Chamber The Cartridge
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The Sufferer & the Witness'' is the fourth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American punk rock band
Rise Against Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
, released on July 4, 2006. A
melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and ...
album, it comprises thirteen tracks that focus on
melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
, catchy hooks, and rapid-paced
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
. Social and political issues as well as the concept of self-reflection constitute the majority of the lyrical content. Dissatisfied with ''
Siren Song of the Counter Culture ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' is the third studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Released on August 10, 2004, it was Rise Against's first album on a major record label, after the band signed with DreamWorks Records in Sep ...
'' (2004) producer
Garth Richardson Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian record producer and music engineer. He is the son of music producer Jack Richardson (Alice Cooper, The Guess Who, Badfinger, Poco), a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 1960s and 1970s. Gart ...
, the band members decided to record their next album with Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, the duo that worked on their 2003 album ''
Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
''. ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' sold 48,327 copies in its first week of release, and charted in seven countries, including the United States where it entered at position ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. Critical appraisal was mainly positive, with reviewers complimenting Rise Against's ability to mature in its sound while simultaneously retain its punk roots. Reviewers also highlighted the vocals of singer
Tim McIlrath Timothy James McIlrath (born November 3, 1978) is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the punk rock band Rise Against. He is vegan and straight edge. Early and personal life McIlrath ...
and the production of Stevenson and Livermore. Three songs from ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' were released as
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
: "
Ready to Fall "Ready to Fall" is the first single by the punk rock band Rise Against from their fourth studio album, ''The Sufferer & The Witness'' (2006). An acoustic version of this song was performed live on the CJZN Radio station in Victoria, British C ...
", "
Prayer of the Refugee "Prayer of the Refugee" is a song by American rock band Rise Against, featured on their fourth studio album ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' (2006). The lyrics were written by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, and deal with the themes of forced displacem ...
", and "
The Good Left Undone "The Good Left Undone" is the third single from Rise Against's fourth full-length album, ''The Sufferer & the Witness''. The song impacted radio on May 22, 2007. In June 2007, the band announced they would be holding a contest to determine who cou ...
". All three songs charted on the
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart in the United States, and accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s were produced. Rise Against supported the album with The Sufferer & the Witness Tour throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007. During the tour, guitarist Chris Chasse left the band and was replaced by
Zach Blair Zach Blair (born December 26, 1974) is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based punk rock band Rise Against. Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of melodic hardcore ...
.


Background and production

In August 2004, Rise Against released its
major record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
debut album ''
Siren Song of the Counter Culture ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' is the third studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Released on August 10, 2004, it was Rise Against's first album on a major record label, after the band signed with DreamWorks Records in Sep ...
''. A
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promo ...
in the United States, it was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies.''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' success was largely due to the breakthrough
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
" Swing Life Away", an acoustic
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
that starkly contrasted the band's typical hardcore oeuvre. To promote the album, Rise Against embarked on an extensive touring schedule that concluded in December 2005. The next month, the band members reconvened and began work on their fourth album ''The Suffer & the Witness''. During the recording sessions for ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'', the band members became dissatisfied with the contributions from producer
Garth Richardson Garth "GGGarth" Richardson is a Canadian record producer and music engineer. He is the son of music producer Jack Richardson (Alice Cooper, The Guess Who, Badfinger, Poco), a pioneer of the music recording industry in the 1960s and 1970s. Gart ...
, as he did not fully understand their musical background in punk rock. Richardson was better known for his work with heavier-sounding bands like
Mudvayne Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1996. Known for their sonic experimentation, face and body paint, masks and uniforms, the band has sold over six million records worldwide, including nearly three millio ...
and
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
, and as a result, the album sounded more polished and heavier than Rise Against's previous raw material. Combined with the numerous distractions and inconveniences that plagued the recording sessions, lead vocalist
Tim McIlrath Timothy James McIlrath (born November 3, 1978) is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the punk rock band Rise Against. He is vegan and straight edge. Early and personal life McIlrath ...
views ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' as the album that "got away from us". When it came time to record ''The Sufferer & the Witness'', the band members decided to return to Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, who produced their 2003 album ''
Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
''. The members developed a strong rapport with the duo while recording that album, particularly Stevenson, whom McIlrath described as their "musical soul mate". By December 2005, five songs had been written for ''The Suffer & the Witness''. The rest of the songs were written in January 2006, in a practice space in
West Side, Chicago The West Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, along with the North Side and the South Side. The West Side consists of communities that are of historical, cultural, and ideological importance ...
. McIlrath noted that the band procrastinated writing the songs for several weeks, leaving them with only a three-week period to write the entire album. The band was not affected by this added pressure however; according to McIlrath: "It went great, the songs just flowed out of us. There were really few questions and the song lyrics would just come out of us, it went really well and everyone really liked them." Unlike the stressful recording sessions for ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'', the band members had a much more enjoyable time with ''The Suffer & the Witness'', as they no longer sought the approval of their parent company
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
.


Composition


Music

For ''The Sufferer & the Witness'', Rise Against's members sought to return to their punk roots. McIlrath commented: "It's definitely more of a punk rock record...We haven't 'grown or matured' as such, we've just really executed what we've been trying to nail with the last few records." Critics have characterized the album's music as
melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and ...
. Many of the album's songs focus on
melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
, catchy hooks, and rapid-paced
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
; to this extent, Corey Apar of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote, "this record is basically one shout-along, mosh-worthy song after another". The opening song "Chamber the Cartridge" begins with a marching drum beat, while "Injection" uses
double time In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially ''doubling the tempo resolution'' or metric division/level in comparison to common-time. Thus, two measures of approximate a single measure o ...
tempo and a driving guitar
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
. "
Ready to Fall "Ready to Fall" is the first single by the punk rock band Rise Against from their fourth studio album, ''The Sufferer & The Witness'' (2006). An acoustic version of this song was performed live on the CJZN Radio station in Victoria, British C ...
" features a complex
song structure Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
, with controlled verses that lead into an intense chorus and
screaming vocals Screaming is an extended vocal technique that is popular in "aggressive" music genres such as heavy metal, punk rock, and noise music and others. It is common in the more extreme subgenres of heavy metal, such as death and black metal as w ...
, while a continuous
bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...
plays in the background. The fourth song, "Bricks", is only ninety seconds long, and is played at a frenetic pace with influences of hardcore punk. "
Prayer of the Refugee "Prayer of the Refugee" is a song by American rock band Rise Against, featured on their fourth studio album ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' (2006). The lyrics were written by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, and deal with the themes of forced displacem ...
" uses a similar structure to "Ready to Fall", as slow verses are contrasted with more upbeat choruses; it includes one of the few instances of a
guitar solo A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...
on the album, which is played during the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
. "Drones" features what ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' Will Rausch describes as a "mile-a-minute mentality", a rapidly-paced song fused with rolling basslines. The eighth song, "The Approaching Curve", is one of the two major stylistic deviations on the album. McIlrath delivers
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
lyrics during the verses, and switches to singing during the chorus. Emily Schambra of the band Holy Roman Empire provides backing vocals. "Worth Dying For" features a different verse-chorus form than previous songs, as the uptempo verse section contrasts the slow and methodical chorus. "Roadside" is another stylistic deviation, as it pairs undistored guitars with a piano and minimal string instrumentation. Schambra provides backing vocals for this song as well. "
The Good Left Undone "The Good Left Undone" is the third single from Rise Against's fourth full-length album, ''The Sufferer & the Witness''. The song impacted radio on May 22, 2007. In June 2007, the band announced they would be holding a contest to determine who cou ...
" returns to a faster pace, and has been described as an "anthemic" song. The final song, "Survive", begins with a moody guitar riff and crashing
cymbals A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
, before transitioning into rapid-paced drumming and guitar shredding.


Lyrics

Social and political issues, namely injustice, constitute much of the lyrical content on ''The Sufferer & the Witness''. The lyrics often discuss these topics in general terms, instead of delving into the specifics. According to McIlrath: "I think that a lot of the problems we deal with today in the world are the ones that have been plaguing society for centuries and probably will be here a hundred years from now...There's a bigger picture than just the Bush administration and specific problems of 2006, and I want people to relate to that, even if they're listening to it 10 years from now." This style of songwriting is seen in "Chamber the Cartridge", which rallies against apathy toward any societal issue, and "Bricks", which deals with war and resistance in universal terms. Another major lyrical theme revolves around the concept of self-reflection. "Worth Dying For" is about the frustrating search for a worthwhile cause, while "The Approaching Curve" and "Roadside" discuss the impact of troubled relationships. Some songs on the album use
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...
s to further the lyrical narrative. "Injection" compares an everlasting love for someone to
pharmaceutical drug A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...
s, while the bar fight setting in "Behind Closed Doors" is used to demonstrate man's inhumanity to one another. Despite the grim subject matter, the album's lyrics are often hopeful in nature. This is best exemplified in "Survive", with its uplifting and motivational lyrics such as "we've all been sorry, we've all been hurt...but how we survive is what makes us who we are".


Release

''The Sufferer & the Witness'' was originally scheduled for a June 20 release, although this date was pushed back to July 4. This new date coincided with
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
in the United States, which McIlrath noted was purely coincidental. In the United States, the album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number ten, and sold 48,327 copies in its first week. It sold over 140,000 copies by August 2006, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in August 2008. In Canada, the album debuted at number five on the
Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
, and was certified platinum by
Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
, denoting shipments of 100,000 copies. ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' was Rise Against's first album to chart in countries outside of North America. The album peaked at number twenty-one in Australia, and was certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
, denoting shipments of 35,000 copies. It was similarly certified gold by
Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie (English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which ...
for shipping 100,000 copies in Germany. In the UK, it peaked at number 171 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, and sold 58,243 copies by June 2017. The album also reached number seventy-five in Austria and number ninety-eight in Switzerland. Three songs from ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' were released as
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
: "Ready to Fall", "Prayer of the Refugee", and "The Good Left Undone". All three singles charted on the
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart, peaking at number thirteen, seven, and six respectively. Accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s were shot for all three songs. The "Ready to Fall" video deals with
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
and
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
, and uses footage from the 2005 documentary film ''
Earthlings Earthling or Earthlings may refer to: Film and television * ''Earthling'' (film), a 2010 sci-fi film * ''Earthlings'' (film), a 2005 animal rights documentary * ''The Earthling'', a 1980 drama film * "Earthling" (''Fringe''), a 2009 TV episode ...
''. In the video for "Prayer of the Refugee", the band performs in a retail store, with intermittent shots of foreign workers making the store products. By contrast, the video for "The Good Left Undone" does not have a political message. It features the band performing underground in the dirt, and was their first video to use computer graphics. Rise Against supported the album with The Sufferer & the Witness Tour throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007. The band was a headliner on the 2006
Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
in North America, and in late 2006, the band co-headlined a tour with
Thursday Thursday is the Names of the days of the week, day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fi ...
which included the bands
Circa Survive Circa Survive is an American rock music, rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green (musician), Anthony Green, consisted of former members from This Day Forward and Taken. Circa ...
and
Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...
. While on the Warped Tour, author and filmmaker
Davy Rothbart David Ira "Davy" Rothbart (born April 11, 1975) is a bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, contributor to ''This American Life'', and the editor/publisher of '' Found Magazine''. Found Magazine Davy Rothbart's magazine ''Found'' is d ...
recorded several of the band's live performances, and interviewed some of their fans. This footage was used in the Rise Against DVD documentary ''Generation Lost''. The following year, Rise Against participated in
Taste of Chaos Taste of Chaos (or "TOC") was a live music tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with his friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour catered to fans of ...
2007, and supported
My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...
as openers on the first half of their arena tour. Prior to the tour with My Chemical Romance, guitarist Chris Chasse left the band, citing a rigorous tour schedule as the reason for his departure.
Zach Blair Zach Blair (born December 26, 1974) is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based punk rock band Rise Against. Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of melodic hardcore ...
of the band
Only Crime Only Crime is an American melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such as ...
joined Rise Against soon afterward.


Reception

Critical appraisal was mainly positive, with several critics highlighting the music as the album's strongest component. Corey Apar of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
praised the music's "sincerity and passion" and described it as "maturing within the realms of major-label hardcore revivalism, while still remaining relevant and exciting". Davey Boy of
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
noted that it was the first album he ever gave a perfect score, stating that "Possibly the best thing about it is how Rise Against have achieved the difficult task of not selling out their origins, yet furthering all facets of their music to become a little more mainstream." ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...
'' gave a more negative review. Critic Mike Daniel wrote how the songs lacked definition, the in-song transitions were awkward, and the
distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
often overshadowed McIlrath's vocals. The two songs with major stylistic deviations—"The Approaching Curve" and "Roadside"—were thoroughly discussed by critics. Punknews' Aubin Paul wrote that "The Approaching Curve" had powerful choruses and a tight instrumental section, while Boy said the spoken word lyrics perfectly emphasized the melodic chorus. Rausch disagreed with these assessments, calling the song "less than effective". Rausch did appreciate "Roadside", as did Boy, who felt Schambra's backing vocals made the song more compelling. Scott Heisel of ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' noted similarities between "Roadside" and "
Outside Outside or Outsides may refer to: General * Wilderness * Outside (Alaska), any non-Alaska location, as referred to by Alaskans Books and magazines * ''Outside'', a book by Marguerite Duras * ''Outside'' (magazine), an outdoors magazine Film, th ...
" by
Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and dr ...
. McIlrath's vocals were praised by several critics. Rausch commented he was able to alternate between singing and screaming on key, while Paul felt his voice conveyed abject despondency and earnest hope. Other critics agreed with Paul's assessment, calling McIlrath's vocal delivery "palpable", "passionate", and "ragged". Boy felt that the minimal use of screaming vocals heightened their overall impact, and noted that listeners who do not like screaming will still enjoy the album. By contrast, Christine Leonard of ''
Fast Forward Weekly ''Fast Forward Weekly'' (''FFWD'') was a news and entertainment weekly which provided news, alternative viewpoints, entertainment information, review articles and specialized advertising. It was distributed throughout Calgary, Banff and Canmore ...
'' felt that McIlrath's harsh vocals undermined the political lyrics more than accentuated them. Discussing the lyrics, Boy felt they were simple and to the point, but ultimately effective, while Ryan found the conflict-laden imagery redundant. Ryan noted: "McIlrath's thematic heavy-handedness is nothing new, but it'd be nice to see less obvious terms." Several critics highlighted the production of Stevenson and Livermore. In particular, Paul wrote: "It's flawlessly recorded, but never sterile, and in many ways, Stevenson demonstrates how he is really the fifth member of any band he produces...Listening to Sufferer, it becomes clear how wrong any other producer would be for this band".


Track listing

All lyrics written by Tim McIlrath; all music composed by Rise Against, unless otherwise noted.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...
of ''The Sufferer & the Witness''. ;Rise Against *
Tim McIlrath Timothy James McIlrath (born November 3, 1978) is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the punk rock band Rise Against. He is vegan and straight edge. Early and personal life McIlrath ...
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
,
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
*
Joe Principe Joseph Daniel Principe (; born November 14, 1974) is an American musician. He is the bassist, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the American rock band Rise Against. He is also a straight edge, a vegan, an animal rights advocate, and activel ...
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
* Chris Chasse –
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
, backing vocals *
Brandon Barnes Brandon Barnes (born October 10, 1978) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the punk rock band Rise Against. Barnes is also a strict vegetarian, an animal rights advocate and actively promotes PETA with his band. Biography ...
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
;Additional musicians *
Chad Price Chad Price is the lead singer for the melodic punk band ALL and alt-country band Drag the River. He is currently the lead singer for A Vulture Wake. He joined ALL in 1993 as the band's third singer, after Dave Smalley and Scott Reynolds. He has ...
– backing vocals * Emily Schambra – backing vocals * Andrea Glass –
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
;Production * Bill Stevenson
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
* Jason Livermore – production, engineering * Andrew Berlin – additional engineering * Johnny Schou – additional engineering *
Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...
mixing *
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography Ted ...
mastering * Andrew Berlin, Christopher Jak, and Johnny Schou – piano arrangement


Charts and certifications


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sufferer And The Witness, The 2006 albums Albums produced by Bill Stevenson (musician) Geffen Records albums Rise Against albums