For much of the 2000s, Belgium’s Rise and Fall stood as one of the most formidable bands within the darkened side of the hardcore sonic spectrum. Across four albums—including the widely revered Into Oblivion—the Ghent outfit built a reputation for suffocating heaviness, bleak atmosphere, and a live show that felt as punishing as it was cathartic. When the band quietly stepped away from the stage after a string of shows in late 2012, it didn’t come with much fanfare—just a sense that the group had run its course after a decade of relentless touring and recording.
Now, more than a decade later, Rise and Fall are returning for a special hometown show in Ghent on November 7 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Into Oblivion. The 1,200-capacity room sold out in under 48 hours.
In the conversation below, vocalist Bjorn Dossche reflects on the band’s final shows in 2012, the long road that led to this reunion, and what it means to revisit one of the most important records in the band’s catalog two decades later.
When and where was the last time Rise and Fall played a show together? What do you remember about that night?
The last couple of shows Rise and Fall played were in Tilburg and Brussels, with Blind to Faith back in October 2012. To clarify, when we did those, the idea was to simply take a break from playing live shows afterwards. This was something we’d talked through beforehand and were all cool with. We didn’t know how long that break would be, but we felt like we needed one nonetheless.
Did you feel satisfied with what you had accomplished? In other words, were you at peace with the decision to stop playing together?
I think we might’ve been a little burnt out after going very hard for quite a few years. We'd released our 4th album, Faith, earlier in 2012 (a record we were all extremely proud of), and did a couple of tours to support it, but somehow felt like we were losing some of the connection with “our” crowd, if that makes sense?
But yeah, we were satisfied with what the band had accomplished in its 10 years, and didn’t necessarily feel like we had much more to give at that point. Most of us were actively doing other bands then too, so it wasn’t a big, dramatic goodbye to live music [laughs].
In the years since then, how close have you been with the other members of Rise and Fall? How often do you get messages from the band's fans on your personal social media pages asking about a potential reunion?
Very close, I’d say. We’ve all remained friends (in fact, most of us were already friends before Rise and Fall was a band), and in some form or other, we’ve all done bands together since 2012. Vince and Cedric were in Blind to Faith together; Wim and Vince were in Supergenius together; Vince, Wim, and I did White Jazz for a little while; and most recently, Cedric and I have been doing Wrong Man.
As for messages asking for more Rise and Fall shows, there have been tons. Speaking for myself, it’s rare for me to play a Wrong Man show anywhere without someone bringing up Rise and Fall and its dormant status. I’m very hesitant to use the word “reunion" because it’s really just been an overly long break in my opinion, but I fully realise people will perceive it as one.
What was the impetus behind this show coming up in November?
The 20-year anniversary of Into Oblivion, no doubt. The response we received to that honestly blew us away, and somehow made us look back and acknowledge how important that record was for us as individuals, and as a band. Even more so, seeing how strongly people felt about that album and Rise and Fall in general instilled in us the idea that playing a show to celebrate Into Oblivion might not be such a bad idea. For the first time in a very long time, we were all in the right headspace for a show to happen.
We were contacted by a number of promoters and festivals, but felt like the only thing that would make sense for us would be a show in our hometown, Ghent.
Outside of the material from Into Oblivion, have you thought about the setlist yet? Are there certain songs you feel you have to perform, or that people will feel let down if you don't?
For sure. We’ve discussed how we want to approach the setlist, and it’ll obviously be centered around Into Oblivion, with a bunch of songs off the other albums as well.
I feel like we’ll be playing all the Into Oblivion songs people really want to hear, but I guess there’s no way to please everyone either. Personally, there’s a deeper cut off Our Circle Is Vicious I’d love to play, so I’m working my magic to get it on the setlist [laughs].
When do you guys plan on getting together to start practicing? Are you all living within the Ghent region? How is everything on the logistical end going to work out?
We've started practicing already. [Laughs] We’re a serious bunch, Carlos! Cedric and Vince still live in Ghent and fly that beautiful flag. I’ve been in Antwerp for about 12 years now, but both cities are close enough to one another. Wim divides his time between his girlfriend’s place in Germany and his own place in Ransberg, but he’s in Ghent a lot to practice with his other bands (Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, Crouch, Living Gate) anyway, so it all works out pretty organically.
You know I have to ask this: Can we expect more from Rise and Fall in terms of new music and shows beyond the November show?
Right now, we don’t know. We didn’t really think we’d ever play again, so our focus is getting ready for November.
Since you've stayed active as a musician in the hardcore/punk community, playing with both White Jazz and Wrong Man since the split, what's your take on Rise and Fall's legacy? Do you find that younger listeners have discovered the band in recent years?
Honestly, that’s the hardest question to answer. There’s a legacy there for sure, but we’re clever enough to know our place in hardcore and punk’s rich history. No delusions of grandeur here. But every time someone approaches me to say how much they are (or were) into Rise and Fall, that feels incredibly humbling. It’s always much appreciated.
It’s very hard for me — or us — to know how younger generations see Rise and Fall and if the band has any relevance to them at all. I obviously hope so, but at the same time, hardcore and punk are living and breathing entities. What matters most is what’s happening right now. And if younger heads want to see us play, I’d obviously love that.
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