Regardless of what the media reports or fails to report, there are always exciting musical developments taking place in the underground. This reissue of Petitioning the Empty Sky is a testament to an exciting time in the mid-90’s when CONVERGE and like minded bands such as COALESCE and BOTCH were taking extreme music to a new level, albeit within a U.S. hardcore context. Abrasive, unrelenting, and heavy as fuck, CONVERGE bridged the gap between hardcore, grindcore, thrash (i.e. SLAYER), and death metal (i.e. ENTOMBED) on this album. What seemed like a totally new and unorthodox way to write extreme music back then now seems overkilled into the ground in today’s extreme music climate. The chaotic nature of the song structures and the strong musical performances clearly show that these guys had that special something from the beginning. Brutal, scathing yet crystal clear and well-balanced, guitarist Kurt Ballou has done a superb job remixing the album and the bonus live tracks. Add to that an awesome repacking job with new and original artwork courtesy of vocalist Jake Bannon and Aaron Turner (ISIS) and you’ve got a great item for both new and old fans. While the CONVERGE of today has grown musically further than anyone could’ve predicted, Petitioning the Empty Sky is still an underground classic. (Equal Vision Records)