No Heroes
Overview
 
No Heroes is the sixth album by Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...

. The album was released on October 24, 2006, on Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

. By January 11, 2007, it had sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. It peaked at number 151 in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

. It topped the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

 chart and reached number 13 in the Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...

 listings. It was named the #1 album of 2006 in Sputnikmusic's staff "Best of 2006" list.
In early July, Converge's official website announced the title of the album, as well as the meaning behind it:
These days, cowards outnumber the heroes, and the begging souls outweigh the calloused hands of the hardest of workers.
Quotations

"That the snipers managed to pick off five terrorists in pitch darkness attested to their superior marksmanship, but in law enforcement, unlike war, success is never measured by the number of adversaries killed. All that counts is lives saved, and the Germans scored zero."

Note: About the 1972 Olympic hostage situation

"What do they [Delta Force] have that we [FBI SWAT] don't have?" "Lots of things." [...]"I don't see any handcuffs." "We don't have handcuffs. [...] It's not my job to arrest people." Oh? Oh! Webster's eyebrows curved like his beloved St. Louis arch as the realization dawned that since the military resolved situations with bullets, there might be no one left to be taken to jail.

Source: Page 118

"He had an ego so big the joke around the Bureau was 'We gave Buck a zip code but he wanted an area code.'"

Source: Page 123

"We consoled ourselves with the thought that we would never face terrorists as well trained, equipped, or courageous as Delta operators. 'Go home tonight and pray to God that no Delta personnel ever decide to go bad,' I told Don Brigham, one of our 'dead'."

Note: Delta and SWAT were training together. Delta had taken 'hostages' and the SWAT team was to rescue them. The SWAT team launched a surprise attack, but still 'lost' several men to the totally surprised Delta team.

"They spew all sorts of conspiracy theories about black helicopters and the New World Order, but in their hearts, they'd love nothing more than to be a Green Beret or a Delta commando or HRT operator. They're well aware they can't pass the physicals, let alone the intelligence or psychological tests. In fact, they never succeed in anything they tackle."

About people like Timothy McVeigh and David Koresh

"I was always being asked, 'Boss, did you have a good run?' To which I would snarl, 'Hell, I've been running most of my life, and I haven't had a good run yet.'"

Source: Page 233 Category:Literary works

 
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