Just to put the dots on the “i”'s from the get-go, let's make tings clear that this review is nót about either of the following still active bands : 1) The Manilla based Philippines Thrash Metal band which to date only delivered a 2003 EP; 2) The now Montreal, Canada based Melodic Black/Death Metal act of Novis Sad, Serbian origins (where they were founded in 2006) which released a 2007 demo, a 2010 EP, 3 split-releases, 2010 and 2012 full-lengths, and their latest, a 2013 single; 3) The California based American Brutal Death Metal outfit formed in 1994, which so far only gave us a 1997 demo and a 2002 full-length. Nay...this review is about the legendary Melodic Hardcore act, which was originally started as a mere side-project by then Converge guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 1995...and whose most recent full-length release is now almost 9 years behind us.
Actually, Bane was the logical continuation for Dalbec's previous side-project Gateway, which he'd started up with drummer Damon Bellardo and one Matt Firestone. With a couple of friends joining in on the line-up, the band played a couple of shows, before Firestoneleft to continue with other projects. For a short while the band continued with another singer, and even other musicians, but Dalbec soon realised that their hearts and his mind were set on different things, so he folded the project. Setting his thoughts on a completely new project, he then approached Aaron Bedard, whom was previously known to have sung for their common hometown's Hardcore act Backbone.
The duo worked on some material, and went into the studio in December 1995, to record a demo with some friends. The next year saw the duo release their first EP XXX (with Pete Chilton entering the fold as long-term bassist), and playing quite a few shows throughout central Massachusetts (their home base Worcester in the middle), a first few of which Dalbec's colleague from Converge, Kurt Ballou, provided second guitar for. In early 1997, the band released its Free To Think, Free To Be EP (which was the first for second guitarist Zach Jordan), and 1998 not only found Bane release its Holding This Moment 7-inch (which found Bellardo exchanged for Ben Chused) and a compilation album by the same title (which became the first release by the band on longtime label Equal Vision), but also head out on its first US tour. A first full-length, 1999's It All Comes Down To This, was the introduction of new drummer Nick Brannigan, whom also contributed to Bane's second full-length, 2001's critically acclaimed Give Blood (and a 2001 split 7-inch with Adamantium which was released in between on the Indecision imprint). It took the bands 4 years to fully exploit the success of their 2001 success album, and come out with the new full-length The Note, and by then Bob Mahoney had settled behind the drum seat.
Although it's been almost 9 years since the band's last full-length (see ending f first paragraph), bane was not completely inactive in the studio! No longer under contractual obligations to their label, the band nevertheless returned to Equal Vision for the release of their 2006 Ten Years Plus EP, which would prove to be the last with bassist Pete Chilton, whom found himself replaced by Reach The Sky's Brendan “Stu” Maguire. In June 2009, Bane entered the Getaway Studios with producer Jay Maas, planning to record whatever song they had somewhat ready at that moment. They came out with 6 songs named after American soap operas, which they released in quite an original way. You see, they had different songs released through different labels throughout the world, and with different titles & cover art on the 7-inches to boot. The idea was that photographers of the labels involved would make a picture of their city's skyline at the same moment, and that image would be used for the cover art, whereas the title would reveal the city on the picture, and the exact local time the photograph was made. Thus, Alliance Trax Records released Tokyo 7:58am, Hurry Up Records issued Dublin 11:58pm, Triple B Records brought Boston 6:58pm, Resist Records had Perth 7:58am, and 6131 Records (who released their version on Dec. 8, 2009) issued Los Angeles 3:58pm (there were some more labels involved, but the info about those was lacking). Another novelty came with a 148-page magazine/book compilation of two issues of the At Both Ends Magazine, as it was accompanied by two 7-inch EPs with new and exclusive songs from Bane (songs also nót on any of the Dublin/ Boston/ LA series' 7-inches), Grade, Unrestrained, and Between Earth And Sky.
So now Bane, who in 2012 exchanged Maguire for new bassist James Siboni, are back with a new album, which is also announced as their last! The band's fans are however not to panic all too quickly, as the members intend to let the album and its promotion run to its natural end, touring extensively. The band has already several US shows under its belt as we speak, and are at the moment cruisin' along the West Coast, with the plan to visit the southern US States on their way to the East Coast, even up to Canada...and a European tour to follow just after (starting July 25 to be precise) will take the band to Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, with the Belgian Ieper Fest (on Aug. 10) as its currently last announced European date. Fans of the band are recommended to go see the band when it comes through their neighborhood [for exact dates, consult (www.) facebook.com/bane], because it might well be the last opportunity! Of course, US fans will still get opportunity to see Bane n live conditions, because the band still has some places to go, over there!
As far as the new songs are concerned, expect more of the same old exciting Melodic Hardcore, with lyrical messages which deal very much with the same topics as before : tolerance and unity within the Hardcore scene! Here's what singer Aaron Bedard was cited saying in the info sheet that came along with the download promo of the album : “I would say that this is a record we made while aware that they would be the last songs the band would ever write...” (citing, in an on-line interview with Noisey, that the band's members felt they were getting really old already, and wanted to quit while they still had some credibility), “...It is the culmination of many years playing music together. It is an attempt to say goodbye to something that is very hard to let go of. We hope that this record does that bravely...” (no worries, it does...indééd it does!), “Most importantly, it is a Hardcore record. As with everything Bane has done before it, 'We wrote it for the Hardcore kids'!”
Hum...what's left for me to say, except that Don't Wait Up rightfully deserves a place in more people's 2014 year-lists, that just in mine?