deaf Club
Final Gasp

SUN. DEC 13, 2026

Converge “25th Anniversary Jane Doe Set”
Chat Pile
Baroness
Agriculture
Reversal Of Man
Habak
Fuming Mouth

LIVE ART CREATION & EXHIBIT

Jacob Bannon
Nightswim Project
Thomas Hooper
John Baizley
Marald Van Haasteren
Jay Weinberg
+ more

••••••••••

FOLLOW SADDEST DAY FEST
Instagram: https://instagram.com/saddestdayfest

FOLLOW CONVERGE
Site: https://convergecult.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/converge
Facebook: https://facebook.com/converge
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ConvergeOfficial

FOLLOW J. BANNON
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jbannon
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jbannon
Substack: https://jacobbannon.substack.com

Opener/Closer by Mike McKenzie:
https://linktr.ee/nightedthrone

By the winter of 1990, I was obsessed with hardcore music and everything that surrounded it. The creativity, the personalities, the emotion, the physicality. It completely captivated me.

At home I’d blast every record I owned: Corrosion of Conformity, Misfits, Agnostic Front, imagining what it would be like to stand in front of those bands someday. I devoured Thrasher, Maximum Rocknroll, and every fanzine I could get my hands on, hoping each one would point me toward something new.

On school days, my Walkman rarely left my side. My collection and my knowledge grew as friends and I dubbed tapes and traded records. For years I’d sneak a headphone into class, no easy feat in those days, tuning out everything around me while NYHC compilations, Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, Leeway, and Suicidal Tendencies became the soundtrack of my life.

By the spring of 1991, Jeff Feinburg and I had started making noise together. Eventually that would become Converge. Eventually we could stumble our way through covers by the Misfits, Maelstrom, Eye For An Eye, Minor Threat, and Slapshot before finally attempting our own early songs.

Back then we idolized the older punks and skins in town. They gathered at the park uptown and told stories from what already felt like another era, Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut between 1984 and 1988. Tales of fights, fake IDs, and legendary venues like The Channel, Bunrattys, The Rat, and Green Street Station. Stories about Gang Green, SSD, Black Flag, the Misfits, and bands we’d only read about, but desperately wished we’d seen.

That summer and fall we went to every show we could find. The more we saw, the deeper the obsession became. We chased shows through the suburbs and into Boston, all the while dreaming about making the pilgrimage to New York City and finally seeing a proper show at CBGB.

The deeper we went, the more each of us fell in love with hardcore in our own way. Even then, we recognized we were witnessing something special: an explosion of creativity, personalities, and conviction that felt too real to be fiction.

To us, New York City was the true center of it all.

In December of 1991, I spotted a flyer hanging at Newbury Comics.

Without thinking, I tore one from the bulletin board and folded it into my jacket pocket. I must have looked at that flyer a hundred times before the show finally arrived.

It was my dream show.

Agnostic Front were legends. I had nearly worn out my copy of ‘Live at CBGBs’.

Sick of It All felt like they were leading a new generation, riding the momentum of their latest record.

Wrecking Crew were our regional heroes, a perfect collision of hardcore and crossover thrash at the height of their powers.

And it would also be Boston’s first chance to see Burn, a band we’d only heard whispered about from Gavin from Absolution.

We had to be there.

As the weekend approached, the news warned of a major winter storm. By Saturday, snow and ice had buried much of Massachusetts. It looked unlikely, but there was never any question. I was going.

We caught the train Sunday morning, about a half-hour ride into Boston. Outside the windows, snow and ice swirled violently as we sped toward the city. From North Station we took the T to South Station before making the final walk.

Crossing the Necco Street Bridge, gray slush poured over the tops of my sneakers. My socks were soaked before we even reached the club, but I couldn’t have cared less. We reached the club half frozen and joined a small crowd gathered outside the entrance. Some were familiar faces we’d seen at previous shows, everyone buzzing with the feeling that something unforgettable was about to happen.

The house lights disappeared. Before my eyes could adjust, Burn crashed into their first song.

Loose, urgent, and completely alive, they commanded the room. Gavin’s intensity paired with Chaka Malik’s poetry felt unlike anything I’d experienced before. Standing there, I felt like I was witnessing the birth of a third generation of hardcore.

It was extraordinary.

Then Wrecking Crew hit.

They were always incredible, but that evening felt different. They played with something to prove. You could sense they wanted to earn respect from their New York peers, and by the end of the set, they absolutely had.

Then came the moment that changed my life.

As Sick of It All prepared to play, I noticed Lou and their bass player both wearing the same Wrecking Crew long sleeve I’d bought only minutes earlier.

It was a small thing.

But it stayed with me.

Before I had words and understanding of it, I watched bands support one another. That simple gesture taught me something I’ve carried ever since. This was a community, not merely entertainment. We are here to lift each other up.

Then the room exploded.

The opening notes of “Clobberin’ Time” sent the entire floor into motion. Every song carried a sense of frustration, resilience, and belonging that connected directly to the confused, isolated kid I was trying to make sense of the world.

For the first time, I felt understood and part of something.

Before I had time to catch my breath, Agnostic Front took the stage.

It was Roger Miret’s first tour after serving his prison sentence and one of Matt Henderson’s earliest with the band. At one point they even brought Stigma’s dog onto the stage. It was a wild scene.

What struck me most, though, was seeing members of every other band gathered along the sides of the stage, watching Agnostic Front with the same admiration the audience felt.

There was no ego.

Just respect for the Godfathers of Hardcore.

It felt like hardcore against the world, and for one night, we were winning.

For the rest of the evening I threw myself across the floor, dancing until every ounce of rage was gone. For the first time in my life, I felt like I’d found my people.

As the show ended, I spotted Lou Koller standing near stage right wearing a Slapshot shirt.

I nervously walked over and told him my friends and I had started a band. We exchanged a few words before he smiled and simply said,

“Keep doin’ it, man.”

That was it.

On the ride home, I made a decision that would shape the rest of my life.

I was going to dedicate myself to art and music.

All of the people who stood on that stage that night made that decision possible.

From that day on, I went to see Sick of It All anytime I could in New England.

Over the decades, the paths of Converge and many of those New York hardcore bands crossed from time to time. We’d share festivals and occasional shows, especially overseas. I was fortunate enough to tell many of them just how much their music meant to me.

I never had the chance to remind Lou about those few words he shared with a nervous kid during a snowstorm in 1991.

In 2020, Sick of It All and Converge were scheduled to tour Latin America together. I had been looking forward to finally sharing that experience with them. Instead, the pandemic brought everything to a halt. Soon afterward, Lou became ill, and the band’s music was forced to pause while his personal fight continued.

Thank you, Sick of It All.

Thank you for helping me discover the life I’ve been fortunate enough to live.

Every band that has ever stood on a stage with Converge exists, in some small way, because a handful of people once stood on a stage for us.

Lou probably forgot our conversation before the next person walked over to him.

I never did.

More than thirty years later, I still hear those four words.

Keep doin’ it, man.

Sometimes it isn’t the grand moments that change your life, it can be the small conversations. It all depends on how, and when, you hear them.

Converge, on tour;

11/07 San Diego CA Dia De Los Deftones

w/ Sanguisugabogg, Black Braid, Pupil Slicer
12.11.26 Germany Munich Backstage
13.11.26 Germany Karlsruhe Substage
14.11.26 Netherlands Eindoven Helldorado
15.11.26 France Strasbourg La Laiterie
16.11.26 France Paris Le Bataclan
18.11.26 UK Leeds Project House
19.11.26 UK Bristol Electric Bristol
20.11.26 Scotland Glasgow TV Studio SWG3
21.11.26 UK Nottingham Rock City
22.11.26 UK London Electric Brixton

12/12 - 13 Boston MA Saddest Day 2026

Music & Merch

heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net

I’ve never shared much on the subject of mental health. I am writing this now, selfishly, to help get back to where I need to be. I also hope it might help others who find something of themselves in my experience.

I underestimate the toll it takes to be vulnerable through art.

I insulate myself from it by relentlessly pushing forward. On to the next. I rarely look back. Over the last few months, I’ve had the gas pedal mashed to the floor. I didn’t feel the emotional fatigue then, but I do now. I am standing where exhaustion and anxiety meet.

Thomas warned me about this months ago. I listened, but I didn’t understand. He saw the crash coming before I did.

It came for me yesterday, and I never know how long it will stay.

For me, depression never looks the same, but it always feels the same when it comes. It starts as a hot pulse, growing from my temples into my neck. It creeps down my shoulders and into my arms. Eventually it grows until it eclipses my heart. I can literally feel my light go out.

What is known, but rarely said, is that depression acts as though it has a consciousness. As it feeds on joy, it defends itself. Unwilling to let small victories and happiness be accepted. Bodiless, it craves a mortal shell. It wants to isolate and erode self-worth. It craves permanence.

One of the saddest things about our songs is that they can never fully resolve the issues they confront. Though there is something healing about purging and confining those subjects to a song, I am still locked in the cage with them.

I struggle with that as I feel many other artists do.

My perspective shifts and sways.

I may seem well, but I don’t always feel better.

While traveling and performing, I meet people who connect with what we create. They often share stories of their own trials and tribulations. It can be heavy, sometimes altogether overwhelming for me. I feel the weight of their lives as I quietly consider where I stand in my own.

Years ago, I wrote the line, “Together, we fall apart,” and it still holds so much meaning in this context. Together through music and art, we scream, cry, rebuild, and, above all, survive. It is not an escape, but a pressure release for our shared human experience.

I need it now more than ever.

Sometimes I close my eyes onstage and re-enter the worlds inside these songs. There, I speak to a younger version of myself who first wrote those words, reassuring him while, somehow, comforting myself. As we roll from one song to the next, I keep pushing, trying to heal what was broken and defeated by time. As I scream with everything I have, I imagine the songs as dog-eared chapters of a tattered book. At the end of each chapter are a few blank pages. Just enough space to rewrite the ending for some stories, but never enough for all of them.

After an hour of emoting, we walk offstage. My heart rate is jacked, eyes wild. Spit, sweat, and tears smear together and sting my face. Some shadows for a time, retreat.

I’ve never felt so close to the sun.

SADDEST DAY

December 12 & 13, 2026
Roadrunner, Boston
3PM Doors • All Ages
No Barrier • No Overlapping Sets

Live Art / Food / Vendors / Non-Profits + More
More info to come.

Tickets On Sale Now:
https://www.axs.com/series/33423/converge-presents-saddest-day-2026-tickets

Saturday, December 12

TBA Special Guest
Converge
TBA Special Guest
Cave In
Emma Ruth Rundle
Pig Pen
Deaf Club
Final Gasp

Sunday, December 13

Converge “25th Anniversary Jane Doe Set”
Chat Pile
Baroness
Agriculture
Reversal Of Man
Habak
Fuming Mouth

Converge, on tour;

w/ Heriot, Boneflower, Crouch

03.07.26 Italy Milan Circolo Magnolia

UK/EU Summer Festivals

04.07.26 Spain Resurrection
05.07.26 Portugal Evil Live

12.12-13 Saddest Day Roadrunner Boston

Music & Merch

heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net

3PM Doors • All Ages
No Barrier • No Overlapping Sets

Live Art / Food / Vendors / Non-Profits + More
More info to come.

Tickets On Sale Now:
https://www.axs.com/series/33423/converge-presents-saddest-day-2026-tickets

Code: SADDESTDAY2026

Saturday, December 12

TBA Special Guest
Converge
TBA Special Guest
Cave In
Emma Ruth Rundle
Pig Pen
Deaf Club
Final Gasp

Sunday, December 13

Converge “25th Anniversary Jane Doe Set”
Chat Pile
Baroness
Agriculture
Reversal Of Man
Habak
Fuming Mouth

Converge, on tour;

w/ Heriot, Boneflower, Crouch

28.06.26 Belgium Antwerp Zappa
29.06.26 Germany Cologne Essigfabrik
30.06.26 Germany Berlin SO36
02.07.26 Austria Vienna Arena
03.07.26 Italy Milan Circolo Magnolia

UK/EU Summer Festivals

25.06.26 Netherlands Jera On Air
26.06.26 France Superbowl Of Hardcore
27.06.26 UK Outbreak
01.07.26 Czech Rep Obscene Extreme
04.07.26 Spain Resurrection
05.07.26 Portugal Evil Live

12.12-13 Saddest Day Roadrunner Boston

Music & Merch

heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net

A sincere thank you to those behind the scenes who have been part of this process: our families, friends, and road crew; Epitaph and Deathwish; Zach Weeks, Alan Douches, Thomas Hooper, Nick Fancher, George Gallardo Kattah, Liberated Images, Kingsroad, Another Side PR, Prescription PR, Diamond Creative Services, Evil Greed, Force Majeure, 33 & West, and Avocado Booking.

Below is a song by song breakdown of the lyrics and artwork, along with a visualizer for each track. If you’re inclined, give it a read as you listen.

Thank you.

-J.

Photo by Nick Fancher.

Hum of Hurt Art & Title

I wanted to go minimal with the cover art. Similar to our “You Fail Me” and “All We Love We Leave Behind” albums. Influenced by simple covers (Germs, Joy Division, etc).

The visual theme is thematically based on “The Hum” phenomena. Doing research, I stumbled upon this local blog entry which I found interesting. This compelled me to dig deeper into the theories as to its origin.

I chose to add my own; What if the “Hum” is the culmination of all the pain in the world creating an audible hum across the universe? Something only heard by others operating on a similar frequency?

Back & Front Cover:

The EKG skips a beat on the back cover, then goes static before spiking at the enter of cover like a seismic emotional event. I built the “signal” via cut and paste collage on a copy machine. I bounced the idea off of friend and collaborator Thomas Hooper. He graciously offered to re-illustrate the signal to give it additional movement.

The final piece is the amalgamation of these ideas.

Inside Artwork:

I spent three months agonizing over this hyper detailed interior mixed media piece. Initially I liked this as the cover, but soon felt it was more impactful seeing it as the interior as it developed. I used paint, gold-leaf, ink, photocopy, human hair, branches, and debris to create the depth.

The structure is based on a 14 line harmonic armature, which is how many old master painters worked to structure art. I made one and it is still faintly there, but I pushed to the background of the piece as it progressed.

The figures represent the 5 elements, or “Pancha Bhuta”, Prithvi (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी:, Earth), Ap (Sanskrit: आपः, Water), Agni (Sanskrit: अग्नि, Fire), Vayu (Sanskrit: वायु:, Air), Akasha (Sanskrit: आकाश, Aether). I present them in a scene of chaos, as the world around us reflects that state. Each figure is beautiful and violent at once-the visual companion to the spike of the seismic event on the cover.

Insert Artwork:
Doing research I found an incredible visual chart of how seismic energy travels. It had parallels to the HOH concept and felt like a Hooper piece already. Thomas illustrated his interpretation and it is included it as the A-Side of the lyric sheet. I used cut/paste fragments of the Converge “symbol” in gold leaf to frame everything. This calls to the gold usage on the cover, as well.

Original Inspiration:

Hooper x Bannon Interpretation:

Back:

01. Slip The Noose

Often, parenthood acts as a mirror, reflecting back everything we are. I wrote these words about recognizing parts of myself in my children. Hoping to steer them away from life’s traps and toward its lessons, I do my best to help guide them along their own paths. Love is more than a feeling. It is a responsibility.

02. Doom In Bloom

Self reflection has a way of stirring emotions that can spiral far beyond the moment that summoned them. Old wounds, regrets, disappointments, and unanswered questions often remain hot to the touch long after we believe we have left them behind. Sometimes they linger for years, shaping the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Yet we do not need to apologize for feeling these things. Our emotions are not flaws to be corrected but evidence of a life fully lived, carrying both its burdens and its lessons. Anger, especially, is often misunderstood. While it can consume us when left unchecked, it can also reveal what matters most, exposing our convictions, our boundaries, and our desire for something better. Anger can be a gift if you use it to start your own fire, transforming pain into purpose and frustration into action. The challenge is not to extinguish the flame, but to learn how to carry it forward in a way that creates light rather than destruction.

03. It Only Gets Worse

The last few years have been a pressure test. Social and cultural foundations have shifted beneath our feet, and compassion fatigue colors yet another dystopian sunrise. We have grown indifferent where we should be outraged, too often reaching for hate where love is needed most. We turn cold toward others while quietly longing for warmth ourselves. If we hope to change the course we are on, we must all strive to be better, because if we don’t, it only gets worse.

04. Detonator

It feels as though loss has been arriving faster than we can make sense of it. We’ve said goodbye to family, friends, and peers, often in the midst of turbulent chapters of their lives, leaving wounds that might have healed hanging painfully open. Closure is rarely simple. I often find myself wishing those we’ve lost could see the love that pours out in their absence, the stories shared, the tears shed, and the reminders of how deeply they mattered. They were loved more than they may have ever known. Time takes everything eventually, and opportunities rarely wait for us. Say the words you mean to say while you still can. Make peace where you are able. Do not let mistakes define the rest of your story.

05. I Won’t Let You Go

With time and perspective, I’ve come to understand how deeply I was shaped by dysfunction. It left me carrying contradictions, blind spots, and shortcomings that I still work to confront every day. Years of conversation, reflection, and therapy have helped me recognize just how profound that impact has been. This song is about the long and often difficult process of rebuilding yourself from the inside out. It is an acknowledgment of the damage, a commitment to growth, and a plea for patience while I learn how to become a better version of myself.

06. It’s Not Up To Us

At night, when I close my eyes, I imagine myself as a silhouette of light suspended in a timeless, formless universe, surrounded by distant points of starlight. I stand at the center of a line stretching endlessly in both directions. In that space, I can glimpse infinity and the boundless potential that exists beyond the limits of our understanding. Here in our terrestrial world, such freedom often feels out of reach. We are constrained by systems of economy, expectation, obligation, and survival. The pace demanded of us by modern life is rarely our own, and much of what we call choice is shaped by forces we neither created nor control. It can feel as though free will is reduced to a negotiation within invisible structures designed to keep us moving in prescribed directions. In the face of that reality, the struggle becomes something deeper than resistance. It becomes a fight to preserve the soul, to protect the parts of ourselves that remain curious, compassionate, creative, and free.

07. Dream Debris

When I was a boy, I had a friend I spent nearly every day with in the summer. In the world around us, we often felt unwanted, but together we felt untouchable. Bound by circumstance and shaped by difficult homes, we found strength in each other’s company. Out of fear and the scars left by years of abuse, he carried a stolen gun along with a collection of other weapons. The gun was unloaded, but that hardly mattered. The threat, the symbolism, and the need for protection were always present.

One scorching summer night, as he sat flicking the chamber open and closed, I told him he didn’t need it. We had each other and futures ahead of us. He laughed, slipped the gun back into the pocket of his flight jacket, and said, “They say we can be anything we want to be, but it’s bullshit.” Something changed in that moment. It was the first time either of us had spoken aloud that the odds were stacked against us. Until then, we had carried our hopes as if they were facts. Hearing that doubt landed with a force I have never forgotten.

A few nights later, I had a vivid dream. We were trapped inside a collapsing house while gunfire erupted from every direction. Dust and splinters filled the air. I held him as he bled out in my arms, helpless to stop it. Then I died too. It felt less like a dream than a warning, though I could never say of what.

As the years passed, we drifted apart and our lives moved in different directions. But I have never forgotten that summer, the way we looked out for one another, the weight of that gun in his pocket, or the quiet heartbreak hidden inside the words he spoke that night. Some memories stay with you because they reveal truths long before you are mature enough to understand them.

08. It Used To Matter

This is an instrumental piece. Sometimes the absence of words can say more than language ever could. The title comes from the realization that many of the things that once felt permanent, essential, or defining eventually fade away. People change, places disappear, relationships end, and entire chapters of our lives become memories. What once seemed immeasurably important can slowly lose its hold on us, or vanish altogether. For me, this title reflects that moment when you look back and understand that some things used to matter deeply, and now they no longer exist except in memory.

09. Hum of Hurt

For more than three decades, I have devoted my life to creating art and music. I am deeply grateful for the community that has embraced and supported that work, providing both purpose and a creative home. At the same time, commitment can become its own kind of confinement, leaving little room for other parts of ourselves to grow. These lyrics come from a place of self examination, from looking in the mirror and confronting the distance between who I am and who I want to be. They are an acknowledgment that growth is ongoing, that change requires intention, and that I still have work to do.

10. Nothing is Over

This song is about the struggle to preserve what makes us human in a world that often seeks to diminish it. The “glow inside” represents our spirit, compassion, creativity, and capacity to love, all of which can be worn down by fear, control, exhaustion, and indifference. The lyrics acknowledge the forces that shape our perceptions and attempt to dictate the terms of our lives, while rejecting resignation in favor of resistance. Even when the spirit bends and the heart feels depleted, there is still value in the fight. At its core, this song is a reminder that preserving our humanity is a battle worth waging for as long as there is light left to carry forward.

Converge, on tour;

w/ Heriot, Boneflower, Crouch

28.06.26 Belgium Antwerp Zappa
29.06.26 Germany Cologne Essigfabrik
30.06.26 Germany Berlin SO36
02.07.26 Austria Vienna Arena
03.07.26 Italy Milan Circolo Magnolia

UK/EU Summer Festivals

25.06.26 Netherlands Jera On Air
26.06.26 France Superbowl Of Hardcore
27.06.26 UK Outbreak
01.07.26 Czech Rep Obscene Extreme
04.07.26 Spain Resurrection
05.07.26 Portugal Evil Live

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Bo was one of a kind. I loved his passion for music and creative spirit. I am honored to have known him as a peer and friend and will cherish the times we spent together.

Our hardest struggles are fought alone in the dark. Often when no one is looking, that is where we yearn to be seen.

Condolences to Bo’s inner circle during this time of unimaginable loss.

Look out for each other.

Never let go.

If inclined, consider donating to support the family: https://gofund.me/1c324bd02

Thank you.

Covering the late 1980s through today, Scott walks through the full arc of his bands, including Fadaway, Slugfest, Despair, Buried Alive, and Terror, outlining how each project came together and what defined those eras. Alongside that, both Scott and Jacob reflect on their early experiences in the scene, from local shows and DIY touring to how they found their footing creatively and personally.

Terror’s “Still Suffer” releases April 24th on Flatspot Records.
Converge “Love Is Not Enough” out now on Epitaph/Deathwish Inc.

Subscribe to Deathwish.fm
Shop Music & Merch: www.deathwishinc.com

Follow Terror:
Site: sticktight.la
Label: flatspotrecords.com
Instagram: @terrorhardcore
Facebook: @terrorhardcore
X: @terrorhardcore

Follow J. Bannon:
Instagram: @jbannon
Facebook: @jbannon
Substack: jacobbannon.substack.com

Follow Converge:
Site: convergecult.com
Instagram: @converge
Facebook: @converge
YouTube: @ConvergeOfficial

Opening/Closing Themes by Mike McKenzie

Jacob Bannon is an artist, musician, and writer known for his work in bands Converge, Umbra Vitae, Wear Your Wounds, and more. He has created visuals for; Poison The Well, American Nightmare, Fall Out Boy, and more.

♡ Marald Van Haasteren
Store: https://Heartwork.Gallery/Marald
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maraldart

♡ Jacob Bannon
https://jacobbannon.com
jacobbannon.substack.com

♡ Heartwork Gallery
Store: https://Heartwork.Gallery
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeartworkGallery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartwork.gallery
X: https://x.com/HRTWRKGallery

Heartwork Gallery is a family owned Art & Print store, representing some of the most talented and dynamic Visual Creators today. We specialize in Giclee & Silkscreened Prints, Linocuts, Original Art, and Curated Merchandise. We are always looking for new Artists to represent. If you would like to work together, get in touch.

Converge, on tour;

w/ Poison The Well, Spy, Balmora
04/02 Cleveland OH | House Of Blues
04/03 Chicago IL | Concord Music Hall
04/04 Pontiac MI | Crofoot
04/05 Dayton OH | Hidden Gem (Converge only)
04/06 New Kensington PA | Preserving Undergound
04/07 Toronto ON | History
04/08 Montreal QC | Theatre Beanfield (Converge, Spy)
04/09 Worcester MA | The Palladium
04/10 New York NY | Knockdown Center
04/11 Philadelphia PA | The Fillmore
04/12 Baltimore MD | Nevermore Hall

w/ Poison The Well, The Armed, The Barbarians Of California
05/07 Denver CO | Summit
05/09 Austin TX | Stubb’s Outdoors
05/10 Houston TX | House Of Blues
05/12 Mesa AZ | Nile Theater
05/13 Los Angeles CA | Belasco Theater
05/15 Anaheim CA | House Of Blues
05/16 San Diego CA | The Observatory North Park
05/17 San Francisco CA | The Regency Ballroom

w/ Heriot, Boneflower, Crouch
28.06.26 Belgium Antwerp Zappa
29.06.26 Germany Cologne Essigfabrik
30.06.26 Germany Berlin SO36.
02.07.26 Austria Vienna Arena
03.07.26 Italy Milan Circolo Magnolia

UK/EU Summer Festivals
25.06.26 Netherlands Jera On Air
26.06.26 France Superbowl Of Hardcore
27.06.26 UK Outbreak
01.07.26 Czech Rep Obscene Extreme
04.07.26 Spain Resurrection
05.07.26 Portugal Evillive

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Converge “Love Is Not Enough” is out today on DSPs and CD (vinyl is on route from manufacturing, shipping on arrival). Thank you if you have listened to or supported our release in some way.

A sincere thank you to those behind-the-scenes that have been part of this process; Our families, friends & road crew, Epitaph & Deathwish, Zach Weeks, Alan Douches, Jason Zucco, George Gallardo Kattah, Liberated Images, Kingsroad, Another Side PR, Prescription PR, Diamond Creative Services, Evil Greed, Force Majeure, 33 & West, and Avocado Booking.

Below is a song by song breakdown of the lyrics and artwork, as well as visualizer for each song. If inclined, give it a read as you listen.

Thank you.

-J.

Photo by Jason Zucco.

Love Is Not Enough Art & Title

As a stand alone statement, the meaning is subjective, entirely up to you. For me, love is an essential foundation for everything, yet it is not strong enough on its own to withstand the storm that life brings.

The cover depicts an ominous angelic figure in the cosmos, holding a torch, overlooking a world in the throws of chaos. Did it spark the fire--or are they there to altar our trajectory in one way or another. Is the torch aflame or extinguished? Paired with the title “Love Is Not Enough”, it is intentionally vague and open for interpretation. There is no wrong answer.

01. Love Is Not Enough

Lyrically, it explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in our modern world. It reads as a reckoning with who we are today and who we hope to become, if we can fend off the scavengers.

02. Bad Faith

Feeling helpless is a terrible thing. This song is about watching someone you love suffer and being powerless to ease their pain. Bearing witness and wishing you could do more when they are wounded by actions made in bad faith.

03. Distract and Divide

Nothing is what it seems.
We all take the bait.
We always look the wrong way.
And it may already be too late.

04. To Feel Something

When my insecurities run rampant, every fear feels real. It’s overwhelming. I fall apart internally. Suppression becomes stress. I don’t talk and disconnect. You might be like that too. Numb, wanting and needing to feel something.

05. Beyond Repair

I sat in the room with Kurt as he tracked parts of this song. After one long, dramatic take he said something like, “That riff made me feel terrible about myself.” It was both tongue-in-cheek and honest. Creative moments like this become mirrors in the dark. Unseen reflections of the world within us when things feel beyond repair.

06. Amon Amok

Demons are real. The word describes two things: a malevolent entity and a human being. One is a symbol of chaos, the other an agent of it. In folklore, Amon is the demon of life. In the present day, when we run amok, when there is no safe place, it’s hard not to connect the two.

07. Force Meets Presence

Conflict breeds force. Force is a wielded weapon, thought to be a means to an end. Presence, symbolically, is something unshakable. Force keeps moving; presence keeps growing, leaving no room compassion. It is disaster by design, a mutually assured destruction.

08. Gilded Cage

Pain is a warning, yet we often turn to pharmaceuticals just to maintain. If I’m on fire, the flames must be extinguished, not merely the sensation of burning controlled. We are consumed all the same. It’s a trillion-dollar industry with few moral or ethical boundaries. It preys on the desperate when they need help most. It’s built to control, not cure. We are chained--locked inside their gilded cage.

09. Make Me Forget You

This is an introspective song about growing older and drifting away from those we love. As relationships erode, regret takes hold. We wait for the “right time,” but it never comes. We rarely say what we mean, often realizing it only when it’s too late. Tell those you love them before you can’t.

10. We Were Never The Same

I wrote these words in the parking lot of a funeral home while reflecting on loss. Why do we gather to mourn but not to cherish? It’s an honest question that exposes our collective distractions and shortcomings. Grief brings clarity. We all must do better.

Converge, on tour;

w/ Poison The Well, Spy, Balmora
04/02 Cleveland OH | House Of Blues
04/03 Chicago IL | Concord Music Hall
04/04 Pontiac MI | Crofoot
04/05 Dayton OH | Hidden Gem (Converge only)
04/06 New Kensington PA | Preserving Undergound
04/07 Toronto ON | History
04/08 Montreal QC | Theatre Fairmount (Converge, Spy)
04/09 Worcester MA | The Palladium
04/10 New York NY | Knockdown Center
04/11 Philadelphia PA | The Fillmore
04/12 Baltimore MD | Nevermore Hall

w/ Poison The Well, The Armed, The Barbarians Of California
05/07 Denver CO | Summit
05/09 Austin TX | Stubb’s Outdoors
05/10 Houston TX | House Of Blues
05/12 Mesa AZ | Nile Theater
05/13 Los Angeles CA | Belasco Theater
05/15 Anaheim CA | House Of Blues
05/16 San Diego CA | The Observatory North Park
05/17 San Francisco CA | The Regency Ballroom

w/ Heriot, Boneflower, Crouch
28.06.26 Belgium Antwerp Zappa
29.06.26 Germany Cologne Essigfabrik
30.06.26 Germany Berlin SO36.
02.07.26 Austria Vienna Arena
03.07.26 Italy Milan Circolo Magnolia

UK/EU Summer Festivals
25.06.26 Netherlands Jera On Air
26.06.26 France Superbowl Of Hardcore
27.06.26 UK Outbreak
01.07.26 Czech Rep Obscene Extreme
04.07.26 Spain Resurrection

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Photo by Jason Zucco

All Things Deathwish

Deathwish released music from artists Boneflower, Denisa, Glare, Greet Death, Mad Honey, and Modern Life Is War this year. Each artist brings something distinct to the label, representing both tradition and evolution within their respective subgenres. If you are not familiar with one of these releases, I encourage you to spend time with them. You may discover a new favorite.

Saddest Day 2025

The concept of hosting our own Converge curated event has existed for well over a decade. In partnership with The Bowery, we were finally able to make it a reality. Thank you to the visual artists, bands, and staff who came together to make it such a special day. Just as importantly, thank you to everyone who attended. Saddest Day 2026 is already in the works.

Miltown “Tales Of Never Letting Go”

If you are not from New England, it can be hard to comprehend how beloved and influential Only Living Witness was. Jonah Jenkins, as a vocalist and lyricist, left a lasting impression on so many of us. After Only Living Witness disbanded, Jonah partnered with Brian McTernan to form Miltown. After an EP release on Hydra Head, they were signed to Warner Bros. The band recorded an album, but it was shelved by the label for decades. Many of us had the demos, but always yearned for the full recording. Man Alive were finally able to release the lost album, and it is everything I ever hoped it would be. As a fan, I am grateful it finally saw the light of day.

Leeway “Adult Crash” (Reissue)

Leeway are true pioneers of crossover. They have been a favorite of mine since I picked up Born To Expire as a teenager. Their later albums were strong, but they hit differently than the early material. Some time ago, the remaining members decided to remix Adult Crash, and the result brings fresh energy to the record. I am finally getting to listening to it now. Sonically it remains familiar, but the inclusion of alternate guitar tracks/sounds, previously left out, adds new dimension to songs I thought I already knew inside and out. Rest in peace, Eddy.

Porridge Radio “The Machine Starts To Sing”

I am drawn to introspective and emotionally direct music, and Porridge Radio are a high watermark of that for me. This release is a four song EP that works as an epilogue to Clouds in the Sky…” It is substantive, intimate, and strangely uplifting. A powerful closing chapter.

Erang “Tome Zero”

Erang has quietly been sitting on the throne of dungeon synth for a long time. Tome Zero plays as a deeply introspective listen: sad, contemplative music with little decoration. The combination of instrumentation, visuals, and song titles feels like high art. It rewards solitude and attention.

Coroner “Dissonance Theory”

After years of rumors and anticipation, Coroner return in brilliant form. This album sounds like it has been carefully carved over time, with no wasted motion. The depth is hard to put into words. It is deliberate, razor sharp thrash played to modern standards. Welcome back.

Smote “Songs from the Free House” / “Clyppan”

A psychedelic, post everything listening experience that visual artist Thomas Hooper introduced me to. At times Smote are serene, at others crushingly heavy, these records are beautiful and immersive. I hear new things with every listen. The kind of music that feeds creativity and expands the imagination.

Atomic Rule “With Skull Crushing Force” / “The Golden Rose”

The next chapter of music from Andy Williams (ex ETID) and company. Atomic Rule play inventive, infectious heavy music, and you can tell these songs were built carefully over time. Incredible riffs, strong songwriting, and real musicianship. Highly recommended.

Hooded Menace “Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration”

Another brilliant, doom drenched release from Hooded Menace. I connected deeply with Tritonus Bell in 2021 and have been with them ever since. Who knew a cover of “Save a Prayer” by Duran Duran could become such a crushing doom anthem. Simply awesome.

Edge Of Sanity “Crimson” (Remaster)

Originally a single track work of death metal art, Crimson has been remastered to modern standards while preserving its spirit. It remains dynamic, substantive, and vicious. This time the piece is broken into eight movements, which gives the listener clearer landmarks within the journey. If you have never listened to Edge Of Sanity, now is the perfect time to experience something truly special.

Heriot “Commander of Pain” (Single)

Heriot are newer band that has been grinding for a few years. Sometimes a band’s progression can be captured in one defining song. Released at the tail end of the year, “Commander of Pain” is that song for Heriot: an infectious ripper that shows the band firing on all cylinders. If you love modern metallic hardcore, this may become a new favorite.

Blackbraid “III”

Sometimes a release arrives that injects life into a genre at the exact moment it needs it. For me, III has reinvigorated black metal. Blackbraid’s perspective feels vital, with an indigenous lens woven into the form in a powerful and moving way. Listen from beginning to end, then do it again. This one stays with you.

Deadguy “Near Death Travel Services”

It is a joy to have Deadguy 3.0 in the world today. Rooted in the 90s hardcore scene, Deadguy veered into the incoming traffic of the early noise rock universe and created a head on collision that still feels unmatched. They were dangerous, smart, and singular, and still are. It is great to have them back.

Blood For Blood “You’re Gonna Have to Kill Me” (Single)

A legendary band in Blood For Blood returns with one of the greatest hardcore vocalists to ever do it. I am excited to hear what they unleash creatively in 2026.

Romantic Dividends “GIALLO”

The universe works in strange ways. I was initially pulled in by the cover, and the album itself is a beautiful listen: timeless, smooth, and sultry. After digging deeper, I realized I knew Romantic Dividends member Allen Bickle, as we toured together years ago. It was meaningful to hear new music from him. Sadly, he passed away this year. My condolences to his friends, family, and bandmates.

Waxed “Big Blind” (Single)

Converge played with Waxed while touring in 2025. Nate and I watched from side stage, completely locked in. They fuse no frills hard rock and hardcore into something rare in modern aggressive music. There is something magical about their southern swagger. If you are looking for newer bands to connect with, this is a great place to start.

Candlemass “Black Star”

A longtime favorite of mine returns with an EP featuring two new songs and covers of Sabbath and Pentagram. Through decades of lineup changes, I respect that Candlemass continue to create music more than forty years into their career. The spirit is still there.

The Haunted “Songs Of Last Resort”

Another powerful album from The Haunted. I have deep admiration for the world of Swedish metal they come from. The album includes the emotional standout “To Bleed Out,” which hit me hard. I am grateful we still have a version of this band after all these years.

Scorpion Milk “Slime of The Times”

Mat McNerney returns with Scorpion Milk, a band that feels like a spiritual continuation of the world he helped shape with Beastmilk. It carries the same darkly infectious qualities that made that band so special. If you are not familiar, jump in here, then explore the rest of his expansive catalog (Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures, Hexvessel, and more).

Gruesome “Silent Echoes”

The third effort from self described Death tribute band Gruesome. Their approach to honoring what Chuck Schuldiner created is sincere, detailed, and deeply knowledgeable. It does not replace Human for me, but they certainly deserve to stand alongside the tradition it celebrates.

Kathryn Joseph “WE WERE MADE PREY”

Released on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, this is a darkly emotional listen. The vocals carry the weight, moving through ambient and sparse electronic instrumentation. There is a heaviness here that is difficult to describe from Kathryn Joseph. Recommended if you are searching for something you have not found yet.

Home Front “Watch It Die”

An infectious record from Home Front that leans into 80s synth driven rock influences while still feeling urgent and alive. If you love bands like Stiff Little Fingers or The Damned, this modern take on a classic approach may be exactly what you have been missing.

Kae Tempest “Self Titled”

A true visionary. Watching Kae Tempest’s personal and artistic evolution over the years has been incredible. As a poet and lyricist, few address personal and social realities with the bravery and power that Kae brings to everything.

Converge, on tour;
25.06 Ysselsteyn, Netherlands | Jera On Air
26.06 Rennes, France | Superbowl Of Hardcore
27.06 Manchester, UK | Outbreak Festival
01.07 Trutnov, Czechia | Obscene Extreme Festival
04.07 Viveiro, Spain | Resurrection Fest

Out soon: Converge “Love Is Not Enough” on Epitaph & Deathwish

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Love Is Not Enough

As a stand alone statement, the meaning is subjective—up to you. Love is an essential foundation for everything, yet it is not strong enough on its own to withstand the storm that life brings.

Lyrically, the song explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in our modern world. It reads as a reckoning with who we are today and who we hope to become—if we can fend off the scavengers.

Psychology of Art

Often my creativity takes the place of control. When I feel in free fall, I turn to it for balance. Art and music both preserve and express, capturing both the intentional and unsaid.

For as long as I can remember, the depression inside of me has been darker than the outside world surrounding it. That’s my fight: to find the light and hold onto it however I can. Anyone who struggles with the condition on any level will understand.

The world feels darker now. Shadows longer—days shorter. At middle age, I’m starting to see that maybe we never left our Middle Ages behind. There’s a collective unease we all feel, though rarely articulate. Like smoke slipping through cracks, it invades our lungs, hearts, and brains—affecting our words, moods, and actions.

Sometimes it’s as if forces outside the terrestrial world have taken hold. A magnetic presence—unbound, unmoved, and indifferent.

Over the last few months I’ve written, sketched, cut, pasted, painted, inked, and destroyed. Weeks of experimental work have come and gone. Ideas died; new ones were born. Everything I created looks like a broken mirror—present, but fragmented.

It has taken me weeks to accept that what I view as imperfections are also the unique fingerprints in my art. Most creators I know wrestle with this—We often try to erase ourselves from our own work to our own detriment.

Deadlines loom. Frustration blooms.

That’s where I am psychologically as I sit at my workbench on this Monday morning with tunnel vision closing in.

Scope of the Work

After the creation of the music itself, another challenge then comes into focus.

The first round of visuals for this full-length album include:

• Final Artwork (front & back covers, one piece for each song)
• Vinyl Packaging
• CD Packaging
• DSP (animations and static images for each song)
• Merchandise
• Photo Direction (commissioned to Jason Zucco to photograph) 
• Video Direction (commissioned George Kattah to direct)
• Promo Items (posters, stickers, flyers, etc.)
• Ad Campaign (print and social)

It’s a lot.
From here, we enter the artwork phase.

General

1. Project Direction
   I need to know where I’m going and it’s easy to lose perspective. My outlines vary by project; this one is looser—more descriptive than structured…

2. Visual Identity
   Converge has built a visual language that continues to evolve. I want to deconstruct our own symbolism and present it anew—fragmented, reformed, and in greater detail than ever before. Metaphorically I view it as taking pieces of our past into our future—sometimes beautifully, sometimes gruesomely, always deliberately.

3. Intentional Wildness
   Visuals should be wild yet intentional.

4. Amplification of the Lyrical
   Each piece must echo the lyrical message at its most visually potent.

5. Art Internalized
   The work should ask questions, not answer them. The audience is meant to search and find their own meaning in the work.

6. Inspirations (in no particuliar order)

   • The power of William Blake

   • The turmoil of Francis Bacon

   • The drama of Virgil Finlay

   • The perspective of Jack Kirby

   • The chaos of me.

Initial Concept

The first cover concept was a falling angel in distress. The basic idea can be seen in my earliest scribbles. A version of an earlier figure I introduced through merch designs. Eventually, it was abandoned. I didn’t want physical vulnerability to define the cover. I want to tell a different story—one about the perceived state of our terrestrial world—of me internally and externally.

I sift through anatomical reference books and vintage wrestling magazines, searching for visual indicators of strength—sharp lines, imposing postures, contorted figures, etc. I envision their faces while Earth enters the throws of chaos—a storm raging

There things start to come together.

Process Book

I do my best to keep a process book for projects of this scale. It sits in heaps and piles on my drawing table until I begin to put it together. It is all there, in scribbles and scraps—the place where crude ideas land. I refer back when experiments veer off-course. This practice comes from art school, where two professors insisted on its importance—I’m grateful for that insistence. Reclaiming abandoned directions has saved many projects from the brink. I encourage others to adopt their own version of this. It doesn’t have to be a book—just a system of reference. A way to learn from yourself.

Other Reminders to Self

Media Immersion

I try to only listen to the music I am actively working on. Immersion brings me closer to the nerve. If I need a break, I turn to audiobooks, podcasts, or silence—not other music. The same goes for visuals—I stay in the headspace until the project is finished, not unlike the process used in method-acting.

There Are No Rules, Only Ideas

There are no rules only ideas to explore. I approach loosely using mediums in unconventional ways. Evolution comes from experimentation.

Converge visuals were born out of necessity and flourished there.

Failures are Forward Movement

Sometimes I agonize over visual problems for weeks, at other times, they resolve in minutes. Experience has taught me that this fluctuation is part of my rhythm. Not every piece is going to work, I must accept that. Failures are forward movement. Progress happens through iterations toward the one—whatever it becomes.

Remember, you are the rhythm to your madness.

That’s it for now—I have to get back at it, there is still so much to do.

Converge, on tour:

Dec 13th Boston, MA - Roadrunner Boston | Saddest Day 2025
Converge
Touche Amore
Coalesce
The Hope Conspiracy
Full Of Hell
Soul Glo
Year Of The Knife
Stress Positions
Wormwood

Live Art Exhibit featuring Jacob Bannon, Thomas Hooper, Nightswim Project, and more. Vendors, Records, Merch, Non-Profits, and more.

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Days slip away—time disappears.
And I’m just holding on, like many of you are.

Being a modern working artist and musician means being a mandatory multitasker. I carry more responsibilities now, in and out of music, than ever before.

It isn’t entrepreneurial—it’s essential.

The pressure provides, but pummels in the process.

Photo by Jason Zucco.

6:00 AM

I wake with a tinge of panic. Sleep has been better lately, though my legs still shake. It’s happening more often—I don’t know why. I can’t think about that now.

I get up, get dressed, and begin writing. A few stubborn lines finally fall into place just in time for today’s session. The distraction quells the anxiety for a while.

7:00 AM

Correspondence can be a great derailer.
I comb through what came in overnight, hoping to get ahead.

Junk, bills, and mailing lists dominate.

I respond, organize, and delete where I can.

17,666 unread.

7:15 AM

I write a list for the day, prioritizing each task, arranging them in what feels like the most efficient order. It’s always different—always will be. Let’s see how far I get.

• Converge: Listen, write, and edit

• Converge: Album art progress

• JacobBannon.com: Orders & customer service

• Deathwish: Garment printing

• Converge: Studio session

• BannonPrinting.com: Client design work

• BannonPrinting.com: Orders & customer service

• Converge: Saddest.Day video work

• Do something for yourself.

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8:00 AM

After a brief battle over what to wear and packing their own bags, we head to school. I tie double knots for my youngest as my oldest bursts out the side door, eager to catch his friends.

8:15 AM

I hit the lights, turn on the printers, and get to work.

Headphones in—latest material on repeat. I agonize over phrasing, rewriting ideas I once thought set in stone.

For efficiency, I fire up the large-format printers in the background, operating like two people at once. Then I move on to processing and packing orders from the past few days before tackling customer emails.

10:00 AM

I shift to visual art. Fragments of collage teeter in stacks on my drawing table amid paints, inks, and other creative debris. On the drying rack sit layered painting experiments of varying success. I note the best ones to scan once they’re fully dry.

Next, I switch gears—printing garments and packing Deathwish orders. Things slow as one of the machines goes down. I shift into mechanic mode, troubleshoot, repair--but lose nearly an hour in the process.

12:00 PM

I scurry out the door and hurry to the studio. Three songs left. If my voice holds, I can finish the main vocals today—I could use the feeling of accomplishment.

Kurt props open the door, and we waste little time.

As I set up in the live room, my heart calms. It’s there, in the doorway of a song, that I feel an overwhelming sense of unconditional love. Collectively, we face our demons creatively—that’s a real thing. We don’t speak of it, but it’s there. I’m grateful for the unspoken bonds we’ve built in the process. For three songs, I scream with everything I have—pouring myself emotionally onto the floor with just one witness.

Done.

After some goodbyes, we both head back to work.
It all went by in such a blur.

Studio footage by me.

4:00 PM

Late afternoon. I move on to graphic design for Cave In—preparing some merchandise for their Jupiter shows. I send final designs to Steve for approval.

5:00 PM

I process a few print jobs for Bannon Printing customers.
Once completed, I trim, finish, and pack them for shipment.
I can feel myself slowing now, running out of gas.

6:00 PM

I have to sit down. As the printers hum around me, I shift to video work for The Saddest Day Event—building promotional clips for each band.

I descend into the weeds of editing, things get fuzzy, and I lose track of time.

7:00 PM

My youngest calls to tell me it’s time to come home.

He’s right—I relent and pack up my things.

7:30 PM

A gift—no one on the highway.

I push the engine through the hardest corner, just to feel something.

I do.

7:45 PM

I sit down with the family, doing my best to be present. I try to eat but have little appetite. My wife asks why I seem distant. I grow defensive—unaware of my own deficiencies. I apologize.

You can’t be anywhere if you’re everywhere.
I am learning that lesson.

9:00 PM

We spend time reconnecting.
Soon, they head to bed.

I check email one last time.

Again—junk, bills, more of the same.

I respond, organize, delete what I can.

Still, 17,666 unread.

Converge, on tour:

Dec 13th Boston, MA - Roadrunner Boston | Saddest Day 2025
Converge
Touche Amore
Coalesce
The Hope Conspiracy
Full Of Hell
Soul Glo
Year Of The Knife
Stress Positions
Wormwood

Live Art Exhibit featuring Jacob Bannon, Thomas Hooper, Nightswim Project, and more. Vendors, Records, Merch, Non-Profits, and more.

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

In the back left corner of Nuggets stood a mountain of cassettes—leaning and chaotic. That’s where many treasures hid. Tapes weren’t cool, but they were magical in their own way. When a used CD went for $10 and a tape for $2 or $5, the choice was easy. Best of all, they didn’t skip in my Walkman as I rode my bike through city streets, the soundtrack of youth rattling in my ears.

It was spring, 1995. While digging through a crooked pile, I found an advance copy of MOSH143—Slaughter of the Soul by At The Gates. I’d liked their earlier work, so I thought, why not?

A promo copy of MOSH143 via Discogs (Sorry, I couldn’t find mine)

Back then, in the mid 90s, metal stood at a crossroads. Many of the giants were softening, letting trends seep in like water through cracks. Others twisted themselves into exhaustion, burning out under the weight of evolution. The individuality I once admired in many was fading—its claws, dull.

I longed to feel something substantive. I handed five dollars to the clerk, unaware that I was about to fall in love with heavy music all over again.

Outside, I unlocked my bike, put on my headphones, slid the tape into my Walkman, and pressed play. The opening of “Blinded by Fear” roared to life as I pushed off into the street. For a brief moment, I thought I was in for another industrial-tinged metal record—a sound that had become all too familiar. Then everything changed.

When Tompa cried, “I cast aside my chains, fall from reality,” the hair on my arms stood on end. There was anguish in his voice—raw, human, unrelenting. It hurt to hear, but I couldn’t stop. Each turn of melody and fury felt like revelation, each riff more potent than the last.

Anyone who’s fallen under the spell of At The Gates knows that moment—the shock of a shared lightning strike connecting us with their music.

I kept riding, pedaling as fast as my legs and their songs could take me—through Kenmore Square, up Beacon Street, and back down Comm Ave into the city. I never went back to class that day. I just rode, looping the album until nightfall.

My Voodoo bike from 1996 with layers of paint pealing.

The summer of 1996 brought news: Napalm Death and At The Gates would play The Rat in Boston. My elation quickly deflated when I saw my work schedule--no show for me. Still, I went, early. I felt compelled to. I hung around the back parking lot, close enough to feel the pulse of what I would later be missing. When the club door was propped open, I slipped in and lingered until the merch table was set. I bought a shirt—the least I could do to support them.

As I left for work, I saw who I was sure was Tompa near their bus and took the chance. I rolled up and gushed—telling him how much the band meant to me, how Slaughter of the Soul had connected with me. I even told him a condensed version of the biking story above. He listened kindly then we went our separate ways. As I rode off, I felt invigorated, I’d said what I needed to say to who I I felt needed to hear it.

Soon after that tour, At The Gates disbanded. Their members scattered, creating new paths through The Haunted, Disfear, The Great Deceiver, Skitsystem, and other great bands.

Fast forward to early 2002--Converge was touring Japan with Will Haven and Lock Up. Lock Up’s lineup was of legend: Shane Embury, Jesse Pintado, Nick Barker, and Tompa.

Lock Up (Photographer unknown)

To me, it was daunting, being surrounded by musicians who shaped the very fabric of extreme music for me personally.

Tompa remembered me immediately from 1996. He was warm, humble, open. We spent time wandering the endless streets of Japan together, talking about music, art, and everything between. That trip planted a friendship that would deepen over years of nomadic touring life.

We stayed in touch. Converge later toured Europe with The Great Deceiver, and we crossed paths again with Disfear. Kurt recorded their ferocious Live the Storm album; Nate’s band Doomriders toured with them, even releasing a split EP—our worlds intertwining. Looking back, we were incredibly lucky to share such close bonds with Tompa’s many creative incarnations. It’s a rare perspective and I’m grateful for it.

In 2008, when At The Gates reformed, and Converge happened to be touring Europe as well. That summer, we stood side stage every night our paths crossed, watching them reclaim what was rightfully theirs. The energy was electric. Their reunion wasn’t just a return—it was resurrection of something greater than just a band.

In 2015, At The Gates invited Converge to tour North America. It was my first tour after the birth of my oldest son, and being away was harder than I expected. Tompa sensed that. We shared talks on the bus and backstage, trading advice, humor, and perspective. His words steadied me back then.

I told him that one of the last times we spoke in person.

Tompa was sick for a long time.

We kept in touch until we couldn’t. The silence said everything. He was fighting with everything he had. Over two years, we received private updates from his family and bandmates. It was devastating—to be oceans away, knowing someone you care about was in their time of suffering.

Photo by Anders Lowgren

When Nate told us Tompa was being moved to palliative care, I went numb. Still am.

He left this world a day later.

When you lose someone cut from the same cloth, you feel their absence as a void—you hear it as a hollow hum in the background. Now, I see his silhouette among the other kindred spirits lost along the way.

Condolences to all who loved him, and to those he loved.

We are all better to have known such a beautifully slaughtered soul.

Photo by Jimmy Hubbard

Converge, on tour:

Dec 13th Boston, MA - Roadrunner Boston | Saddest Day 2025
Converge
Touche Amore
Coalesce
The Hope Conspiracy
Full Of Hell
Soul Glo
Year Of The Knife
Stress Positions
Wormwood

Live Art Exhibit featuring Jacob Bannon, Thomas Hooper, Nightswim Project, and more. Vendors, Records, Merch, Non-Profits, and more.

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
jacobbannon.com
deathwishinc.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com

Around the time of the Pandemic, I began expanding the Visual Artists stores under the Deathwish umbrella. I saw an opportunity to help my artist who were out of work to generate income for themselves. It did that. Over time though these stores outgrew their place and were in need of a dedicated platform. During the last year I have been developing Heartwork.Gallery as a new home for them.

Photo by Jason Zucco

The amalgamation of the two words “heart” and “work” is potent—both emotional and laborious. A near-perfect description of creative and compulsive immersion.

In name for me, it is an homage to Carcass, who in 1993 shattered the heavy music world with “Heartwork.” That album didn’t just meet expectations—it obliterated them, reshaping their sub-genre entirely. It remains a release I return to when I need a reminder that there is always further one can go, in anything. We must not just move forward, but also through.

Alongside a vast catalog of art from artists around the world, new prints are now available from Thomas Hooper, Marald Van Haasteren, Daire Lynch, and Mark McCoy—each a unique voice speaking their own visual language.

I encourage you to give them all your attention.
If inclined, follow/subscribe here: Heartwork.Gallery | Instagram | YouTube

Thank you.

Converge, on tour:

Dec 13th Boston, MA - Roadrunner Boston | Saddest Day 2025
Converge
Touche Amore
Coalesce
The Hope Conspiracy
Full Of Hell
Soul Glo
Year Of The Knife
Stress Positions
Wormwood
Live Art Exhibit featuring Jacob Bannon, Thomas Hooper, Nightswim Project, and more. Vendors, Records, Merch, Non-Profits, and more.

Music & Merch
heartwork.gallery
bannonprinting.com
deathwishinc.com
jacobbannon.com
convergecult.com
umbravitae.com
wearyourwounds.net
bloodfromthesoul.com