Interviews: Rise & Fall

Scene Point Blank: What makes you guys so damn loud? A lot of bands can play loud, but you are on a different level. Last time my ears rang for hours? and again tonight.

Bjorn: My ears are fucked too from playing with those guys. I like when bands are loud but I don't like playing loud for the sake being loud. You still have to have that sound that makes sense. I still like it when you can hear every instrument. In the past we've played shows where all you can hear is the guitars. And we're trying to step back from that. We still want to be loud to make an impact and give the energy to the music, but I need to hear myself to keep up? I don't think we're as loud as we used to be?or are we still fucking loud? [Laughs]

Scene Point Blank: Yeah.

Bjorn: Cool.

Scene Point Blank: You can still hear the nuances in the music though, which makes it so good.

Scene Point Blank: Favorite band from Europe that people should check out?

Bjorn: Hmmm. There is a bunch of good bands from Europe right now. I love Rhythm to the Madness from Belgium. They're not doing too much right now. They put out a record last year, not sure if you heard it. It's fucking sick. They've got members from Justice our guitarist Cedric; he's in the band too, kind of. They're a band that doesn't have a steady lineup but he wrote the record with them. So that's a really good record. World Collapse is awesome; I think they broke up or some of them moved to the States. Dirty Money from England I like a lot. In Belgium there's a great new band called The Reactionaries; a couple of them used to be in Dead Stop and Justice. They're gonna have a 12" out on Deranged. They kind of sound like The Wipers and Hot Snakes, but the lyrics are more soulful. True Colors are awesome as far as straightforward late 80's hardcore. And Reproach form Belgium is awesome too.

Scene Point Blank: You mentioned Cedric's other band, someone else has a new project as well.

Bjorn: Oh yeah. Vince, our bass player, has a new band called Blind to Faith. It's really good. It's him on guitar, Stijn the singer from Reproach singing, Colin from Amenra playing bass, and Nabbe from Holland playing drums. And it's fucked up. It's very nihilistic and has some black metal influence, some Iron Monkey in there. They have a 12" coming out on Holy Terror Records.

Scene Point Blank: Favorite bands from U.S. that people should check out?

Bjorn: I dunno. I buy a lot of new records still, but at home, I've been listening to a lot of Samiam and Lifetime. Stuff like that. I listen to a lot of Morrissey. His new record is energetic and upbeat; I really like it. What else?.Morrissey is real American? [Laughs] I like the last Cold World record. The last Trash Talk and Ceremony records. Trapped Under Ice is one of the bands that I'm most excited about. They just recorded a new album; I saw them and they played some new songs. They sound very vintage. I like them a lot. That's what comes to mind.

Scene Point Blank: Sorry to put you on the spot there, was just curious.

Bjorn: It's okay. It's like walking into a record store. You start looking around and then you're like, "Fuck, what was I looking for?"

Scene Point Blank: Exactly. I know that feeling all too well. So the new album is due out this summer?

Bjorn: Yeah, sometime this Summer. We don't have an exact date; we have to figure that out with Deathwish. But we're doing a month long Summer tour with Have Heart and Shipwreck in Europe. It should be around that tour.

Scene Point Blank: Plans to return back to the States?

Bjorn: We're trying to get back. I think we'll be back in October for a full U.S. tour and then again in? 2010. We always find great bands to tour with when were here so hopefully we find a good band to tour with. I'd like to tour with Ceremony or Paint it Black. There are a lot of good bands out there. I just like touring with bands that I can relate to. Personally I prefer touring with hardcore bands though.

Scene Point Blank: Anything else?

Bjorn: Nope. Just thanks a lot of the interview and keeping an eye out for us. I know you're always out there.

Words: Michael | Graphics: Matt