Converge.

"A total mess, or a brilliant artistic beneficence..."

WHAT IS ART? CAN IT BE A BLANK, white canvas? Or does it have to be a life-like representation of some person or thing? Does it have to be pleasant? Or can it be shocking, absurd, or even disturbing? Lots of people would say that music is art, but what kind of music gets to carry that title? Is classical music art? What about jazz? And does music lose its artistic value as it gains volume and intensity, and begins to diverge from the main street of conventional sensibilities?

Jacob Bannon's life is the answer to all of these questions. He's the vocalist of Converge, an extreme sort of band that dances around the event horizon where metal, hardcore and noise begin to blend. The music is loud, often fast, and always intense. The vocals that blast from Bannon's head are ear-splitting and almost always unintelligible.

Converge's music could be described as a total mess, or a brilliant artistic beneficence. Clearly, the band did not set out to create chaos. Converge are in the business of making art.

"I've always been drawn towards art and anything creative," says Bannon, who has a BA in Design and who has taught the subject at the college level for several years. "Anyone can make tine art, throw anything down they like, call it art, and it's relevant. Design has a whole different set of standards; you have to communicate something to a viewer."

That ethos has crossed over into the musical side of Bannon's life, forcing him to set higher standards for Converge's music.

"The reason why I love music so much isn't because of bands necessarily," says Bannon. "It's also the things that come along with a band: the visual aesthetic, the lyrical prose, the powerful music. I just really love music as a character. That's what makes it for me."

That concept permeates Converge's records. No aspect of the album is unimportant, according to Bannon. The art, the lyrics, and the music, he says, all play an important role in turning a simple recording into a true piece of art. "Music will always turn my head," says Bannon. "Hearing is a big deal, but I like to get into the drive in the art. So the big picture means a lot to me."

Converge has no interest in fitting into a mold. The band's only self-imposed restriction on what its music will sound like is that it be what the band members want it to be, Bannon says.

"When genres and classifications go away, you're not really afraid to listen to anything," he says. "A lot of people are terrified of volume. They hear volume and intensity, and immediately they shut off. They don't recognize the depth that a lot of aggressive music has."