Bloodmoon: I
by Converge
  • Record Label: Epitaph
  • Release Date: Nov 19, 2021
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22
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  1. sylar50
    Nov 23, 2021
    9
    A beautiful collaboration. It’s a great album by some of the best musicians out there.
  2. Earlycuyler
    Jan 5, 2022
    9
    Ignore the 0/10 review. It is literally a copy and paste of an excerpt from the Pitchfork review, which main argument is: “Converge have been around for a long time. They now have a collaboration album. They must be running out of ideas. They should call it quits because I don’t hear the urgency I saw on their other releases.” Obviously, everyone is entitled to like or dislike a record,Ignore the 0/10 review. It is literally a copy and paste of an excerpt from the Pitchfork review, which main argument is: “Converge have been around for a long time. They now have a collaboration album. They must be running out of ideas. They should call it quits because I don’t hear the urgency I saw on their other releases.” Obviously, everyone is entitled to like or dislike a record, but I think it would be a mistake to dismiss Bloodmoon I. I was not sure what to expect before going into this record, and my initial reaction upon hearing the whole record was disappointment. That being said, it has since grown on me and is now one of my favorite records in years. Converge and co. don’t need to reinvent anything, they just need to put their all into their work, which is what they do here. Some of the directions taken on Bloodmoon I are pretty old for a hardcore band, if not necessarily “new” or novel among heavy music at large. For instance, Coil doesn’t necessarily sound “distinctly” Converge or Chelsea Wolfe or Cave In, but it does sound like something you might hear from a veteran metal act. Still, this does not take away from the fact that it is an effective and well-written song, and a risky move by a band that consistently lands with almost every risk they take.
    There is a lot to take in when listening to this record, but it never feels overwhelming. The production is impeccable and the performances are as tight as ever. Chelsea Wolfe’s voice, which initially turned me off when listening to Bloodmoon, has since become one of my favorites maybe ever. Her performance on these songs are so affecting suck the listener in to this atmospheric work. Theatrical, grand, and cinematic (? I’m not much of a reviewer and have a limited vocabulary), this album demands your attention and does not let it go. At 58 minutes, it feels rather quick.
    In short, this is an affecting and effective record.    … Expand
  3. dan-man
    Dec 29, 2021
    10
    Stunning. divine, enchanting melancholy. Chelsea Wolfe's voice is like a gift from the beyond. Fantastic all around.

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Pitchfork
    Nov 19, 2021
    53
    Thrills are few and far between amid this hour-long morass. Bloodmoon suffers from two problems that seem as though they should preclude one another: It is thin on fresh ideas and unexpected twists. Its hard rock-meets-hardcore permutations are familiar to anyone who has ever heard, say, Evanescence and Breaking Benjamin.
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  2. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 19, 2021
    100
    Blood Moon I is also the heaviest and most impressive expression of Chelsea Wolfe and Ben Chrisholm's music, powered by the incombustible force of Converge and the everlasting spirit of Cave In, and resulting in one of the most impressive collaborations of this kind. Blood Moon I is, truly, an essential album for 2021.
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  3. Beats Per Minute
    Nov 19, 2021
    67
    There is certainly potential here, but this first Bloodmoon record definitely feels like a testing ground. There is an uncertainty in tone, and a clashing of sensibilities that is thrilling at times, awkward at others.
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