The Bottom Line: One of the best hardcore albums I have ever heard. Perfect for anyone who thinks they don't like hardcore, because all they've ever really heard is metal. 'Nuff said.
PezKing's Full Review: Give Blood by Bane (Hardcore)
Far too much of what people call “hardcore” these days is really just Metal made by kids who have had some connection to the straight edge scene at some point. Deep chugging chords played ultra fast, and inhuman screaming are NOT the hallmarks of hardcore music. I like some of those bands that people call hardcore, but rest assured- Earth Crisis, Dillinger Escape Plan, Underoath, Converge, Zao, Point of Recognition, Until The End, Autumn To Ashes, etc- these are metal bands.
Bane is poised to lead the revival in REAL hardcore. Their third CD, “Give Blood,” shows a real growth, but still faithfully keeps to hardcore roots a la Sick Of It All, Youth Of Today, Blood For Blood, etc. The music is pounding without being static, the vocals are forceful but clear, and the message as well is poetic yet clear. The members are straight edge, but the lyrics don’t really concentrate on that, so it stays open to the whole scene, not just the militant edge.
True hardcore is rooted in punk, not metal, and the music derives from that. It’s harder, but keeps a similar tempo. The disc has a lot of neat time changes, even a couple of songs with solos and breakdowns. But the thing that really makes Bane stand out from the metal-core wannabes is the vocals. They are full deep shouts, not screams. There are a lot of youth crew style back ups, perfectly accenting the right phrases. It is harsh yet melodic at the same time, sort of half yelled/half shouted, with a few angrily spoken lines. This guy has a serious set of lungs. Unlike the throat shredding metal bands, you can make out a lot of what he is saying the first time you hear it, and if you read any of the lyrics, you can easily make it all out perfectly. There are a few screams thrown in for effect, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Despite the dedication to old fashioned hardcore, there is one thing you will not find any of here- not one single catchy chorus. The songs DO stick in your head, but there is nothing resembling a verse-chorus-verse formula. That is very impressive. The lyrics are poetic, but there is no mistaking their meaning, and I think that is the secret. Rather than beating the usual sXe message into the ground, they deal more with the other differences between the scene and life style compared to a nine-five life. Strength of community, friendship, dedication to ideals and feelings, working hard for something you desire instead of what the world tells you to want. But it does not glamorize anything- it shows how hypocrisy in the scene holds you back, and how your dreams sometimes fail. But far from depressing, those are some of the most life affirming truths.
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