A Newbury Comics exclusive color vinyl pressing.
"Recorded in September 2003, Heart Means Everything holds a special place in our memory, as it was our first full-length as a band. At the time, we’d been touring with a lot of heavier bands such as Hatebreed, Terror, and Sick of It All. Our goal in creating the record was to capture the youthful energy of the old-school, punk/hardcore bands that inspired us, while fusing some of the hardcore aggression we loved.
"Thematically, Heart Means Everything was our homage to the scene that had inspired and supported us: both a rousing challenge to people to question their beliefs, and to stand up for themselves and others. Our hope was to rekindle dialogue, bring people together, and channel the ethos of days past.
"Having always been big fans of Converge, we were ecstatic to record our first full-length with Kurt Ballou in “Witch City” Salem, MA. The recording process took about five days; in fact, our record was only the second project in his new studio. Probably our most vivid memory of the process was the gang vocals. With the assistance of 10-15 of our close friends, we screamed our heads off for hours, doing three takes for each line. The sessions were awesome, but grueling. By the end, everyone was drained, and we were all hoarse for at least a week!
"Heart Means Everything not only symbolizes where we were as a band at the time, but it also captures the spirit of the era. Being part of the Stillborn Records roster in those days was exciting and amazing—Jamey Jasta and Jay Reason were immensely supportive during our formative years. Although we were very proud of the record, we’d always felt that it needed something extra. In 2020, Kurt Ballou discovered the original tapes and offered to remix it. We gladly accepted his offer; after a remix and remaster, we feel the record sounds amazing!"
