Having listened to Converge for the better part of a decade, I'd have to say Axe to Fall stands up pretty damn close to Jane Doe. That's saying a LOT.

Certain sites (cough cough Sputnikmusic! cough cough) like to ruin great bands overall scores on this site -- as they did to mastodon's new record, calling it "poor". silly silly, i say. it really is a shame that these critics seem to get off on saying bad things about great bands in a time when real art-as-music is few and far between. i wish i could somehow "throw out" their reviews and have someone with a bit more empathy and passion write one that would do them justice. rock is in its death-throws for quite some time now. we should all learn to appreciate these late masterpieces and gems that have been released since the mid-90's which may in factl diminish over the next decade (sadly... all styles have eventually become somewhat exhausted over a long enough time-line, i.e. the jazz/blues etc. styles, just as 17th century baroque/rococo styles became old-hat, and 19th century romanticism exhausted various forms, including the sonata, which many had consider the "jewel" of western music, however timeless) ...and what will come out of the ashes of "rock"? the answer is hidden somewhere in the greatness of groups like converge (or the flaming lips, or radiohead, or even the mars volta, to name a few)... it's hard to put your finger on a "new" sound or style before it has been codified or clearly defined. something's coming, fellow music lovers. i can't wait to hear what it is... all rock styles have begun to CONVERGE (hehe) in a no-holds-barred and overt manner, so perhaps we shouldn't be using ultra-specific genre-labeling in a genre that is built on a foundation that was already a hybrid. i call it "mutt music". 10 out of 10 for this group of talented musicians and sonic-bloodbath enthusiasts for forging ahead in a genre (rock, broadly) with so much at stake according to those with enough intuition to look to the future and ask, "what's next?"… Expand

This is quite possibly the best metal/hardcore album to come out this year, and it gives Jane Doe a run for its money. Axe to Fall takes the classic Converge sound, expands on it and throws in some awesome guest artists and the result is the most accessible, genre-defying Converge album yet and they don 't lose a bit of their intensity.

I have a question: Why aren't metal or punk publications ever cited at metacritic? They're the ones who would know most of all how FANTASTIC this record is! Converge is the band of the decade. Everything from Jane Doe till Axe to Fall has been nothing short of stellar. My highest recommendation for the progressive listener with an openness to hear something aggressive and powerful.