Bane, a hardcore punk band, began as a side project between Aaron Dalbec (then of Converge) and Aaron Bedard (who had previously sang for the Worcester, Massachusetts hardcore band Backbone). They went into the studio in December of 1995 with a few friends and released a 5 song demo. The next year saw the release of their first EP, and many shows throughout central Massachusetts. The home crowd reactions in all the incarnations of The Space, The Espresso Bar and The Palladium were positive.