Converge is a four-piece American band, formed in February of 1990 in Salem… Read Full Bio ↴Converge is a four-piece American band, formed in February of 1990 in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and extreme metal, this pioneer outfit helped define a lot of the rudiments of the fast-burgeoning metalcore and mathcore genres formed by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990. During the recording of their seminal fourth album Jane Doe, the group became a four-piece with the departure of guitarist Aaron Dalbec and the addition of bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller. This lineup has remained intact since. They have released nine studio albums, three live albums, and numerous EPs. The band's sound is rooted in both hardcore punk and extreme metal, and they are considered pioneers of metalcore as well as its subgenre mathcore.

Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. According to AllMusic, they are "regarded as one of the most original and innovative bands to emerge from the punk underground." Their popularity rose with the release of Jane Doe, which was ranked as the best album of 2001 by Terrorizer and later as the 61st Best Metal Album of All Time by Rolling Stone. Subsequently, Converge moved from Equal Vision Records to the considerably larger label Epitaph Records and their records gradually became more elaborate and expensive to produce. Special releases have traditionally been handled by Deathwish Inc., established by Bannon in 1999. The band's ninth studio album, The Dusk in Us, was released in November 2017 through Deathwish and Epitaph.

Antithesis
Converge Lyrics

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Idle chatter sounds much better to the absent mind.
Govern me, kill thy master.
You will not enslave me.
The root is bitter but the fruit is sweet but not exempt from criticism.
Small pox friendship, you die I take.
You are the new slave.
Don't call me God because I don't have a disease.
What is cold to you is love to me.

Savior seething rolling you in.
Cherub in red said there's nothing to see here.

Hallowed be who art in heaven.
I refuse to call that fucker by name.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Converge's song Antithesis convey messages about power dynamics, rebellion, and religion. The line "Idle chatter sounds much better to the absent mind" suggests the idea that some people choose to remain ignorant and avoid thinking critically, preferring to engage in trivial and meaningless conversations. The following line, "Govern me, kill thy master" expresses a desire for freedom from oppressive systems and those who hold power over others. The line "You will not enslave me" is a direct statement of resistance against those who try to control or dominate others.

The lyrics also touch upon the concept of the bitter root and the sweet fruit, which means that while the initial pain or difficulty may be unpleasant, there can be positive outcomes in the end. However, the line "not exempt from criticism" suggests that even the positive end result may not be perfect or immune from criticism. The line "Small pox friendship, you die I take" describes a ruthless mentality of taking what one wants without regard for others, while the line "You are the new slave" questions who really holds the power in society and who is truly free.

The lyrics then shift to religious references, with the line "Don't call me God because I don't have a disease" rejecting the notion of a supreme deity or higher power. The line "What is cold to you is love to me" suggests that love may take on different forms or expressions for different people, and the line "Savior seething rolling you in" evokes images of divine punishment or judgment. The line "Cherub in red said there's nothing to see here" could refer to a biblical passage about the fall of Lucifer, and the final lines "Hallowed be who art in heaven. I refuse to call that fucker by name" suggest a rejection of organized religion and its figures of authority.

Line by Line Meaning

Idle chatter sounds much better to the absent mind.
Distraction from reality may seem desirable to those who are mentally absent.

Govern me, kill thy master.
Overthrow the oppressive rulers who seek to control me and establish freedom.

You will not enslave me.
I will resist efforts to subjugate me and maintain my liberty.

The root is bitter but the fruit is sweet but not exempt from criticism.
While the outcome of a situation may be positive, the means to achieve it may be painful and worthy of reproach.

Small pox friendship, you die I take.
I will not allow myself to be infected by toxic relationships and will end them before they consume me.

You are the new slave.
Those who submit to societal norms and expectations are perpetuating their own enslavement.

Don't call me God because I don't have a disease.
I refuse to accept the label of an almighty figure because it implies a superiority that I reject.

What is cold to you is love to me.
My interpretation of affection and compassion may differ from yours and may not be universally accepted.

Savior seething rolling you in.
An external force that claims to rescue or save may actually be causing further harm.

Cherub in red said there's nothing to see here.
Those in power may deceive the public in order to hide their wrongdoing and maintain control.

Hallowed be who art in heaven.
Acknowledgment and reverence for a divine being who is believed to exist beyond this earthly realm.

I refuse to call that fucker by name.
I reject or refuse to acknowledge someone or something that I perceive to be unworthy or dishonorable.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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