Reproach - raw skate fastcore from Belgium

Hello again, dear TYS readers! The 2nd post for today is a guest piece by Rigas, who is a good friend of mine and a frequent TYS contributor. He's helped in the print TYS issues by contributing articles and reviews, and he's always discovering cool new shit to get into. The dude gets psyched with a lot of different stuff and makes sure his friends know about it! So here... enjoy this guest article!

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Fast Fixes & The most exciting punk vids: REPROACH

'Rat Race' (from s/t 2003)

Rat Race Lyrics:

Rat Race

Born into this shit

You got to be successful

But for what?

Life is a rat race

Sleep - eat - work, trapped in our routines

I'm sick of it, this is not for me

The only thing that matters to you is your money

Fuck you all, i want more in life!

RIGAS's RANT: There is a dose of truth in the following: we are competing each other, chasing the carrot on a stick with the force-fed illusion  that one day we can be the ones to climb the ladder and eat a bigger piece of the deciduous pie which is served by depriving the poor and ruining the planet. Well, let me tell you that inequality, injustice and ecological collapse are systemic and you and me are going to be kept always ‘under’ the elites and their institutions, which legitimize this error! I want more in life! Break the work-stress-consume treadmill! My life is fucking gold!

Reproach [definition]: Address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment.

An interview with Stijn from Reproach

When did you  start getting involved with hardcore punk?!? I got into it when I first heard stuff like Agnostic Front and Madball from my cousin when I was around 16, that’s about 16-17 years ago already. It sounded so raw, to the point and fast, never heard anything like it before and fell in love with it the moment I heard it.

How is the Flemish hardcore punk scene?

I really don’t consider “Flemish” a separate scene, Belgium is small as it is. There lots of bands in different genres, from ‘80s hardcore to crust and everything in between. The Filth ,Trouble Kidz, Vogue, Bite Down, Visions of War, Idiot Convention, Conviction, Sunpower, Havoc, Rise and Fall, Get Wise, Blind to Faith, Amen Ra, Cut here,  Drunk, and many more. Lots of shows too, the past few months been really busy. We’re also lucky to have nearly every touring band stop by in Belgium for a show. Heartbreak tunes and The Pits are always booking great bands. It’s a pretty small but very active scene.

What is the message of Reproach?

Play fast, play hard. Have fun, don’t take shit from anyone, follow your heart, do your own thing and stand strong.

Are you involved with politix-direct action etc. ?!?

No.

Great Catastrophe or Great Transition for humanity?!?

To say it with the words of Victims: “we’re fucked!”

You have 2 of the most exciting videos I have seen!!! -  I watched them already countless times. Who had the idea? Who animated the videos?

We’re very very proud of those videos. They’re made by Marco and Pierre, who run an animation studio called Imov Studios (www.imovstudios.com). It was a present from them for our 10^th anniversary as a band. We had no idea they would make the clips and it was an awesome surprise. They’re also gonna make a new clip for one of our new songs.

What are your favourite active bands at the moment?

Herätys, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Extortion and Direct Control.

What are the plans for the band? Are you writing new material?

Actually we just finished recording our new record called “the bitter end”. We’re working on the layout right now. Recordings and artwork are done, hopefully the record will be out around summer. Deep Six will put out the LP in the US and Crew for Life records is gonna do the CD in Japan. We can’t wait to have the new record out and start playing those new songs live.

'Onward to Destruction' from ‘You Deserve it’ split with ANS

Check their discography and keep an eye on the new album of Reproach!There  is also a new video coming!

Thrash!

Discography

2000: Loud and fucking fast! tape (Stand Apart Records)

2001: Trash mayhem 7" (Kid For Life Records)

2003: Reproach LP (Wölfpack Records)

2005: Is what it is EP (Wölfpack Records)

2008:you deserve it Split with ANS (Still Holding On Records, Gnarly Slaughter Records)

2009: live split LP with Sunpower (Crucial Attack Records)