For many, this is the show they’ve been waiting for all semester. Cave In, Converge and… For many, this is the show they’ve been waiting for all semester. Cave In, Converge and Between the Buried and Me are set to rock out tonight at The World. The post-midterm stress reliever has finally arrived.

Converge just released its latest album, You Fail Me, on Deathwish Records to mixed reviews. Some claimed the band strayed too far from its old sound, while others praised its ingenuity. Converge has always been on the cutting edge of metalcore, and band members don’t let criticism stop them from playing music the way they want it to be played. They are one of the harder-working bands in the scene, and vocalist Jacob Bannon has been through it all with the boys.

Between the Buried and Me considered to be one of the “newer” bands on the scene, even though they’ve been around for some time. It seems that when an act finally puts together an album on a semi-independent label, it gets the recognition it deserves. Buried is known for its amazingly powerful live shows and eclectic sound. The album does them no justice, as all the humorous, yet complex, passages that come through the metalcore sound really set them apart from the pack as well, in a different way than Converge.

We finally move on to Cave In, the most experimental band to play this evening. Formerly metalcore maniacs on Hydrahead Records, the band moved toward uncharted space-rock territory for quite some time, and ended up signing with major label RCA Records. After Antenna, they split with their label and decided to do music on their own terms. If there is one band that everyone must go see, it is this one. They never turned their backs on anything they wanted to do, yet fully respect their fans. Rumor has it that they’re still playing some of the heavier Until Your Heart Stops material on this tour as well (namely “Juggernaut” and “Moral Eclipse”).

Cave In’s new material has taken on some elements of math rock as well, and some of the songs now feature screaming exclusively carried out by bassist Caleb Scofield. Be prepared for a sonic assault on your ears. This is fair warning, people: Bring your earplugs because these boys are loud. On the live rendition of “Seafrost,” the eight-minute epic from Antenna has panned out to something longer than 12 minutes, with the last few minutes being warped feedback.

Right before you throw on those Halloween costumes this year, feel the call of metal. It will be an evening of unique acts and massive rocking out to remember for the rest of 2004.

Converge, Between the Buried and Me and Cave In play The World tonight. Doors open at 6:30 with tickets priced at $12. For more information or for tickets, call (412) 642-2941.