Over in Belgium, synth-driven pop-punk band, The Rocket are back and this time on a mission to really bring forth their music with tremendous effect. Recently releasing ‘Chain Reaction’ in December from their upcoming album set to release early this year in April, The Rocket are one of the most nostalgic bands for 20-somethings that enjoyed the taste of Forever The Sickest Kids and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Since their break from music, The Rocket has returned to the scene with huge, invigorated energy honed in their instruments. With two, full-length albums and an EP under their belt, The Rocket show a lot of time, passion and dedication to what they do – and their talent for infectious melodies is throwing this band into the spotlight once again.
Being experts on the subject of seeing stuff turn sideways by our own wrongdoing, we figured: why not write a song about it?!
-The Rocket guitarist, Stejin.
‘Chain Reaction’ is an instant hit, packing punches of heavy, emphasised guitar riffs, complemented by the overlayed synth. It’s gripping from the get-go, making the song unforgettable in today’s music – it’s breaking the norm of modern pop-punk and bringing the sound of 2008 back to life. One of the most notable things about ‘Chain Reaction’ is the almost melancholic written lyrics disguised behind upbeat tones, offering a positive messages in silver linings. “We’ve always loved to write it’s-all-gone-to-hell-songs disguised as happy songs. Chain Reaction definitely is one of those,” guitarist Stejin reveals, adding “We love juxtaposing cheery (cheesy?) melodies with in-your-face lyrics because hey, is there a better metaphor for life? Let’s pretend we’re all loving the daily grind ’cause that makes life worthwhile, right?” Produced by Marc McClusky whose worked alongside names such as Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack and Bad Religion, The Rocket has curated a sound of nostalgia with their established, niche sound. The band has already worked their way on to big stages, including Europes biggest punk-rock festival Groezrock.
The song, initially brought to life by The Rocket’s friend and former band member Geoff, has multiple angles to it, depending on the listener. Describing the idea for the track, Stejin goes on to explain that the track shows how easy it is to blame everything and anything else for the things that are going wrong, although “more often than not, you have yourself to blame for bad things happening at least partially, and most people have a really difficult time seeing and believing that. Chain Reaction is all about that concept in the context of a relationship. Being experts on the subject of seeing stuff turn sideways by our own wrongdoing, we figured: why not write a song about it?!” he says.
Post-Punk Press 