the sufferer and the witness cover artist

Looking back, 2021 provided a perfect backdrop for a new Rise Against album. Though Endgame was a divisive record for long-term fans who criticised the band for pushing towards a more commercial rock sound, it holds up incredibly well, proving that whilst the four-piece may venture from their sonic roots, their message will never be compromised. Other highlights include Survivors Guilt, an extension of the band’s 2008 hit Hero of War, and Wait For Me, a cut that matches the soft acoustic-led melodies of the latter track. Packing on the aggression across twelve tracks of brilliantly controlled brutality, much of its social and political commentary revolves around the end of the world and what may exist on the other side.īottling up the frustration of a generation, shaking it up, and popping the cork in an explosion of anthemic hooks and apocalyptic energy, Endgame remains the band’s most commercially successful record to date, with standouts including the powerful Make It Stop (September’s Children), decrying homophobia and speaking out on behalf of LGBT youth. The first Rise Against record since 2004’s Siren Song of the Counterculture to be produced without long time producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore - with Stevenson busy behind the drum kit on Descendents’ 2017 comeback album Hypercaffium Spazzinate - Wolves is a solid modern punk release, showcasing the quartet's ability to write socially conscious anthems in times of extreme adversity.įollowing 2008’s Appeal to Reason, Endgame continued Rise Against’s pursuit of a more polished production and introduced some fresh heavy metal influences courtesy of guitarist Zach Blair. Tackling the lies and corruption of the Trump campaign with earnest punk melodies that pack a huge punch, tracks like How Many Walls and Welcome to the Breakdown took direct stabs at the then-President, whilst cuts like Bullshit called for people to reclaim the power. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee around the 2016 US presidential election, the band left their liberal Chicago nest and immersed themselves in life on the other side of the fence.

But there’s more essential sets elsewhere in Rise Against’s discography.Īldous Huxley once described art as “a protest against the horrible inclemency of life”, and that sentiment sums up Rise Against’s eighth studio album almost perfectly. That The Black Market takes the lowest spot on this list isn't to say it's without merit: a good album by a truly remarkable band, it’s worthy of its fair share of praise. The album highlight comes in The Eco-Terrorist in Me, a fast-paced anthem advocating for environmental justice and animal activism. I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore is an intimately personal exploration into the darkest moments in life, whilst pop-punk cut Tragedy + Time channels the journey of pushing through hardships to brighter futures. More measured than any other collection in their catalogue, it presents an interesting development from the band’s established sound, diving headfirst into McIlrath’s own psyche and experiences as an activist in a modern world. Returning after a year-long hiatus following the completion of the touring cycle for 2011's Endgame, the band’s seventh long-player is a nuanced, mid-tempo release offering exercises in catharsis. The band’s darkest album to date, The Black Market pushes much of Rise Against’s signature socio-political commentary aside in favour of a deeply introspective tone, a first for frontman Tim McIlrath and co.

The sufferer and the witness cover artist