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.
Cannibals
Converge Lyrics
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Will spread within the land
If the parasitic heart
That beats in all of us
Is unrivaled
Crocodile tears
Extinguish empathy
And we will not survive
Feral animals
Must not be unrivaled
We are just cannibals
If there is nothing left to love
Cannibals
In the first paragraph of these lyrics, Converge brings attention to the concept of opportunism. They suggest that this trait has the potential to spread throughout society, infecting individuals like a parasite. The "parasitic heart" is a metaphor for a selfish and self-centered nature that exists within all of us. The band implies that if this quality remains unchecked and unchallenged, it will prevail and dominate in society.
The second paragraph introduces the term "crocodile tears," which represents insincere displays of emotion. The lyrics suggest that these false tears extinguish empathy. This implies that when individuals are insincere in their feelings, they prevent themselves from truly understanding and connecting with others. The band warns that without genuine empathy, humanity will struggle to survive in a society dominated by opportunism and selfishness.
The third paragraph contains a plea for a change in behavior. Converge proposes that feral animals, which represent untamed and aggressive aspects of human nature, should not be allowed to go unrivaled. The lyrics imply that it is necessary for humanity to rise above their primal instincts and not allow themselves to be consumed by their savage tendencies. The band is urging individuals to challenge and overcome their base desires in order to create a more compassionate and empathetic society.
Finally, in the last paragraph, Converge makes a powerful statement by proclaiming that "we are just cannibals" if there is nothing left to love. This suggests that without love, compassion, and empathy, humans reduce themselves to metaphorical cannibals who prey on each other emotionally and spiritually. It implies that our ability to love and care for one another is essential to our humanity, and without it, we risk descending into a state of constant conflict, selfishness, and destruction.
Overall, these lyrics challenge the listener to reflect on the state of society, highlighting the potential dangers of opportunism and the necessity of empathy, love, and compassion to maintain a balanced and harmonious world.
Line by Line Meaning
Opportunism
The tendency to take advantage of situations for personal gain
Will spread within the land
Will permeate throughout society
If the parasitic heart
If the selfish and self-serving nature
That beats in all of us
That exists within every individual
Is unrivaled
Is uncontested or undeterred
Crocodile tears
Insincere expressions of sorrow or sympathy
Extinguish empathy
Eliminate or suppress the ability to understand and share the feelings of others
And we will not survive
And our existence will not persevere
If this is all there is
If this is the entirety of our existence
Feral animals
Wild and untamed beings
Must not be unrivaled
Should not be unchallenged or unopposed
We are just cannibals
We are merely self-destructive beings
If there is nothing left to love
If there is no remaining compassion or care
Cannibals
Self-destructive beings
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou, Nate Newton, Ben Koller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sophos34
absolute legends
Bryton's Thoughts
If this isn't brutal. I don't know what is.
rol trans
The ending is so High on Fire...
Admiral Bongo
This song REAAAALLY reminds me of late Napalm Death.
Robin van den bergh
tive read somewhere the band said that they made this track and it makes other extreme metal tracks ( by other bands)sound like "thats cute"Well thats what i thought when i heard this.....its a very agressive track...but they better keep up whit whats going on around them at the moment. this is not more heavy or skullcrushing than wormrot or even napalm death.
Robin van den bergh
Oh i totally agree. In terms of aggression and energy they surpassed almost every death metal band i know and certainly put all heavy and speed metal bands to shame
Robin van den bergh
imo revenge would eat those bands for breakfast...than swallow it down with a nice cup of converge.converge for me doesnt have the same heart and balls as they used to.revenge takes a certain mind set to appreciate...for heavy bands id rather say nails, diocletian or teitanblood. nathrak uses drum computers and the other band hugs bunnies.
Varga Márton
Well, they kind of are imho. I just can't take them seriously. I get what they want to express with their lyrics, but it's dumb and shallow. Their sound is horrid, it's just a mess. A caveman approach to music. If I had to name the heaviest band, I'd probably say Anaal Nathrakh or Cattle Decapitation.
Robin van den bergh
so ...youre saying revenge is an immature band?i cant help to see your comment as something cynical and childish...so excuse me if im wrong
Varga Márton
Whenever I listen to a song or two from REVENGE, I can't help but imagine how hard they were sweating trying to sound as "heavy" and "evil" as humanly possible. I wanted to be like that when I was around 13 years of age, lol.