Hardcore legends Converge have announced a bold new collaborative album Blood Moon: I. A true-supergroup effort, Blood Moon: I will see the Salem heavyweights team-up with dark songstress Chelsea Wolfe, her bandmate/writing partner Ben Chisolm, and Cave In vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky.
The announcement of Blood Moon: I is accompanied by a new track Blood Moon. Premiering via Revolver Magazine today, Blood Moon is an emotive post-metal masterpiece that features some unconventional yet brilliant harmonic vocal interplay from Converge frontman Jacob Bannon and Chelsea Wolfe, placed against a dense, sombre post-metal soundscape.
Speaking on the creation and concept of Blood Moon: I, Bannon states:
We wanted to do something grander than the typical four-piece Converge music"
The collaboration first began in 2016 at the Roadburn festival in The Netherlands where the seven-piece performed revamped Converge material under the name Blood Moon. The energy and rapturously received appearance inspired the group to want to make music together. In late 2019, they were finally able to begin working on new material together at Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou’s God City Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. The pandemic saw the remainder of the record finished remotely.
Produced by Ballou, Bloodmoon: I is a harrowing and atmospheric collaborative effort that sees each performer working together and outside the comfort zones in order to create something that is truly unique to the project.
Cave In's Stephen Brodsky added his thoughts on how the collaboration between legends managed to remain cohesive, despite the number of members involved and the obstacle of having to record remotely.
“I feel like everyone just kept the music in mind and wanted to do what’s best for the song.”
Chelsea Wolfe noted that working on this project challenged her to use her considerable vocal prowess in new and interesting ways.
"The project stretched my vocals in new ways. It’s so different than what I normally sing over that I was able to open up and be vulnerable with my vocals."
Bannon offers his thoughts on the vocal tandem.
"Our dynamics are pushing and pulling in all different directions on this record, and I find that to be creatively rewarding"
You can hear exactly what both Wolfe and Bannon are referring to on Blood Moon.
Watch the video for Blood Moon below.
Bloodmoon: I is out November 19th on CD/Digital via Epitaph Records and out on vinyl June 24th via Deathwish.
The official artwork for Bloodmoon: I can be found below.
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