Bloodmoon: I
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Bloodmoon: I
| type = Studio album
| artist = Converge and Chelsea Wolfe
| cover = Converge - Bloodmoon I.png
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2021|11|19}}
| recorded = 2019–2020
| venue =
| studio = GodCity, Salem, Massachusetts
| genre = * Hardcore punk
- sludge metal{{Cite news|url=https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/heavy-new-releases/new-releases-from-converge-chelsea-wolfe-obscura-exodus-out-today-11-19-2021|title=The Weekly Injection: New Releases From Converge/Chelsea Wolfe, Obscura, Exodus, And More Out Today – 11/19|date=November 19, 2021|work=Metal Injection|access-date=December 3, 2021}}
- symphonic metal
- post-metal
- doom metal
- gothic metal
| length = 58:42
| label = * Epitaph
| producer = {{hlist|Kurt Ballou|Jacob Bannon|Stephen Brodsky|Ben Chisholm|Chelsea Wolfe}}
| chronology = Converge
| prev_title = Beautiful Ruin
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Chelsea Wolfe
| type = studio
| prev_title = Birth of Violence
| prev_year = 2019
| title = Bloodmoon: I
| year = 2021
| next_title = X (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
| next_year = 2022
}}{{Singles
| name = Bloodmoon: I
| type = Studio album
| single1 = Blood Moon
| single1date = September 27, 2021
| single2 = Coil
| single2date = November 3, 2021
}}
}}
Bloodmoon: I is the tenth studio album by American metalcore band Converge, and a collaboration album with Chelsea Wolfe. It was released on November 19, 2021, via Epitaph Records and Deathwish Inc, the band's first studio album in four years since 2017's The Dusk in Us.[https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/converge-announces-collaborative-album-bloodmoon-i-feat-chelsea-wolfe-ben-chisholm-and-stephen-brodsky/ Converge Announces Collaborative Album 'Bloodmoon: I' Feat. Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm and Stephen Brodscky]. September 28, 2021. Blabbermouth.net. Converge's longtime collaborator Stephen Brodsky and Wolfe's longtime collaborator Ben Chisholm also contributed. The album was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou and the artwork was created by the band's singer Jacob Bannon. It was met with universal critical acclaim, receiving an average score of 89 based on 10 reviews aggregated by Metacritic.
Background
The album was preceded in 2016 by Blood Moon, in which Converge united with Wolfe and her collaborator Ben Chisholm as well as former Converge member and longtime collaborator Stephen Brodsky of Cave In and Steve Von Till of Neurosis to perform classic Converge songs live in an atmospheric post-rock style.{{Cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/converge_bloodmoon_chelsea_wolfe_cave_in_interview|title=Converge Unite with Chelsea Wolfe and Cave In's Steve Brodsky — but Don't Call Them a Supergroup|website=exclaim.ca|language=en|access-date=December 4, 2021}} All of the aforementioned except Von Till reunited to record Bloodmoon: I. Bannon stated, "These songs were written by seven people. Not only shaped by the seven, but we're all in that mix together — more so than any other Converge record." The lineup began working on the album in late 2019, but in 2020, due to COVID, the rest of the album was finished remotely.
Release and promotion
On September 28, 2021, Converge announced the album, including its tracklist and cover art, and released the title single "Blood Moon", accompanied by a video for the song.{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/09/converge-chelsea-wolfe-collaborative-album-bloodmoon-i/|title=Converge and Chelsea Wolfe Announce New Collaborative Album, Share "Blood Moon": Stream|last=Hadusek|first=Jon|date=September 28, 2021|work=Consequence of Sound|access-date=December 4, 2021}} On November 3, Converge released the song "Coil" available for streaming.{{Cite news|url=https://loudwire.com/converge-coil-lyrics-visualizer/|title=Converge Drop Spiraling Dark New Song 'Coil'|work=Loudwire|access-date=December 10, 2021}} The collaborative act performed its first Bloodmoon shows in April 2022 in Boston and New York, with Caspian opening.{{cite web| last = Breihan| first = Tom| title = Converge To Play Bloodmoon Shows In Boston & NYC| work = Stereogum| date = February 1, 2022| url = https://www.stereogum.com/2174690/converge-to-play-bloodmoon-shows-in-boston-nyc/news/| accessdate = February 2, 2022}}
Reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 89/100{{Metacritic album|title=Bloodmoon: I}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=mw0003601177 |label=Converge - Bloodmoon: I |last=Monger |first=James Christopher}}
| rev2 = The A.V. Club
| rev3 = Beatsperminute.com
| rev3score = 66.6%{{cite web |url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-converge-chelsea-wolfe-bloodmoon-i/ |title=Album Review: Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Bloodmmoon: I |last=Johnston |first=Andy |date=November 19, 2021 |website=beatsperminute.com |publisher=Beatsperminute.com |access-date=December 4, 2021}}
| rev4 = The Guardian
| rev5 = Kerrang!
| rev5score = 5/5{{cite web |url=https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-converge-bloodmoon-i |title=Album review: Converge – Bloodmoon: I |last=Thomas |first=Olly |date=November 19, 2021 |website=kerrang.com |publisher=Kerrang! |access-date=December 4, 2021}}
| rev6 = Louder Sound
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev8 = PopMatters
| rev9 = Punknews.org
| rev9score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/17639/converge-bloodmoon-i |title=Converge - Bloodmoon: I |last=Rosso |first=Eric |date=November 29, 2021 |website=pitchfork.com |access-date=December 4, 2021}}
| rev10 = The Skinny
}}
Bloodmoon: I was met with universal critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 89 based on 10 reviews.
Accolades
=Year-end lists=
{{Dynamic list}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| title1 = Blood Moon
| length1 = 7:50
| title2 = Viscera of Men
| length2 = 5:29
| title3 = Coil
| length3 = 6:08
| title4 = Flower Moon
| length4 = 4:38
| title5 = Tongues Playing Dead
| length5 = 4:12
| title6 = Lord of Liars
| length6 = 3:23
| title7 = Failure Forever
| length7 = 4:01
| title8 = Scorpion's Sting
| length8 = 5:46
| title9 = Daimon
| length9 = 7:00
| title10 = Crimson Stone
| length10 = 6:42
| title11 = Blood Dawn
| length11 = 3:33
| total_length = 58:42
}}
Personnel
Converge & Chelsea Wolfe
- Kurt Ballou – guitars, bass, backing vocals, production, mixing, engineering
- Jacob Bannon – vocals, bass, production, engineering, art direction, design, illustrations
- Ben Koller – drums, percussion
- Nate Newton – bass, guitars, backing vocals
- Chelsea Wolfe – vocals, guitars, production, engineering
- Ben Chisholm – synthesizer, piano, electronics, bass, production, engineering
Additional contributors
- Stephen Brodsky – guitars, bass, additional vocals, production, engineering
- Magnus Lindberg – mastering
- Zach Weeks – engineering assistance
- Emily Birds – photography
- Aaron Horkey – logo illustration
- Ashley Rose – costume design
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for Bloodmoon: I ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Germany4|59|id=488444|artist=Converge|album=Bloodmoon: I|rowheader=true|access-date=July 1, 2022}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.convergecult.com/ Official Converge Website]
{{Converge}}
{{Chelsea Wolfe}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2021 collaborative albums
Category:Converge (band) albums
Category:Albums produced by Kurt Ballou
Category:Albums with cover art by Jacob Bannon