Converge / Napalm Death Explained

Converge / Napalm Death
Type:	ep
Artist:	Converge and Napalm Death
Cover:	Converge and Napalm Death split.jpg
Recorded:	Early 2012
Label:	Self-released (CONCULT03)
Producer:	Kurt Ballou/Napalm Death, James Walford
Chronology:	Converge
Prev Title:	Converge / Dropdead
Prev Year:	2011
Next Title:	All We Love We Leave Behind
Next Year:	2012

Converge / Napalm Death is a split EP by American metalcore band Converge and English grindcore band Napalm Death. The album was self-released on August 1, 2012, and features artwork by Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon. It is available on 7" vinyl and as a digital download.

Background

Converge

Both bands contributed two new tracks to the EP. Converge contributed "No Light Escapes", a song that later appeared on the deluxe edition of their album All We Love We Leave Behind, as well as a cover version of Swedish death metal band Entombed's "Wolverine Blues". The latter features Bannon, Ballou and Newton as well as guests Tomas Lindberg, Aaron Turner, and Kevin Baker all on vocal duties.^[1] Due to scheduling issues the band found it easier to record each vocalists duties separately to be edited together later as it is on the original track. The track was described by Converge's distributor Deathwish Inc. as being similar to "We Are the World", a collaborative single from 1985 written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, which featured numerous guest musicians."^[2]

On May 23, 2013, Converge self-released the EP, Pound for Pound: The Wolverine Blues Sessions, which was a compilation of the different vocal tracks that comprised its cover of "Wolverine Blues." It featured five songs, each of which had only one of the guest vocalists that were present on the split version,^[3] with the exception of Lindberg and Ballou who share a track.

Napalm Death

Napalm Death contributed "Will by Mouth", which is similar to the band's other material, and "No Impediment to Triumph (Bhopal)", which is a "slower and textural" song about the Bhopal disaster from 1984.

Track listing

Personnel

Taken from liner notes.

Side A

Converge

• Jacob Bannon – lead vocals
• Kurt Ballou – guitars, backing vocals
• Nate Newton – bass, backing vocals
• Ben Koller – drums

Guest vocals on "Wolverine Blues"

• Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy, All Pigs Must Die)
• Brian Izzi (Trap Them)
• Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates, Disfear)
• Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom)

Production

• Kurt Ballou – recording, mixing
• Allan Douches – mastering

Side B

Napalm Death

• Mark "Barney" Greenway – vocals
• Mitch Harris – guitars
• Shane Embury – bass
• Danny Herrera – drums

Production

• Napalm Death – production
• James Walford – production, mixing, mastering

Album artwork

• Jacob Bannon – design, photography, illustrations^[4]

External links

• Converge / Napalm Death at Bandcamp (streamed copy where licensed)
• Pound for Pound: The Wolverine Blues Sessions at Bandcamp (streamed copy where licensed)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Go Pound for Pound with Converge. 2013-05-23. MetalSucks. 2017-02-04.
2. News: Converge and Napalm Death Team Up for Split 7-Inch. 2017-04-28. en.
3. Web site: Converge: 'Pound for Pound: The Wolverine Blues Sessions'. https://archive.today/20131206214725/http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/converge-pound_for_pound_wolverine_blues_sessions. dead. December 6, 2013. Adams. Gregory. May 24, 2013. Exclaim!. December 6, 2013.
4. Web site: Sight: Converge & Napalm Death Split . Jacob Bannon's Official Website . August 4, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130111032321/http://www.jacobbannon.com/sight/235 . January 11, 2013 . dead .