Joe Principe – bass guitar, backing vocals

Brandon Barnes – drums

Zach Blair – lead guitar, backing vocals

            The American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed back in 1999. Through 5 albums and a very rare EP the band has changed a few times keeping 2 members through the entire trip. Beginning from the breakup of a band called 88 Finger Louie. They released the EP back in 2000 then a year later signed their first record deal. Two full length albums followed on that label. They switched to a new label for the third album which ended up being Geffen and current label. They released the third album in 2004 followed up with tours in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, which included Taste of Chaos ’05 and Warp Tour. They followed up to the major label debut with The Sufferer & the Witness and a tour with My Chemical Romance. Now comes the fifth installment from the punk rock band titled Appeal To Reason. The album begins with a made rush of music that gets the blood flowing and the mosh-pit moving. It doesn’t have a bad set of lyrics as they are very catchy and holds a touch of the truth in them. “Collapse (Post-Amerika)” has an outlook on our country that is bleak but holds a valid point.  When political poetry like this is taken to this energy and sound it is listened by a lot of people. Some still get the message, some don’t and some don’t care one way of another. Either way the message is delivered. “Long Forgotten Sons” begins where “Collapse” stopped. Although the vocals and music are a tiny bit slower that the opener, it still brings energy and passion to the table. The guitar slide is small but perfectly placed. The vocals are very clear and to the point, but the track does drag a bit too long. The lead single “Re-Education (Through Labor)” spins off the album third with another blast of tunes. It begins with a drum intro that gets you ready for action. They then introduce their guitars right before the vocals enter. Tim’s vocals are very clear as they flow through the lyrics that are both a little disturbing but very true. Its rhythm is super catchy the further it proceeds into the track. There is a loll point in the music as the vocals become the center point. “The Dirt Whispered” is a true punk track with the way it rips through the 3 plus minutes. The drum beat is classic punk as well as the guitar and the rally around backing vocals. It kind of reminded me of a more complex Green Day track. “From Heads Unworthy” shouts out from the tops “We are the children that you reject and disregard.” Rise Against is speak to us as those very children in this track, one that seems to come from the hearts of the guys. Wanting the rest of us to pay attention to those in need and not be selfish. “The Strength to Go On” extents nearly 3 and a half minutes with a super catchy chorus as “Audience of One” features the first slower tempo track. Tim’s vocals sound a bit strange at first because it’s not the normal sound for him, but you quickly get use to it. It’s a nice change of pace and I think that most fans with except the track with open arms. “Entertainment” is a very entertaining track with as much as it switches up during its duration. It takes on a few different styles of vocals and has some cool guitar moments. “Hero of War” is totally different track than the rest of the album. A super slow track that is mostly played with an acoustic guitar and talking about war and the affects on everyone. While listening to the track you can just imagine Tim up on stage with the spotlight on him singing his heart out. “Savior” offers some great guitar work and an explosion of sound. It has a huge bass line, hot streaming drum lines and a true punk Warp Tour performance. It’s one of the best on the album and will be an instant hit with fans. “Hairline Fracture” continues with the same type of tempo and sound. The vocals calm down a bit but is still a great performance throughout. Half way through is slows down and focuses on the vocals then starts to tear it up again after a bit. “Whereabouts Unknown” ends the album on a pretty good note. It is a strong track with very cool music. It begins with a simple guitar and drums then switches gears right before the voice of Tim enters. It ends the album the way most of the rest of the album is: energetic. Overall the album is pretty good. It offers listeners catchy tunes, hard music and energy out the butt. They also place situations and global issues to light, just like a lot of the other songs that they have produced. A lot of the messages they have written about need to be put out into the public to hear, because of the true of them. Many politicians throughout the world have to be mad at them of the issues that they bring forth. Rise Against fans will not be disappointed with this album as it presents a high punk sound with aggressive music.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

My favorite tracks:

Collapse (Post-Amerika), Audience of One, Savior

Track List:

1. Collapse (Post-Amerika)
2. Long Forgotten Sons
3. Re-Education (Through Labor)
4. The Dirt Whispered
5. Kotov Syndrome
6. From Heads Unworthy
7. The Strength to Go On
8. Audience of One
9. Entertainment
10. Hero of War
11. Savior
12. Hairline Fracture
13. Whereabouts Unknown

Website (s): www.riseagainst.com, www.geffen.com