Bane

Although it’s impossible to mention Bane without mentioning Converge guitarist Aaron Dalbec is a founding and current member, Bane are definitely doing their damnedest to establish their own identity, and with the release of It All Comes Down To This, they’re succeeding. Sporting striking photography of American soldiers from the Vietnam war throughout the CD, It All Comes Down To This opens with a very fitting Apocalypse Now sample and only pauses in its attack for some moments of clarity, supplied by some beautiful acoustic interludes, before resuming its old-school hardcore/metal meets ’90s ability approach. While it is quite easy to become redundant when trying to redo a style that arguably reached its peak over a decade ago, Bane straddles the line and succeeds in making some intense, non-dated hardcore that is equally catchy, infectious and true to its roots. Produced by the reverend Steve Austin (Today Is The Day), and showing a marked improvement both musically and vocally from Bane’s last outing, It All Comes Down To This may not be the most original record to ever see the light of day, but for what it is, it is great.