Bane’s Holding This Moment record was released on Equal Vision Records as a compilation of sorts. The record wasn’t a singularly cohesive LP, but a collection of the band’s earlier 7” releases. But most importantly it was, by all accounts, an introduction to a band who would become one of the most enduring and vital in all of modern hardcore.
The first three tracks are from their 7” debut on EVR, also titled Holding This Moment. “Count Me Out,” a song from this bunch, was one of their first true anthems. It also showcased the band’s writing style, a mixture of traditional horse-hopping hardcore riffs with popping drums and of course Aaron Bedard’s amalgam of scream-shout-sing vocal patterns. In retrospect, the song also prophesized the band’s enduring legacy. Thinking back there’s an eerie portentousness to the lyrical content: “Because I will be here tomorrow and I will be here next year. Just like this X on the back of my hand, I'm not going nowhere.” Yes it was a straight-edge song, but it also gave a hint that Bane was not a fly-by-night side project. Lucky for us all, they were indeed going to be around for some time.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth songs on Holding This Moment were originally released by Life Records on the Free to Think, Free to Be 7”. While there was something raw and unbridled in these songs, they still pounded with the powerful thoughtfulness present across any Bane release. The bridge guitar riff in “Superhero” was absolutely tremendous, moving from a free flowing grooving riff to the tightly woven ending. And of course the lyrical content was a monumental reinvigoration of straight-edge culture, done so without the pretense of the more conservative edge bands that came before. Bedard made straight edge relatable and accessible in a dignified and humble way.
The last three tracks on Holding This Moment are the oldest of the bunch, also coming from an earlier Life Records release. Clear in these songs was a band trying to capture their own sound. But there were also some gems in there. The popping breakdown in “Forked Tongue” was heavy and mosh-ready. And while Bedard was still finding his voice on “Every Effort Made,” the song had some awesome harmonic work that rang true with a Chokehold-inspired sound.
In retrospect, Holding This Moment was as important to the culture of hardcore as it was to the hardcore sound. This record truly was the underground’s introduction to Bane. And if it was to be a primer on the band, it held up wonderfully. It’s no exaggeration to say that Bane went to be one of the most critically significant hardcore bands in the world. The enduring quality of their music, their imperative to help smaller bands, and their earnestness as people were qualities that became blueprints for bands to this day. Holding This Moment was at once a compilation of the band’s early work and an introductory textbook to one of hardcore’s greatest acts.