But the lyrics go surprisingly far for such limited scope. The subject matter here covers mostly two things, friendships and hardcore punk. Given the honesty and passion of the lyrics, the vocal presence is excusable. As with much of hardcore punk, though, the lyrics are as essential as the music here. The mix is clear and punchy, but the guitars are a little subdued, and the vocals are too loud and sound separated from the rest of the band. In general, more sonic variety would have been nice, given the overly clean production. While the band has never sounded tighter or more focused, the piano breakdown in “Pot Committed” and the anthemic singing in “Swan Song” are nice, underused touches. Mid-paced grooves dominate, with occasional bursts of speed, and mostly avoid the chugga-chugga breakdowns so typical in hardcore today. But The Note is hardcore punk through and through, with little sonic filler. The band began as a Converge side project, and its debut album, It All Comes Down to This, experimented with acoustic guitars and found sounds, while 2001’s Give Blood had smatterings of clean guitar. Musically, The Note is more streamlined than Bane’s previous albums. Now after four years of incessant touring, side projects, and a lineup change, Bane is back with a new album, The Note. But like other great hardcore punk singers, such as Youth of Today’s Ray Cappo and Agnostic Front’s Roger Miret, Bedard’s voice is instantly recognizable and has become something of a hardcore institution. He doesn’t have much range, nor is his delivery virtuosic. It’s somewhere between a harangue and very loud storytelling. Bane singer Aaron Bedard’s voice is an acquired taste.
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