Artist
Bane

Bane, a hardcore punk band, began as a side project between Aaron Dalbec (then of Converge) and Damon Bellardo. Aaron approached Matt Firestone to sing and they played under the moniker of Gateway for a few shows, before Firestone departed ways to focus on other projects. Dalbec then approached Aaron Bedard (who had previously sung for the Worcester, Massachusetts hardcore band Backbone) about singing for Bane. They went into the studio in Decemb ... er 1995 with a few friends and released a 5 song demo. The next year saw the release of their first EP, and many shows throughout central Massachusetts. The home crowd reactions at local venues The Space, The Espresso Bar and The Palladium were positive. Spring of 1997 saw the release of the Free To Think, Free To Be EP, where 1998 saw the release of the Holding This Moment 7" and CD collection, plus their first US Tour. Like many other hardcore bands Bane are known for their promotion of tolerance and unity within the scene.In earlier albums Bane claimed straight edge, however it was never their main lyrical focus. The current original members are straight edge; Bob Mahoney and Stu are not. They still perform early songs with straight edge references, such as "Count Me Out" which includes the lyric "Just like this X on the back of my hand, I'm not going nowhere". However the lyrics to the song "Wasted On The Young", on Bane's latest album The Note can be interpreted as criticism of people who ignorantly claim straight edge too early in their life. See more [+]