Jane Doe

Converge duck all the rules of hardcore and heavy metal and out of a loophole comes a new beginning. These guys live on a sonic continent near the street screech of Candiria and the fluttering high-speed precision of Dillinger Escape Plan, sounding something like Slayer backed by armies of curb-cracking skateboarders instead of hell's minions. Their uptempo doom is shaded with downbeat indie-rock tones instead of infernal majesty, and there's even a hint of British-style shoe gazing on the slow five or six seconds of this CD. Mostly what you get from this 10-year anniversary release is a frightening debacle of giant objects hurtling over your head, while impassioned but utterly distorted vocals fend off certain destruction with little pleas for humanity. It's an unpredictable and elegant triumph, softened to offer catharsis rather than total brutal assault. --Ian Christe