Originally published in Verbicide issue #5

When I first heard this, I enthusiastically told a friend who lives in Beltsville, Maryland, “Hey, did you know the new Bane album was recorded in Beltsville?” and she said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe a band that sucks as much as Bane recorded in Beltsville!” and I was all, “Hey, I like Bane!” Call me crazy, call me lame, banish me from your punk rock scene, but I’ll be honest: I’d never heard Bane till I got this CD. So sue me. I don’t really have any friends in Connecticut or Vermont who listen to hardcore.

Well, anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally heard these guys. First of all, I think the lyrics are fairly intelligent, making many social commentaries without any pseudo-political faux pas, and I can’t seem to think of any band that comes off as humble and gracious to their fans as Bane does. The music is pretty good too…I can’t compare Give Blood to any past albums, but I can say if you’ve never heard Bane, the vox are sort of similar to Snapcase’s (not too growly, not too screamy, just a loud constant chanted shout) the rhythms are fast, and damn…it just makes me wanna see these guys play.

(Equal Vision Records, PO Box 14, Hudson, NY 12534)