BANE is a black/death metal act whose time spent from Serbia, Europe was short lived as they are now based in Canada, where they have since spent time performing shows, touring extensively thus far. But besides that, they have also released countless sources of material, in which currently are spending upon what is their third full-length album, due sometime this year. Bandmate Branislav of BANE talks of all of the matters dealt with this band ranging from the formation, namesake, and music matters!
1. Please tell me about the history behind BANE, you were originally from Europe but are now based out in Canada, why the change of pace?
Well, I decided to relocate in Canada because I wanted to explore new options with my musical career. Even though this had caused a set back of a few years with the band (finding a new line-up and basically starting over from scratch), I think that in the long run it was definitely the right thing to do, as now I can develop the band in North America as well and hopefully will continue to make it grow from here, while maintaining a somewhat strong, already established fan base in certain parts of Europe.
2. Why do you think bands and artists, tend to do the relocation deal with the band's origin's of creation, what makes this change such a big deal, or is it not even a deal if at all?
I guess it's a case by case scenario, but for the most part from what I understand bands and artist do these things when they feel they've outgrown their hometown, state or even country, and think that they could perhaps create bigger and better opportunities for themselves somewhere else. It can often times be extremely challenging to deal with those kinds of changes, yet ultimately it's somewhat inevitable in my opinion, specially if you come from an area where your opportunities are very limited to begin with.
Of course, it's not a mandatory thing to relocate, but some bands & artists are simply more fortunate than others geographically, speaking. For instance, a Metal band that comes from either Germany or the USA will by default will have a better chance at it then a band that comes from Macedonia or Malaysia, for example. Yes, the market in "Western Countries" is far more competitive - some may say even over saturated, but that's just the way it is and in order to pierce through you need quality, persistence, constant investing and an insane amount of dedication in order to make it to the next level, as we already well know.
Bottom line is, if you come from places where you have next to no opportunities at all (where there is no supportive scene/bands and a lack of clubs/bars/venues/festivals to perform), then the odds of you succeeding by staying there are drastically diminished, even in today's day and age where the Internet can only get you so far. I believe that physical location plays a key role in any band's career, unless everything in regards to your product is genius and you have an endless amount of capital - then it's a different story.
3. What are your names and what do you do in the band?
My name is Branislav, I am the vocalist, guitarist and founder of the band. We're currently going through some line-up changes, but Max Allard has been handling guitar duties since 2013 (he also plays in a Progressive Black & Roll band called Frostbite, check it out: https://www.facebook.com/frostbitemontreal/).
4. Speaking of names, tell me the story as to how the band got the name BANE? Does it have a hidden meaning behind it or is it just a name?
Bane, by definition is a source of harm, ruin or death. It somewhat defines the music we play, at least to a certain extent.
5. How would you describe your band in just 3 simple words without using any reference to your genre choice.
Cold. Dark. Evil.
6. So then what genre choice do you play to those who may not know of it?
We primarily play a mixture of Black and Death Metal. Musically speaking, we mainly draw inspiration from the early/mid 90's Swedish Metal scene - Dissection, Dark Funeral, Naglfar, Setherial, etc...occasionally, some people categorize us in the "Melodic" sub genre as well, which I have no problem with although we are also influenced by some of the more aggressive bands such as Behemoth, Belphegor or Hate for example. We combine all of those bands and try to make it into something of our own, if that's even possible these days.
7. Where are you in the process of the new album, third to be precise, how does it feel to be on round number three?
It's being recorded as we speak. I finished all the guitars, bass & keyboards so I am currently working on the vocals/lyrics while the drums are being taken care of as well. After all is done, everything will be sent to Hellsound Studio in Czech Republic for mixing and mastering. I've decided to go with the same producer whom I worked with on both of our previous albums. Honza Kapak (now days the drummer of Master's Hammer) has always done a fantastic job with everything and I can't wait to hear the final outcome. He's a prolific musician with an amazing ear for detail and a very good friend of mine, so I am very excited and honored to be working with him again.
Honestly, it's gonna be a huge relief once this album is released. It is definitely long-overdue, and there where numerous challenges involved with the making of this record: line-up changes, financial problems, etc...but even from listening to the demo versions of the songs, I strongly believe that this will be BANE's best record as of yet, and that it will be worth the wait. Of course, the listeners will be the judges of that, but I am definitely looking forward to releasing our next opus.
8. Do you plan to make this third release, extra special, since "three" tends to represent a lot for the metal community as it were most of the time anyways.
Nothing out of the ordinary for now. We're definitely gonna be making a CD and MC version of the record, at the very least. There will possibly be a North American and European version of the CD (which will result in different packaging and possibly bonus tracks), and eventually we might release the album on vinyl as well, if the sales prove to be worthy of it. It's still a bit early to say what will happen and when, but we currently are in the middle of negotiating with certain labels about the release of the new album so time will tell.
9. When can we expect to hear any new material from said release, any idea or will that be kept in lock and key?
As of right now, there is not much information I can share with you. But, 2018 will definitely be the year for a new BANE record, no matter what.
10. You have toured extensively over some time now, visiting over 10 countries, but not including the U.S.A. why has this not happened as of yet?
Several reasons. The main one would be maintaining a stable, reliable and consistent line-up who is willing to Tour and to invest - that's always been a huge issue since day one. Also, the work Visas that are required for us foreigners to enter and play in the USA are both expensive and a pain in the ass to issue, to say the very least. I've toured plenty in the States with another band of mine, and I absolutely love being there, so a US Tour at some point will definitely happen. I'd love nothing more than to do a coast to coast USA Tour with BANE, but it'll take some time in order to get everything in place.11. What can the U.S. fans expect to see from you guys, in terms of your live performances, is it a big surprise for all to see, or if they have seen your photos or video clips they can get an idea right away?
Smaller, underground bands like us don't necessarily have the budget, means or ways to provide a huge spectacle of any kind, considering that we mostly play club shows & smaller venues, so I can't really say that it's an life-changing experience, if I'm being realistic. However, every show is as important as the last one for us, and the band always gives their 666%.
12. How about plans then, what does BANE have on the horizon for us?
Finishing the new album is definitely a priority at this point, before getting back on the road which is also in the works. It's still too early for me to share any kind of details but we will start announcing things soon enough on all our social media for which you can find the links right below.
Facebook: https://facebook.com/baneband
YouTube: https://youtube.com/baneband
Twitter: https://twitter.com/baneband
Press: banedeathmetal@gmail.com
Booking: zlabogbooking@gmail.com
Merch: https://baneband.bandcamp.com
Thanks a lot for the support Natalie & to all of you who read this interview! Hail Chaos!
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