Album Review: Hum of Hurt by Converge
Album artwork for “Hum of Hurt” by Converge.
Converge in short is art made by artists. A group of individuals so intrinsically linked to one another capable of creating bodies of work for 26 years straight that in turn saw them become a blueprint of artistic expression within metalcore, mathcore and hardcore. A band that truly embodies the sentiment “by us, for us”, they released post-metal inspired Love Is Not Enough in February, only to release their second album of the year 4 months later, “Hum of Hurt”, which sees them strip back their sound to the early 2000s mathcore driven phonetics that made many of us fans in the first place.
“Hum of Hurt” is a rabbit hole. The concept revolves around vocalist Jacob Bannon’s research into the tinnitus he has been battling for years and stumbling upon what is known as “the hum”. A much discussed phenomena of unsettling manifestations of low-frequency sounds that Bannon interprets as a possible, sort of shared, yet disconcerting experience. We’re all aware of being in this constantly fracturing world together but how many of us are experiencing the aforementioned shared human experience? Converge address the everchanging landscape that we reside in, the introspection that derives from living in today’s timeline and the fleeting nature of time.
Opening track Slip The Noose transports us back to Converge’s early days with jagged, dissonant mathcore riffs as Bannon takes point with his brand of abrasive vocals and melancholic lyrics centering around the unnerving desire to make it through another day, and despite your age, time can still be on your side. Despite its frantic nature, Slip The Noose sets the tone from the outset that this record has in itself a far simpler trajectory compared to Love Is Not Enough which followed a pattern of more complex time signatures and arrangements. For an introductory track, it is immensely comforting to hear Converge deliver the sound that they became known for 20 years ago through a more modern production value that doesn’t strip away a shred of their charm. A perfect example of how production in the modern age does not need to submit to sterility.
Doom In Bloom, the first track we see a music video for from “Hum of Hurt”. Verses which focus heavily on emotionally charged introspection before careering into a wall of sound led by the line “no one has the right to judge me”. Facing off against agonizing bouts of self-reflection, the chorus drives home although turbulently, you can retain control.
In It Only Gets Worse, the band challenges the age-old belief that as you get older life becomes easier. The logical time sink that as the years go by you should naturally drift closer to where and what you desire. Ascending lead guitar licks are teased, replicating those moments in life where what you want is within reach before it’s snatched away, drops you in this pit of despair formed by a mesmerising bass line that holds this fragile space together.
The addressing of societal issues and pressures is the focal point of Detonator. The choice to lead the track with d-beat rhythms forces the vocals to feel strung out and compacted into what little space they are granted. It communicates the overloading of information we face on a daily basis and how this abundance hinders us rather than aids us beautifully. The appropriately titled Detonator serves as a societal bomb waiting to go off at any moment.
A chaotic piece of self-reflection and the desire to “be a better me”, I Won’t Let You is a personal struggle in fighting yourself to make the most of the time you have left. To be a better person for those around you. Cathartic in how relatable it is, the pacing of the vocals accompanied by a stellar performance by Ben Koller behind the kit makes I Won’t Let You stands out as something nihilistically positive and catchy.
It’s Not Up To Us is animalistic in its inception and delivery. Moments of respite are scattered throughout where Bannon’s voice takes on this ethereal presence before being thrown back into frighteningly organised spells of chaos. Compared to previous tracks the vocal hooks are less predictable and more poignant, especially before descending into the outro. Bell chimes that emit the exact unsettling positivity you’d witness in an A24 movie about a happy family and you’re waiting for something to go wrong. The outro acts as their downfall. A lethargic pain coupled with hopelessness. It’s masterfully put together.
Where to start with Dream Debris. Like a painter signing off their work, Converge are known for their strategically placed longer pieces in their albums. See “Jane Doe’s” title track or Grim Heart / Black Rose from their 2006 album “No Heroes”. Another standout moment behind the drums from Ben Koller as he commands the track start to finish enveloping the listener into a dream-like state for the better part of 6 minutes. It’s a slow burn and like a car crash you can’t look away from.
Following the 6 minute epic that is Dream Debris, you’re introduced to It Used to Matter. An interlude that carries the same slow burn energy as Dream Debris but evokes a haunting yet blissful calm. What feels much needed amongst the ferocity, It Used to Matter feels like preparation for what is to come rather than a pit stop to catch your breath.
As we enter the title track Hum of Hurt, we’re led by a blast of feedback and cymbal crashes before empathic drum rolls take us cautiously down a path that builds and builds but no crescendo arrives. Instead of the predicted climax we’re guided gently into the next section where the pace is retained and the drum patterns become more complex, we’re introduced to a new element in the form of the primal vocal stylings of guitarist Kurt Ballou for the first time properly on the album. His spotlight moments command the second half of the track where Bannon himself acts more as his accompaniment as opposed to battling him to regain his place on vocals. A sense of morose carries this track. It extends its hand and wants you to know of its pain as its 3 and a half minutes of tear-jerking draws to a close. Time truly feels fleeting upon its reflection.
The album could have ended on the solemn tidings of Hum of Hurt but Converge have no plans to let you go until every ounce they have to offer is expended. Nothing is Over is a monster. A sludge-driven beast that encapsulates the indignation and distress put on display throughout Converge’s latest body of work. The sloppiness and repetition that can come with sludge tracks is nowhere to be seen as each moving part of Nothing is Over feels purposeful and painstakingly studied to ensure its place is deserved.
Releasing two albums in short succession would have you believe that the latter is a sequel to the former, however this couldn’t be farther from the truth with “Hum of Hurt”. Written in tandem with “Love Is Not Enough”, it’s incredible to consider how a band could write two records simultaneously without linking them to one another and that’s what makes a band like this so special. Converge in short is art made by artists and if anything, these albums are an expression of how boundless art is. “Hum of Hurt” is clinical in its delivery of early 2000s mathcore and emotional hardcore without the desire to compromise for the sake of appealing to as many listeners as possible. It is the personification of “for us, by us”.
FFO: Cave In, Coalesce, Neurosis, The Chariot
SCORE: 9/10
“Hum of Hurt” is out on all streaming platforms on Friday 5th June 2026 via Epitaph Records.
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