Converge @ Ivory Blacks, 15 Jul

There are few more ferocious sights in live music than Jacob Bannon in full-throttle among a thrashing crowd of hardcore fans. Converge's July tour brings them to the newly renovated Ivory Blacks for the first time, where promoters and fans alike will be hoping they can recreate their intense, borderline terrifying performance at Barfly last year. 2006 release No Heroes may not quite have hit the dizzying heights of the agenda-setting Jane Doe, but tracks like Trophy Scars and Plagues will happily have the pit going ballistic among mathy metalcore scream-alongs Homewrecker, Broken Vow and The Saddest Day. Best take yourself down there. (Jamie Borthwick)