Converge

Two of Boston’s most immoderate noise terrorists team up on The Poacher Diaries to make one of the most cohesive and destructive splits ever. Even though both bands are fundamentally different (Agoraphobic is a grind band and Converge play metal/noise/hardcore) they do share the same ideology — to fucking destroy, plain and simple. Agoraphobic decimate the proceedings with nine tracks of drum machine-fuelled grindcore fervour that, while slightly catchier than their Honky Reduction CD, is just as hostile. Increased dynamics, insane drum programming and disturbed vocals shed some light on why ANb is considered one of the extremists in a landscape littered with pretenders. Converge have also added some new tricks to their already impressive arsenal of trauma-inducing music. “Locust Reign” kicks off their half of this split with a more technical slant. While it works well in conjunction with Converge’s love of abrasive riffing, it does render some of the songs indistinct even after several listens. However, the ferocity of tracks like “My Great Devastator” and “They Stretch on for Miles” more than adequately compensates.