Onward To Destruction

Live records can be either good or bad - there is no middle ground. Gehenna is a clear example of doing it well (The Catharsis Split and The Hope Guzzo Bootleg respectively) while other recordings sound like complete dog shit. Reproach sounds immaculate on this LP, bringing energy and attitude to the table.

Reproach is a band that automatically makes me want to thrash. They aren't ground breaking or genre busting but they put out record after record of solid skate thrash in the vein of Infest and A.N.S. - whom the band did a split with. Their tracks are catchy yet savage and they mix just the right amount of aggression and good times. Between the lyrics about skateboarding and hating the police, the band could be seen almost as a parody but a quick listen to the music proves that insight wrong. What is clear: Reproach loves skating, drinking, and causing chaos.

This is a live cut from 2008 and features material spanning their discography. I cannot comment on the between the song banter since I don't speak Belgian but it certainly seems like it was a good time. Each song is presented nice and clear with Stijn's recognizable vocals (The same Stijn of Blind Of Faith). With a lot of live recordings, things seem muddled but I really like the production; the intensity is still there but it's well mixed. Reproach blow through a good twenty-one tracks in the span of seventeen minutes. Besides the usual skate anthems, the band covers GG Allin and Black Flag. "Drink, Fight, Fuck" is a great cover as is "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and both go with the other material (Like live recordings, covers are usually hit and miss. Either the band does the song justice or just butchers it to the point of ridicule). Since this is a live album, there are no lyrics since they can easily be found in the other records - which are for the most part still easily found in myriad distros around the world. Everything is tied together nicely with a cool, collage sleeve. It gathers various flyers for both bands - Sunpower and Reproach; the end result is easy on the eye rather than messy and unorganized.

Sunpower was a band that caught me off guard. I had heard tracks here and there but never really sat down and gave the band a solid listen. I will also admit that I bought this album solely for Reproach's contribution (The simple fact that it was a mere $5 was another determining factor). That being said, it was foolish to blindly bypass Sunpower. The band powers through fifteen tracks of fast hardcore. Is it as good as the Reproach side? No, but it is better than 85% of the other 'hardcore' bands out there. Sunpower has a handful of other releases including an LP titled 'Bondage' has been on my buy list for a while. After hearing their side of the split a couple times, I cannot help but make a connection to the Dead Kennedys, especially the guitar work. Check out the band for sure.

With any split, the winner must be picked and in this case it is clearly Reproach. I only wish I saw them when they came through the States a couple years back since Belgium is quite the road trip. This split is from a press of 1000 copies - 800 black, 100 blue, and 100 red. Reproach is probably one of my favorite bands going and I've heard rumors of a brand new LP sometime in 2011. Thrash punk at its finest.

A quick note, if you check out the band's YouTube page, you can find a couple of animated videos that correspond with the tracks "Onward To Destruction" and "Rat Race". Completely gnarly art that reminds me of Super Jail - especially the over-the-top violence and gore.

The World Ablaze

Blind To Faith plays hardcore in the vein of Integrity, Ringworm, and Gehenna. Their first LP - which I hope is the first in a long series of releases - "The Seven Fat Years Are Over" was released back in 2009, courtesy of Holy Terror. The band's a super-group, featuring members of Amen Ra, Rise & Fall, and Reproach, and it clearly shows. Stijn, vocalist for Reproach, stays in that role, bringing an aggressive yet clear style to the table. For my money it's like a European Human Furnace (Keep in mind that the band is named after a Ringworm track).

A quick glance at the artwork will give you a perfect prelude to the music. The cover is a collage a la SKV, featuring Jim Jones, swastikas, and the KKK. It's pretty much an amalgamation of evil in the 20th century. To top things off, the band's logo - created by Dwid - is imposed in the background. I really dig artwork like this; I find myself finding new things every time I look at it. On the back, the tracks are listed in a cool, almost faded font. It's the same as Integrity's "The Blackest Curse" if you need a better visual. There is no lyric sheet, which is my only complaint regarding this release. Blind To Faith did post an insert on their site, which features the lyrics.

As soon as the first track starts, you are immersed in a world of hate and violence. Stijn spits the lyrics almost as in disgust. His vitriol, combined with the savage guitars and Nabbe's sharp drum work, create this black hole of utter brutality that lasts just under twenty minutes. Integrity and Ringworm may be clear influences, but there are hints of Eyehategod, Pulling Teeth, and even a little bit of Left For Dead. Tracks range from short, intense bursts to slower jams such as the excellent "Mountains Of Gold". It's pure and the perfect showcase of life's depravity and violence.

Blind To Faith remained quiet until this past summer when a split with the Infamous Gehenna came to light via A389. They released two new tracks; "RJ" featured Stephen Kickback's signature tortured vocals whilst "Icon" continues down the same path as the LP. In the span of a mere ten tracks, this band is one of my most listened to. There is a level of such disgust and anger in these two recordings that is absolutely mind-blowing. Back to back, it's like being hit by a Mack truck and dragged across a street covered in barb-wire.

This band needs to release another record... soon. If you don't like vinyl - shame on you - this is available to download off the Holy Terror page. The Gehenna split is available only on vinyl - no download card was made for the release*.

As they say in "Mountains Of Gold": "I see the roaches and the snakes. They crawl around my feet. My world burns at the stake."

*Like everything else, this is available in a digital format on a host of blogs, but even a 320/FLAC rip doesn't do the album justice. If you want to experience just how psychedelic Gehenna's side is, buy it.