After a few years pass many traditional hardcore acts find themselves straying into metal and emo territory, Bane are not one of them. With "The Note", the band stick to their guns and refuse to compromise, staying true to their initial vision with determined clarity.

Such steadfast tendencies have always been a strong point of the band, as their raw hardcore energy and shouted in-your-face vocals provoke an instant reaction. But that also leaves the group in a certain dilemma that plagues this genre of music in general. If you've heard one song, you've pretty much heard them all. Sure there are some stabs at progressive instrumentation and a lot of introspective lyrical content on hand, but it's not really enough to hold one's interest for long.

This isn't so much a problem with the disc clocking in at 28 minutes and 1 second in total, but it will surely be an issue for the unconverted. The ten songs included are largely feral blasts of gritty uncompromising hardcore done with not-so-subtle nods to the genre's pioneers. Tracks like "End With An Ellipsis" are somewhat uncharacteristic and trail off into pensive moments of self-reflection, but they aren't in the majority. Instead loose breakdowns, gang vocals and coarse aggression are. In turn, "The Note" is perfect for windmills, picking up change and spinkicks, but unfortunately, not a lot else.