Chain Reaction – Belgium's Finest Craftsmen

Belgium Hardcore scene is known worldwide for its perserverance and constant quality! Never overlooked by those that have been living the scene for years, it might pass under the radar for some. 

Chain Reaction is brewed under the influence of acts like Rise And Fall and Congress, so you can easily imagine – of course you already know – the power and the positive aggression that oozes from these riffs! 

This small chit-chat took place in 2020, right after the release of "Figurehead" (what a beast of a release). Enjoy the conversation, and blast that sound!

Chain Reaction Official Bandcamp

Welcome, first of all, and thank you very much for your availability. How have you lived through these troubled times?

Thank you for having us! I’ve been gettin’ by pretty much like everyone else, I guess. That means I’ve just been taking it day by day, I try to not get caught up in the constant stream of news and information and just be smart about things. Going outside a lot has helped me a great deal. Running, long walks with friends or just wandering around aimlessly by myself. Next to that, music of course. Been listening to a lot of records, new and old.

I suppose that for a band, inactivity is a complicated situation. What methods / manageable ways to get around the fact that you can’t play / rehearse / etc?

We were lucky in 2020, because we got to play a few shows before shit hit the fan, plus the cool thing was that we had a new record coming out.Working on that, making plans, communicating about it etcetera made us feel like a fully functioning band. Over the summer we could rehearse for a while, so we started writing new songs too. It’s been over 5 months now though since we practiced. 

After so many years as part of a scene, of bands, playing, recording and running the world with Hardcore, which feeds you to continue? Where do you go for more and more motivation?

We get this question often and the answer simply is “love”. We grew up in this scene, with all of these characters, these inspiring bands and this whole culture. It gave us so much and we still love being part of it, so why the fuck not, right? Chain Reaction enables us to still be involved, play with bands of all kinds and, above all, to be creative and write songs. The inspiration is still there, Sim keeps those riffs coming, and Murph is never not thinking of news songs.

“Figurehead”, your most recent work, was published, and we were already bogged down to the tip of our hair in COVID-19… how is a reality like this articulated? 

Honestly, I thought that for a smaller band like ours the timing to release a new record was pretty good. Because there are no shows or tours, and hardly any of the bigger, touring bands doing new records, there’s a bit more room and some more attention for up and coming or smaller bands. The response to “Figurehead” was a lot better than we’d expected and the record is close to being sold out now, so that means it did well.

How was the whole recording process: before the pandemic, during the pandemic. I suppose that the "simple act" of promoting musical work is already difficult without a worldwide pandemic, but how do you carry out a promotion during a pandemic of this magnitude? 

We recorded and mixed “Figurehead” in January & February of 2020 so that was cool. After that it was just a matter of getting it mastered and getting the artwork done. Things went pretty smoothly, the biggest wait was for the actual pressing of the record. Pressing plants are super backed up these days and of course our fucked up little hardcore record is hardly a priority for them.

Like I said before, promotion went well and didn’t change much from what we’d otherwise do. The only thing is that there are no shows to build your planning around.

If we talk about your History, your Past, what you already contributed to Hardcore, how do you see yourself? You believe that your contribution is still praised today by those who are still part of the scene and even by those who are now in contact with you, be it CR, R&F, Congress, SoY, etc. (and I say this without any kind of intention to tell you label as arrogant, attention)?

It’s hard to give a simple answer because all of us have been in a bunch of different bands. Some of those bands still get talked about, some don’t. It’s all good. I can only say that whenever people approach me about Rise And Fall, I’m always flattered and always appreciate it. Hardcore’s been a thing for 40+ years now, with so many bands and records out there, it’s insane to see your old band get referenced or even praised. That goes for Chain Reaction too. Nobody owes us anything just because of what we did in the past. All we can ask for is for people to give our shit a listen and if they dig it, that’s sick.

What differentiates Chain Reaction from your previous Hardcore adventures? What do you intend to transmit, this time, with Chain Reaction that you did not transmit with the other bands? 

There’s the obvious musical difference, as Chain Reaction sounds very different from what I’ve done before, and I guess the same goes for the other dudes too. The band that we sound most similar to from our past endeavors is Kingpin I think. Murph, Sim & Clovis were all in that band in the early-mid 00s. Next to that, we’re more experienced now, so I figure that makes a lot of things easier, from writing songs, to making decisions, to managing expectations. 

Is the Hardcore scene, the Hardcore stance, the whole Hardcore reality, still part of what you are, as individual?

Definitely. It’s a huge part of who I am and has shaped me in many ways. I like how you call it the “hardcore stance”, because it really is that. 

The whole group dynamics, of "pack" and the constant support between musicians and fans, is something that is rarely seen in any other musical genre (perhaps Punk is the one that comes closest). Is this the reality today in Belgium?

I think you’re right. It’s quite rare and you only see it in truly underground scenes. Definitely in hip hop too, where people really root for one another and celebrate if someone “makes it”, despite the occasional beef of course. Belgium’s pretty tight knit too, the scene isn’t as big or as thriving as it once was, so I feel like people do really look out for one another and support each other as much as possible. Some of my favorite current Belgian bands are Mindwar, Raw Peace, Blind To Faith, Redemption Denied and Minded Fury. Check ‘em out if you haven’t!

In general, more as musicians than members of Chain Reaction, what influences do you bring to the music you create? Musical, lyrical...

This is going to be such a cliché answer, but I think that everything you listen to, read, see and grow up with somehows rubs off on you. What we have in common as a band is the fact that we all grew up going to H8000 shows, in an era when that scene was booming and we saw bands like Congress, Blindfold, Liar and all the others countless times. Next to that, we all share a deep love for the NYHC of the late 80s to mid 90s and that’s what our main musical inspiration is, and has been from the start. But of course, a lot of the other things we’re into may find their way into our songs as well, even if it’s in minor details.

What perspectives do you have for the future, taking into account the situation we are going through? The situation in Portugal, for those who live on Culture (in general), is difficult. Government support is scarce, when it exists, and the sector is beginning to break down, in a way. In Belgium, how has the situation been lived, as an artist? 

It's rough here to for anyone that’s active in the cultural field, be it shows, festivals, events, art shows, theater, movies etc. I would say that along with everyone in the hospitality industry (bars, restaurants, catering, hotels etc.) these are the people that got the rawest deal. There is government support but obviously that’s not going to save everyone or last forever. We’ll have to see how it goes. It really is hard to say anything sensible about it. All of us have “regular” jobs, so it doesn’t impact us in that same way at all. 

Alongside the pandemic, how do you see this World in which we live? COVID-19, the USA elections and all the post-election controversy, racial issues... Hardcore Punk has never been indifferent to these issues. Do you consider that there is an urgency that demands that more and more artists - from the various artistic realities - "raise their fists" and shout? 

For sure. That urgency is something I feel myself and that is reflected in Chain Reaction’s lyrics as well. The older I get, the more I have a hard time dealing with the same old ills that have plagued our societies for such a long time now. The fact that racism, abuse of power, sexism, economic inequality (and the list goes on) are far from being solved issues is gut wrenching. The same shit that I protested as a kid in high school still lives now. How do I tell my daughter that blind hatred and wilful ignorance is still so present? Why isn’t it a common goal for everyone (in and outside of politics) to create a world where people are truly equal and treated as such, with the same chances and means? Why are we throwing millions at the military for fighter planes, bombs and weapons when we have homeless people in every city? I mean, I could keep going here. 

What can we expect from Chain Reaction for the future? A "return" to Portugal? Once again, thank you very much for your time and word. Cheers from Portugal!

You know what? I love Portugal and would love to come back when the smoke clears. Thank you for the interview and the interest. Shoutout to my day one homie Ricardo!