The legendary metalcore pioneers in Converge wrapped up their recent run of West Coast tour dates at The Glass House in Pomona, CA last week. The boisterous misanthropes in Cult Leader served as direct support for this show and shared their love of blast beats and ungodly riffs for all in attendance. Cult Leader command a room like few other bands, both their music and stage presence are beyond intense. They opened with “I Am Healed” off 2018’s A Patient Man and The Glass House immediately turned into a vortex of manic dread. The connection between Cult Leader and Converge goes way, so much so that a Venn diagram between their two fanbases might look like one giant circle. After years away from Southern California, appearing alongside Converge was one hell of a comeback. The crowd contemplated their existence during introspective numbers like “To: Achlys” and raged like rabid dogs during old-school jams like “Mongrel.” They ended their set with “The Broken Right Hand of God” and left the crowd inside in a somber trance.

CULT LEADER

Ordinarily, it would be a difficult task following up such a blistering performance but luckily, Converge just so happens to be one of the best hardcore, best metal…just best bands period, to ever do it. Since their landmark Jane Doe album in 2001, Converge continually reshapes the underground extreme music scene to their whims every time they drop a new record. It’s one thing to have an insanely consistent catalog of jaw-dropping tunes, it’s another thing to be able to conjure the madness of their studio albums in a live setting as potently as they do after all these years. The band and the crowd went tit for tat during their set, exchanging energy, emotions, and singer Jacob Bannon’s microphone all night. Technically not supporting their last record, 2021’s epic Blood Moon collaborative project, Converge was free to run through the closest thing to a ‘best of/greatest hits’ setlist imaginable. “Eagles Become Vultures,” into “Dark Horse,” followed by “Under Duress,” then “Heartless” and “Axe to Fall” all in a row…and that was just the first third of the set! While many of their contemporaries have broken up or fizzled out throughout the years, Converge remains as vital as ever. This is a band that needs to be experienced live while they’re still firing on all cylinders. Rocky Balboa once said that time is undefeated but he clearly hasn’t screamed the opening words of “Concubine” at a Converge show for almost two decades or else he’d know better.

CONVERGE