Two albums in a year, zero filler: months after Love Is Not Enough, Converge go again and the press follows — 86/100 across three reviews, 79/100 from the public on over 750 ratings. Metal Hammer (9/10) hears « frantic, breathless, savage stuff, made all the more impressive by the fact it’s come so soon after their last masterpiece ».
The general agreement is about depth: where its twin charged, Hum Of Hurt digs. Kerrang! (4/5) finds it « more artful, more textured, more considered », and bows: « that it manages to be the equal of its excellent recent predecessor, while feeling so different musically, is nothing short of remarkable ». Sputnikmusic (4.4/5) settles the debate in one line: « No leftovers here; 2 for 2. » « Doom In Bloom » and its catchy chorus, « I Won’t Let You » with its dissonant feedback, the six-minute build of « Dream Debris »: the same tracks come up everywhere.
The one acknowledged friction point: this is « the less instant record » of the pair (Kerrang!), 33 minutes of catharsis that demand patience. Thirty years in, two major albums in the same year — who else? 8.5.