Sophie's Floorboard: Coalesce

Coalesce are a four-piece hardcore/metalcore/mathcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1994, broke up in 1999, reunited in 2005, and have been active ever since. Besides that, I don't even know where to start with these guys. Coalesce are easily one of the most influential bands in metalcore, right up there with Converge and Botch. Not only are they influential, but they've put out some of the heaviest and most boundary-pushing music in hardcore (as a blanket term) history. Sean Ingram's low, guttural vocals are incredibly distinct and a huge part of Coalesce's sound. The band is also very tight, and very technically proficient. They wrote some incredibly complex arrangements, and very tricky fills and riffs, but still could hammer out a straight-forward heavy riff when it fit, and experiment with other sounds as they pleased. They also were affiliated with a ton of other great bands, including The Get Up Kids and The Casket Lottery, both clearly very different from the sound of Coalesce. This is a band of incredible musicians that have put out some of heavy music's best work, and I don't think much more needs to be said other than that. This shit is absolutely essential, so enjoy.

Demo (1994)

1. Aftermath

2. Peace Rape

3. Untitled

Coalesce (1994)

1. On Their Behalf

2. Harvest Of Maturity

002 (1995)

1. 73-C

2. Grain Of Salt

3. Simulcast

In Tongues We Speak (1996)

1. Napalm Death - Food Chains

2. Coalesce - A Safe Place

3. Napalm Death - Upward And Uninterested (Demo Version)

4. Coalesce - Harvest Of Maturity

In These Black Days Vol. 3 (1997)

1. Today Is The Day - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)

2. Coalesce - Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)

The Get Up Kids/Coalesce (1997)

1. The Get Up Kids - Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)

2. Coalesce - I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

Among The Dead We Pray For Light (1997)

1. Converge - Love As Arson

2. Coalesce - Have Patience

Give Them Rope (1997)

1. Have Patience

2. One On The Ground

3. Cut To Length

4. For All You Are

5. Still It Sells

6. Chain Smoking

7. Did It Pay The Rent?

8. Every Reason To

9. I Am Not The First

10. This Is The Last

11. I Took A Year

Functioning On Impatience (1998)

1. You Can't Kill Us All

2. Reoccuring Ache Of

3. A New Language

4. My Love For Extremes

5. On Being A Bastard

6. Measured In Gray

7. A Disgust For Details

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun (1999)

1. Immigrant Song

2. Heartbreaker

3. Black Dog

4. Out On The Tiles

5. Whole Lotta Love

6. That's The Way

7. Thank You

Note: EP of Led Zeppelin covers, this was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the rest of their cover songs

0:12 Revolutions In Just Listening (1999)

1. What Happens On The Road Always Comes Home

2. Cowards.Com

3. Burn Everything That Bears Our Name

4. While The Jackass Operation Spins Its Wheels

5. Sometimes Selling Out Is Waking Up

6. Where The Hell Is Rick Thorne These Days?

7. Jesus In The Year 2000/Next On The Shit List

8. Counting Murders And Drinking Beer (The $46,000 Escape)

9. They Always Come In Fall

Coalesce/Boysetsfire (2000)

1. Coalesce - Vehicle (Boysetsfire cover)

2. Coalesce - In The Wilderness (Boysetsfire cover)

3. Coalesce - Bob Junior

4. Boysetsfire - 73-C (Coalesce cover)

5. Boysetsfire - Simulcast (Coalesce cover)

6. Boysetsfire - Nailbomb

002 • A Safe Place (2000)

1. 73-C

2. Grain Of Salt

3. Simulcast

4. A Safe Place

5. Blend As Well

Note: This is a compilation consisting of the three songs from 002 that were re-recorded for this, and two songs from an EP titled A Safe Place, which was released in 1997