Rise Against is an American
punk rock band from
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist
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
McIlr ...
, lead guitarist
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 hardco ...
, bassist
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 acti ...
and drummer
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 ...
. Rooted in
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
and
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 ...
, Rise Against's music emphasizes
melody, catchy
hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid
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 (ofte ...
s. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken
social commentary
Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...
, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice,
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
,
humanitarianism
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
, and
environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...
.
The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
, on which they released two studio albums, ''
The Unraveling'' (2001) and ''
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 dimension ...
'' (2003). Both the albums were met with underground success, and in 2003 the band signed with the
major label Dreamworks DreamWorks may refer to:
* DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin
** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio
** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and f ...
, which was absorbed by
Geffen. Rise Against's major label debut ''
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) brought the band mainstream success, largely in part to the popularity of the singles "
Give It All
"Give It All" is a song by American rock band Rise Against. It was originally recorded for the 2004 compilation album '' Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1'', while a slightly altered version appeared on the band's third studio album '' Siren Song of t ...
" and "
Swing Life Away". The band's next album, ''
The Sufferer & the Witness
''The Sufferer & the Witness'' is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on July 4, 2006. A melodic hardcore album, it comprises thirteen tracks that focus on melody, catchy hooks, and rapid-paced tempo. Soci ...
'' (2006), peaked at number ten on the
''Billboard'' 200 in the United States, and was Rise Against's first album to chart in countries outside of North America.
With the release of ''
Appeal to Reason'' (2008), Rise Against's music shifted toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. The album's third single, "
Savior
Savior or Saviour may refer to:
*A person who helps people achieve salvation, or saves them from something
Religion
* Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years
* Maitreya
* Messiah, a saviour or l ...
", broke the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
and
Alternative Songs charts. Rise Against's popularity grew with the release of ''
Endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
'' (2011), which peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, and charted highly worldwide. The band's seventh and eighth albums, ''
The Black Market'' (2014) and ''
Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
'' (2017) continued the trend of commercial success, and both peaked with the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. Their ninth and most recent album, ''
Nowhere Generation
''Nowhere Generation'' is the ninth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on June 4, 2021 on Loma Vista Recordings. It is the band's first album in four years, serving as the follow-up to 2017's ''Wolves''. Four singles ...
'', was released in 2021.
Rise Against is also known for their advocacy of
progressivism
Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, tec ...
, supporting organizations such as
Amnesty International and the
It Gets Better Project
It Gets Better is an Internet-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. It was founded in the United States by gay activist, author, m ...
. The band actively promotes
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
and most of the members are
straight edge,
PETA supporters and
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetariani ...
s.
History
Early years (1999-2003)
Rise Against was formed in 1999, by bassist
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 acti ...
and guitarist Dan Wleklinski. Before Rise Against, Principe and Wleklinski were members of the Chicago
punk rock band
88 Fingers Louie
88 Fingers Louie is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, which was formed in 1993.
After disbanding in 1999, guitarist Dan Wleklinski and bassist Joe Principe formed the well-known punk rock band Rise Against. The b ...
.
This band toured and recorded to moderate success, but disbanded on two separate occasions in the late 1990s.
Following the second breakup, Principe and Wleklinski decided to form a new band called Transistor Revolt, and recruited drummer Tony Tintari, guitarist Kevin White, and 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
McIlr ...
.
Principe met McIlrath in
Indianapolis while attending a
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sick ...
concert, and recalled seeing him perform with his previous band
Baxter.
Impressed with McIlrath's gritty vocals, Principe gave him a seven track
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
he had recorded, and invited him to join the nascent band.
McIlrath accepted the invitation, and dropped out of
Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park wi ...
.
The initial
jam sessions were problematic, as McIlrath was unaccustomed to Principe's and Wleklinski's fast-paced style of play.
McIlrath described these early sessions as "the meeting of different worlds and worlds colliding", and noted how many of his friends questioned the future of the band.
Despite these early issues, they were able to self-publish the
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP) ''Transistor Revolt'' in 2000.
The EP attracted the attention of the local punk community, as well as
Fat Mike, the lead vocalist of
NOFX and co-founder of the
independent record label Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
.
Fat Mike offered to sign the band to a
recording contract, with the stipulation that they change their name. He gave some suggestions, like Jimmy Cracked Corn And The I Don't Cares, although none of the band members liked them.
Tintari suggested Rise Against, to which the band agreed upon.
After signing with Fat Wreck Chords, Tintari and White left the band.
The remaining members then spent the next few months looking for another drummer capable of playing
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 ...
beats at a rapid pace.
During this period, the band
Good Riddance found their new drummer, and sent Rise Against the audition tape of their number two choice,
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 ...
. A mutual friend gave Barnes' phone number to Principe, and after listening to ''Transistor Revolt'', Barnes accepted the band's invitation.
With their new lineup finalized, Rise Against began work on their debut
studio album, ''
The Unraveling''. Recording sessions took place in late 2000, at Sonic Iguana Studios in
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
.
Wleklinski served as an assistant
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
under producer
Mass Giorgini
Massimiliano Adelmo Giorgini (born 1968) is an American bassist and record producer who rose to fame when several of the bands he produced experienced huge gains in popularity during the pop-punk boom of the mid-'90s. Among these bands was Giorg ...
, and later remarked on the grueling workdays: "12-hour days for 4 of those weeks, and then 22-24 hours per day during that last week of tracking. These were the times of 'If you don't play it right, you have to play it again,' not 'That was good enough, I'll edit it so it's on time."
''The Unraveling'' was released on April 24, 2001.
Although the album failed to reach any
record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...
s, it did receive positive reviews from critics, who commended the raw and unadulterated music.
To promote the album, Rise Against toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.
While on tour, Wleklinski left the band due to several complaints from McIlrath. Rumor spread that Wleklinski was fired because of his long hair, although McIlrath derided these claims.
Phillip Hill
Phillip Hill is an American rock musician / songwriter. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee to mother Phyllis Hill and father, Ralph Emery, on November 3, 1972. He has been involved in several pop punk bands, including Teen Idols, Screeching Wea ...
stood in as the lead guitarist while on tour, after which White returned as a replacement.
Less than a year later, White left the band for a second time, and was replaced by Todd Mohney, McIlrath's roommate and former bandmate.
When it came time to record their second 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 dimension ...
'', McIlrath noted that the band was suffering from an "identity crisis". Fat Wreck Chords was known for a specific
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...
sound, and Rise Against wanted to find a producer that could highlight the heavier side of their music.
They decided on
Bill Stevenson—the former drummer of the punk band
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a ...
—and Jason Livermore to produce the album.
''Revolutions per Minute'' was recorded at
the Blasting Room
The Blasting Room is a recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded by members of the punk rock band All in 1994, it is owned and operated by musician Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag, All, Only Crime) and Jason Livermore. Th ...
in
Fort Collins
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, from November to December 2002. The band members developed a strong rapport with Stevenson and Livermore, and the two parties would eventually collaborate on four of next five Rise Against albums.
''Revolutions per Minute'' was released on April 8, 2003.
Like ''The Unraveling'', it failed to reach any major record charts, but did reach number thirty-five on the
Independent Albums chart in the United States. Critics praised the album for its impassioned lyrics and unique blend of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore; Brian Hiatt of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' called ''Revolutions per Minute'' "easily among the finest punk records of the past decade".
To support the album, Rise Against traveled with other Fat Wreck Chord bands like
Anti-Flag,
None More Black
None More Black is a New Jersey-based punk rock outfit on Fat Wreck Chords, formed by lead singer/guitarist Jason Shevchuk after the demise of his previous band, Philadelphia's Kid Dynamite. Jason left Kid Dynamite so that he could finish fi ...
, and
No Use for a Name on North American and Japan based tours, and participated in the 2003
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 touri ...
in North America. When asked about the band's early years with Fat Wreck Chords, Principe said: "Our goal was to be on Fat Wreck Chords and just sell enough records so that when we were home from tour, we wouldn't have to get jobs...Of course, that was all before we had families and children and numerous responsibilities. That was the beauty. And then the longer we did it things just kept coming our way."
Rising popularity (2004–2007)
Rise Against's extensive touring schedule helped to establish an early fanbase, and attracted the attention of major record labels, including
Dreamworks Records.
The general consensus among Fat Wreck Chords musicians was that major record labels sacrifice musical integrity in exchange for commercial profit. Rise Against held the same belief, but eventually came to the conclusion that unlike other labels, DreamWorks supported their politically charged lyrics. According to McIlrath: "Their faith in what we do and the fact that they cared about stuff we cared about was an eye-opener."
The band signed with Dreamworks in September 2003,
and was given complete creative control to record their major record label 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 ...
''.
The band went into the album with the assumption that Dreamworks was going to drop them at any moment, so they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by working with their "dream producer". They chose
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 ...
, who was known for his work with heavier sounding bands like
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 Commer ...
and Sick of It All.
While writing songs for the album, Rise Against's lineup once again changed; Mohney quit, and was replaced by Chris Chasse of the band Reach the Sky.
The recording sessions for ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' were marred by numerous distractions and inconveniences, the biggest of which was the transition from Dreamworks to
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 ...
.
In November 2003, Dreamworks was acquired by
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, and eventually merged with Geffen.
The transition period between labels left Rise Against without an
A&R representative, and little acknowledgement from Geffen executives.
''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' was released on August 10, 2004.
For the first six months, the album sold poorly, and attracted little fanfare.
Rise Against's incessant touring resulted in greater exposure and an eventual increase in sales.
It became the band's first album to reach the
''Billboard'' 200, peaking at number 136,
and was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of 500,000 copies.
''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'' was praised for its lyrical content, but drew some criticism for a lack of individually memorable songs and perceived overproduction.
Three songs from the album 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'' ...
: "
Give It All
"Give It All" is a song by American rock band Rise Against. It was originally recorded for the 2004 compilation album '' Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1'', while a slightly altered version appeared on the band's third studio album '' Siren Song of t ...
", "
Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening". All three songs charted on the
Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States.
"Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" in particular are credited as the band's breakthrough singles, helping Rise Against achieve mainstream appeal.
After a year and a half of touring, Rise Against reconvened at the Blasting Room to record their fourth album, ''
The Sufferer & the Witness
''The Sufferer & the Witness'' is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on July 4, 2006. A melodic hardcore album, it comprises thirteen tracks that focus on melody, catchy hooks, and rapid-paced tempo. Soci ...
''. The band members were dissatisfied with Richardson's contributions to ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'', as he produced a more polished and heavier album than their previous works. As a result, they decided to return to Stevenson and Livermore, whom they felt had accurately captured the raw punk sound they strove for on ''Revolutions per Minute''.
Unlike the stressful recording sessions for ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'', the band had a much more enjoyable time with ''The Sufferer & the Witness'', as they no longer sought the approval of Geffen executives. 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."
''The Sufferer & the Witness'' was released on July 4, 2006.
The album sold 48,327 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' also charted in seven other countries, including number five on the
Canadian Albums Chart, making it the band's first album to chart outside of the United States.
It was certified gold in three countries, and platinum by
Music Canada.
The album was well received by critics, who praised the production value, and noted how Rise Against was able to mature in their sound and simultaneously retain their punk roots.
Three songs from ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' were released as 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 co ...
". These three songs also charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, with "Prayer of the Refugee" and "The Good Left Undone" in particular peaking within the top ten.
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, during which 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''. Prior to a 2007 tour with
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 ...
, Chasse left the band, citing touring fatigue 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 hardco ...
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 shortly thereafter, as Rise Against's fifth different guitarist.
At the time he received the call about joining Rise Against, Blair was a construction worker living paycheck to paycheck.
International success (2008–2013)
McIlrath and Principe had been writing songs for a new album throughout The Sufferer & Witness tour, and in December 2007, the band members went to the Blasting Room to record their fifth studio album ''
Appeal to Reason''.
This was the third Rise Against album to be produced by Stevenson and Livermore, and the band members had grown accustomed to the duo's work style. According to McIlrath: "
tevenson'sgot such a work ethic, just an amazing work ethic, and Livermore too, and the whole studio, all the people that work there."
Blair went into the album with the goal to fit in seamlessly with the other band members, or as he put it "If you listen to every record this band had out, you could tell that Zach Blair played on this record".
He took influence from how
Nels Cline
Nels Courtney Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004.
In the 1980s he played jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex, a percussionist. He has w ...
sounded on the album ''
Sky Blue Sky
''Sky Blue Sky'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Wilco, released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records. Originally announced on January 17, 2007 at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was the band's first studio album with guitarist ...
'' when he joined
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...
.
Blair was already well acquainted with Stevenson before joining Rise Against, as he and Stevenson were in Only Crime. Stevenson helped Blair replicate the sound of past Rise Against guitarists.
''Appeal to Reason'' was released on October 7, 2008.
It was the first Rise Against album to be released by
Interscope Records. In the United States, the album peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, making it Rise Against's highest charting album at the time. The album sold 64,000 copies in its first week of release, and by December 2010, it had sold 482,000 copies.
Rise Against's popularity continued to grow internationally, with ''Appeal to Reason'' charting highly in several countries including number one in Canadian Albums Chart.
''Appeal to Reason'' marked a musical shift for Rise Against to a more mainstream and radio-friendly sound, which led to division among critical opinions. Some critics commended the album's more radio-friendly sound,
while other critics found the music to be stale, and bemoaned Rise Against for abandoning their punk roots.
Like with the previous two albums, three songs from ''Appeal to Reason'' were released as singles: "
Re-Education (Through Labor)
"Re-Education (Through Labor)" is the first single from Rise Against's fifth studio album, '' Appeal to Reason''. The single was released digitally to digital stores and radio stations on August 26, 2008. A music video was released on the same d ...
", "
Audience of One", and "
Savior
Savior or Saviour may refer to:
*A person who helps people achieve salvation, or saves them from something
Religion
* Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years
* Maitreya
* Messiah, a saviour or l ...
". All three songs charted highly on the Modern Rock Tracks chart;
"Savior" in particular held the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
and Modern Rock Tracks charts, with sixty-three and sixty-five weeks respectively.
In the midst of ''Appeal to Reason'' singles, Rise Against also released three EPs in 2009, including a short
split album with Anti-Flag.
To promote the album, Rise Against embarked on the
Appeal To Reason Tour
The Appeal to Reason Tour was a concert tour by American punk band Rise Against, taking place between 2008 and 2010, in support of their fifth studio album '' Appeal to Reason'' (2008).
The tour began with a series of summer pre-release shows, ...
, which began with United States-based tour with
Thrice
Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school.
Early in their career, the band was known ...
,
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
, and
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), ...
. Rise Against then co-headlined a 2009 tour with
Rancid throughout the summer months, which was followed by a short tour of the United Kingdom in November, supported by the bands
Thursday
Thursday is the 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 fifth day of the week.
Name
''Se ...
and
Poison the Well. Some of the 2009 performances were recorded and compiled in the 2010 DVD ''Another Station: Another Mile''. These performances were interspersed with interviews of the band members about the process of recording an album.
Rise Against finished recording their sixth studio album, ''
Endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
'', in January 2011, after recording some last-minute guest vocals. The lyrics of the album focus on real world events, such as
Hurricane Katrina and the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considere ...
. According to McIlrath, although the lyrics discuss grim topics, they actually take on a positive view and were written from the perspective of: "What if the place on the other side of this transition is a place we'd all rather be living in?"
On January 12, 2011, Rise Against announced the release date of ''Endgame'' as March 15, 2011. Although Spin Magazine labeled ''Endgame'' as a
concept album, on January 7, 2011, McIlrath tweeted a clarifying message stating that "the record is not a concept record and, fret not, has absolutely nothing to do with the
Dixie Chicks
The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...
." The first single from the album, "
Help Is on the Way
"Help Is On the Way" is a song by American rock band Rise Against, featured on their sixth studio album ''Endgame'' (2011). Inspired by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath's visit to New Orleans, the song is about the slow response time for aid to disa ...
", debuted on
KROQ
KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock").
The st ...
on January 17. A second song from the album, "Architects", was debuted and released digitally on February 15. As a promotion effort, the band embarked on a short tour of South America in February and then a month-long tour of Europe in March. Upon returning to the United States, the band announced a U.S. spring tour with
Bad Religion and
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released seven studio al ...
.
''Endgame'' is notable for being the first album to establish Rise Against's stance on homophobia with the third song on the album, "
Make It Stop (September's Children)
"Make It Stop (September's Children)" is the second single from rock band Rise Against's sixth studio album, ''Endgame''. The single was released to digital music outlets on 30 May 2011. The song hit radio stations the following day. It peaked ...
," which references the September 2010 suicides of teenagers in the
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
community. Upon the album's release, the band put a message on their website inviting listeners to apply the songs' messages to current events, in addition to those on which they were originally based.
On May 10, 2011, the band released a 7" split vinyl with
Face to Face. The 7" features 2 songs, with each band covering a song by the other band. In August 2011, Rise Against made appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. The band was the main support act for the
Foo Fighters' fall US tour 2011. Rise Against supported the Foo Fighters on 9 dates in September, with
Mariachi El Bronx as the opening act. After this, the band announced a tour of Canada throughout October 2011, supported by
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band[Life Is Good Out Now](_blank)
Floggingmolly.c ...
and
Black Pacific. The tour consisted of nine dates. Rise Against contributed a cover of "
Ballad of Hollis Brown
"Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a folk song written by Bob Dylan, released in 1964 on his third album '' The Times They Are A-Changin. The song tells the story of a South Dakota farmer who, overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty, kills his wi ...
" to ''
Chimes of Freedom'', a tribute album of
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
songs produced in February 2012 to commemorate
Amnesty International's 50th anniversary.
Rise Against embarked on a two-leg US tour with
A Day to Remember and
The Menzingers
The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett (vocals, guitar), Tom May (vocals, guitar), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released se ...
in the spring of 2012. Leg one ended with the band launching another European tour. The band continued back to Europe for the summer months while doing a slew of festivals along the way. To end 2012, the band announced the return to the US with a fall tour with
Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), ...
and
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in October 1994 and based in Gainesville, Florida. Since their formation, the group has consisted of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitars, bass guitarist Jason Bl ...
. The tour included two shows in Arizona, which the band had not played since 2009 due to the
Sound Strike. On January 2, 2013, 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
McIlr ...
told ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' that Rise Against was "focusing on recharging
heirbatteries" after two years of touring in support of ''Endgame''. In March 2013, Rise Against played their first ever performances on African soil when they performed in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
for the
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
,
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
and
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
legs of
RAMFest, where they headlined the festival along with the UK band
Bring Me the Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon (often abbreviated as BMTH) are a British Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group consists of lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls and keyboardis ...
.
Recent years (2014–present)
The extensive touring schedule surrounding ''Endgame'' took a toll on the band members, and in 2013 they decided to take a year long hiatus.
According to Blair: "You're constantly gone. You don't feel like you live anywhere". He also discussed how the other three band members lives had evolved, and were away from their families for months on end. "It's an interesting thing to kind of realize that and kind of get out of the bubble, get out of the bus, and go 'Oh, geez, we actually have lives outside of what we do.'"
In January 2014, the band members reconvened at the Blasting Room to record Rise Against's seventh album ''
The Black Market''.
The band members used new recording techniques, such as greater usage of
analog signals on a Kemper
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...
, and an
Evertune
EverTune is an American company that produces the EverTune bridge, designed to keep guitar strings in tune.
Background
Stringed instruments, particularly guitars, have a tendency to get out of tune during playing, especially if strings are bent. ...
bridge to keep the guitars in tune. As McIlrath put it: "I want the songs to feel a certain way. I want the songs to hit the guy and the girl who don't really care about guitar tones."
''The Black Market'' was released on July 15, 2014. In the United States, the album entered at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 53,000 copies in its first week. It was their fourth consecutive album to debut within the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, and it spent eleven weeks on the chart.
''The Black Market'' was an international success, in particular in Canada, where it became Rise Against's third consecutive album to reach number one.
Reviews were generally positive; critics praised the more introspective lyrics, but often bemoaned the music as formulaic and stale.
To promote the album, Rise Against toured throughout 2014 and 2015 with several other rock bands, such as
Emily's Army,
Touché Amoré
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...
, and
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel an ...
.
On April 18, 2017, the band posted a new mysterious website which appeared to show a cryptic tracklist, song length and an announcement date "4.20.2017" for the new album.
On April 20, 2017, Rise Against announced the title of their new album ''
Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
'' which was released on June 9, 2017 via
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
. The album's lead single, "
The Violence", was released on April 20, 2017. To promote the album, the band announced a headlining North American tour in fall 2017 with
Pierce the Veil and
White Lung
White Lung were a Canadian punk rock band. The band consisted of Mish Barber-Way (vocals), Kenneth William (guitars) and Anne-Marie Vassiliou (drums). They have released two albums on Deranged Records and their latest two on Domino Recording ...
supporting.
On March 29, 2018, the band's
Instagram account published a video announcing a project entitled ''
The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1
''The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1'' is a compilation album by American rock band Rise Against. It was released on July 27, 2018. The album features reimagined versions of previously released Rise Against songs, with acoustic orchestration and ...
''. A later announcement described the album as having "the songs stripped down, with alternate instrumentation, unique orchestration and a surprise or two" and announced a release date of July 27, 2018.
The band released an acoustic version of "House on Fire" from ''Wolves'' as a single for the album on May 18 and an acoustic version of "Like the Angel" from ''Revolutions per Minute'' on June 8.
Following touring for ''Wolves'', Rise Against chose to take a more relaxed approach to writing their next album. In an interview with Kerrang!, McIlrath explained that we don't want to feel rushed, we'll put out the record when it's done, not to try and meet some deadline." New music began to be released in 2020, when the band collaborated with
DC comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
on the
Dark Nights: Death Metal series. The band released a new song called "
Broken Dreams, Inc
"Broken Dreams, Inc" is a song by American punk rock band Rise Against. It was released on September 16, 2020 as the lead single for the soundtrack of the DC Comics series Dark Nights: Death Metal, and eventually became the first single for the ...
" as the first single for the comic book storyline's soundtrack.
News of a new Rise Against album began to surface in early 2021 when the band began posting cryptic videos on their social media accounts. These videos eventually lead to the announcement of ''
Nowhere Generation
''Nowhere Generation'' is the ninth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on June 4, 2021 on Loma Vista Recordings. It is the band's first album in four years, serving as the follow-up to 2017's ''Wolves''. Four singles ...
'' on March 17, 2021. Along with "Broken Dreams, Inc" being included on the track list, the band also released the title track as the second single. Additional singles, "The Numbers" and "Talking to Ourselves" were also released prior to the album, which released on June 4, 2021. The band embarked on a US tour in support of the album that summer with the
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a ...
and
The Menzingers
The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett (vocals, guitar), Tom May (vocals, guitar), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released se ...
as opening acts. This was followed by multiple 2022 tours with
Billy Talent,
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, that formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden S ...
,
Senses Fail
Senses Fail is an American rock band formed in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 2001. Founded by vocalist James "Buddy" Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Garrett Zablocki and Dave Miller, and bassist James Gill (replaced by Mike Glita shortly af ...
,
Pennywise, and
Stick To Your Guns.
During the recording process for ''Nowhere Generation'', Rise Against wrote a total of sixteen songs, but only included eleven of them on the album. The remaining five were eventually released in 2022 as ''
Nowhere Generation II''; an EP that acts as a continuation of the album. It was announced alongside the release of the single "Last Man Standing" on June 6, 2022, with the EP releasing four days later.
Artistry
Musical style
Critics have described Rise Against's musical style as
punk rock,
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
and
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 ...
. The band's songs emphasize
melody, catchy
hooks, aggressive
movements
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
, 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 (ofte ...
.
Guitarists McIlrath and Blair focus on speed
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 acc ...
ing and multi-layered
choruses,
while bassist Principe uses aggressive picking to lock in with the snare and kick of the drums.
Likewise, drummer Barnes follows the guitars, stating: "Sometimes I'll do it naturally, or we'll talk about different ways to accent things - fills from the snare or toms, or some big crashes."
The band members have noted the influence of several punk bands, in particular
Black Flag and
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitar ...
. McIlrath commented: "We're emulating Minor Threat and Black Flag. Who knows, maybe if
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...
was wearing eyeliner then I would be."
Other bands that have influenced Rise Against include
7 Seconds,
AFI
AFI may refer to:
* ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol
* Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer
* AFI (band), an American rock band
** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...
,
[ ]Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...
, Bad Religion, Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...
, Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...
, Fugazi,[ Jawbreaker,] Los Crudos
Los Crudos is an American hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois active from 1991 to 1998 and from 2006 onward. Comprising all Latino members, the band paved the way for later Spanish-speaking punk bands in the United States and helped to ...
,[ ]Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
, Pennywise, 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 Commer ...
, Ramones, Refused
Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. G ...
, and Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...
.
During the early part of its career, Rise Against's music was characterized by a gritty combination of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. ''The Unraveling'' accentuated a raw punk sound, while ''Revolutions per Minute'' featured an overall darker tone. According to Principe: "''The Unraveling'' was more of us just trying to figure out how we functioned as a band and what type of band we wanted to be. It all just came together with 'Revolutions per Minute'' my songwriting style and Tim's, it really meshes well together and I think it shows on that record. Although this darker tone carried into ''Siren Song of the Counter Culture'', McIlrath specially mentioned that ''The Sufferer & the Witness'' was an attempt to return to Rise Against's punk roots. 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 databa ...
wrote " 'The Sufferer & the Witness''is basically one shout-along, mosh-worthy song after another". In early Rise Against songs, McIlrath would often shift between clean vocals 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 ...
.
With the release of ''Appeal to Reason'', Rise Against's music took a noticeable turn toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' reviewer Jon Pareles felt ''Appeal to Reason'' was more tune-oriented than the band's previous material, while Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic wrote how ''Endgame'' was "slickly produced to enhance the melodic nature of songs". Principe believes the shift in sound resulted from the longevity of the Rise Against. He explained that the band members grew as musicians, and wanted to challenge themselves with new musical directions. For example, at the insistence of Blair, Rise Against began to incorporate more guitar solos into their music. McIlrath's screaming vocals became less prevalent in ''Appeal to Reason'', a trend that would continue in subsequent albums.
Lyrics
Rise Against is known for their outspoken social commentary
Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...
, which often permeates their lyrics. Throughout the years, the band has discussed a wide range of topics, including animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
, economic injustice, environmental disaster
An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity.Jared M. Diamond, '' Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed'', 2005 This point disti ...
s, forced displacement, homophobia, and modern warfare. Political corruption is another subject commonly found in their lyrics, and as a result, Rise Against is often labeled as a "political band". Some journalists have stated that the band has specifically targeted the Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
administrations of George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, while promoting anarchist ideologies.
As the band's primary lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's incom ...
, McIlrath is wary of the political label. "In this sort of current climate of music, we stand out simply because I think there are bands that are avoiding the question. So, it makes us sort of an anomaly and I think that's where we get the tag 'protest music
A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre.
Among social mov ...
' or 'political punk rock'". He also noted how the band's lyrics discuss these topics in general terms, instead of delving into the specifics. In a 2006 interview, McIlrath said: "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 ur music
Ur was an important Sumerian city-state in ancient Mesopotamia, located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar ( ar, تل ٱلْمُقَيَّر) in south Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate. Although Ur was once a coastal city near the mouth of the E ...
10 years from now." Principe noted the band does not attempt to preach their beliefs, but instead encourage listeners to become involved, and learn about pertinent issues affecting society.
Not all Rise Against songs discuss controversial topics. More personal stories about broken relationships and forgiveness are common lyrical themes, as is the concept of self-reflection. ''The Unraveling'' is an early example of this style of songwriting, as the majority of the album's songs focus on friendships and memories. It was not until ''Revolutions per Minute'' that McIlrath began to integrate social issues into their music. Despite the grim subject matter, Rise Against songs are often hopeful in nature, a decision the band conscientiously made from the very beginning. Will Rausch of ''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 ...
'' wrote: "Unlike typical emo rants filled with despondency and arm chair philosophy, ise Against Ise may refer to:
Places
*Ise, Mie, a city in Japan
**Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie
*Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria
*Ise, Norway, a village in Norway
*Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan
*River Ise, a tributary of the R ...
songs deal with the reality that life sucks, but we must move on."
Videography
Rise Against will often produce an 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 promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for a single. These videos typically either tell a narrative or feature documentary-like footage. This documentary style of filming can be seen in the music videos for "Ready to Fall", "Re-Education (Through Labor)", "Ballad of Hollis Brown
"Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a folk song written by Bob Dylan, released in 1964 on his third album '' The Times They Are A-Changin. The song tells the story of a South Dakota farmer who, overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty, kills his wi ...
", and "I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore". These videos juxtapose footage of the band playing the song and footage of a certain societal issue such as gun violence or animal abuse, overlaid with damning facts about the issue. For example, the video "Ballad of Hollis Brown" is about the dangers of industrialized farming and poverty in the United States
In the United States, poverty has both social and political implications. In 2020, there were 37.2 million people in poverty. Some of the many causes include income inequality, inflation, unemployment, debt traps and poor education.Western, B ...
, and features interviews with farmers who are struggling to stay afloat.
Rise Against's narrative videos are also usually political in nature. In the video for "Prayer of the Refugee" the band destroys products in a retail store, with intermittent shots of foreign workers making the store products. The goal was for the video to showcase how conventional business models allow for various human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
violations. Some narrative videos follow the song's lyric thread, such as in the Hurricane Katrina based video for "Help Is on the Way", while other videos are used to enforce the song's message, such as the band's anti-homophobic stance in the "Make It Stop (September's Children)" video.
Discussing the "Ready to Fall" video and need for politicized music videos, McIlrath said: "We looked at it from the perspective of hijacking the airwaves. If they're gonna give us three and a half minutes of airtime on TV that means we can play anything, we can make a video that would be intense even on mute". Rise Against has garnered some controversy for their music videos, particularly for perceived violent themes. The video for "Re-Education (Through Labor)" features the Chicago sect of the Moped Army planting and detonating bombs throughout the city. Some viewers saw this as an act of condoning terrorism. The video for "The Violence", which was to feature the detonation of busts of the forty-three United States Presidents on a plot of farmland, was prohibited by the farm's board of directors for "anti-government themes".
Politics and ethics
Their video for the single "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 ...
" contains footage of factory farming, rodeos, and sport hunting, as well as deforestation, melting ice caps, and forest fires. The group has called the video the most important video they have ever made. In February 2012, the band released a cover of the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
song "Ballad of Hollis Brown
"Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a folk song written by Bob Dylan, released in 1964 on his third album '' The Times They Are A-Changin. The song tells the story of a South Dakota farmer who, overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty, kills his wi ...
" as part of a benefit for Amnesty International. In addition to being vegetarians, all the members of Rise Against, with the exception of Brandon Barnes, are straight edge; that is, they refrain from consuming alcohol or using drugs.
In addition to their support of animal rights, the band has voiced their support for Democratic and libertarian causes. During the 2004 United States presidential election, the band was part of Punkvoter, a political activist group, and appeared on the '' Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1'' compilation. The Rock Against Bush project raised over $1 million for then presidential candidate John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
. During the 2008 presidential election, the band members endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
. In a news bulletin in early 2009, the band stated: "Few things are more exciting than watching Bush finally release America as his eight year hostage."
Vans shoes
On May 23, 2007, Rise Against announced their endorsement of a new line of Vans
Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
shoes that would be "completely vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
in consideration to heiranimal rights efforts". In response to criticism spawning from rumors of Vans' use of sweatshops
A sweatshop or sweat factory is a crowded workplace with very poor, socially unacceptable or illegal working conditions. Some illegal working conditions include poor ventilation, little to no breaks, inadequate work space, insufficient lighting, o ...
, Rise Against released a statement to address the matter on both their MySpace profile and website saying,
Band members
Current members
* 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
McIlr ...
– lead vocals (1999–present), rhythm guitar (2002–present)
* 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 acti ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)
* 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, percussion (2000–present)
* 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 hardco ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)
Former members
* Dan Wleklinski – lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–2001), rhythm guitar (2000–2001)
* Kevin White – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1999–2000, 2001–2002), lead guitar (2001–2002)
* Tony Tintari – drums, percussion (1999–2000)
* Todd Mohney – lead guitar, backing vocals (2002–2004)
* Chris Chasse – lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–2007)
Timeline
Discography
* '' The Unraveling'' (2001)
* ''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 dimension ...
'' (2003)
* ''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)
* ''The Sufferer & the Witness
''The Sufferer & the Witness'' is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on July 4, 2006. A melodic hardcore album, it comprises thirteen tracks that focus on melody, catchy hooks, and rapid-paced tempo. Soci ...
'' (2006)
* '' Appeal to Reason'' (2008)
* ''Endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
'' (2011)
* '' The Black Market'' (2014)
* ''Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
'' (2017)
* ''Nowhere Generation
''Nowhere Generation'' is the ninth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on June 4, 2021 on Loma Vista Recordings. It is the band's first album in four years, serving as the follow-up to 2017's ''Wolves''. Four singles ...
'' (2021)
References
Notes
Footnotes
External links
*
{{Good article
1999 establishments in Illinois
Hardcore punk groups from Illinois
Fat Wreck Chords artists
Interscope Records artists
DGC Records artists
Geffen Records artists
Loma Vista Recordings artists
Melodic hardcore groups
Punk rock groups from Illinois
Sony Music Publishing artists
Musical groups established in 1999
Musical groups from Chicago
Political music groups