Review: Rise Against - 'Appeal To Reason'

Following 2006’s widely successful release, The Sufferer & The Witness, Chicago band Rise Against has released Appeal To Reason, a record that proves the band is not content to rest on the laurels of the sound and following they’ve developed with their previous albums, but instead are forging forward, exploring new and innovative sounds and subject matter.

Of course, Appeal To Reason offers plenty of the gritty melodic hardcore that Rise Against is known for. The album’s first single, “Re-Education (Through Labor)” is straightforward in its rockiness, and “Hairline Fracture” and “Whereabouts Unknown” offer up the broad majestic sounds we expect from Rise Against.

There is also some straightforward punk-influenced tunes, like the fist-pumping environmental anthem “Collapse (Post-Amerika),” which has a sing-along chorus, and “The Dirt Whispered,” which is built around one of the best chunky punk riffs to be released this year.

“Long Forgotten Sons” finds the band’s most innovative sounds on the album, blending a dark Black Flag-inspired riff straight into a nod to Fugazi in a way that’s crisp, polished and big.

The most powerful song on Appeal To Reason is not the heaviest, however; it’s the predominantly acoustic “Hero Of War.” In this tune, McIlrath sings a war protest song from a personalized setting, detailing the war by way of the experience of a single military recruit through various stages, from recruitment, to experiences at Abu Ghraib and Guantanemo and events based on a story from a documentary called The Ground Truth.

By relating the events of the war in the way that they affect a single soldier, Rise Against have transcended the simple “war is bad” ideal of a protest song, making it deeply personal and more provocative and powerful.

At its core, Appeal To Reason is bold move that’s executed perfectly. Rise Against has created an innovative record with a great sound and big messages. They never get preachy, either; if anything, the lean toward self-deprecation with the inclusion of the track “Entertainment” and it’s recurring line: “All we are is entertainment.” It’s a humble move for a band that has done so well to inform and educate their fans on political and environmental issues over the years.

And speaking of education and information, while the band’s strong political beliefs are as always apparent in their lyrics, they also offer further options for fans to learn more. In the liner notes, the band suggest a reading and watching list, consisting of Howard Zinn’s A Peoples History Of The United States, and the films The Ground Truth (Free Download), Wal-Mart: The High Price of Low Cost (Free Download), Sicko (Free Download), Future Of Food (Free Download), and Inconvenient Truth.

Also, in keeping with the band’s strong environmental beliefs, Appeal To Reason has been released in an environmentally sound package, with the entire package consisting of recycled materials and vegetable inks.

Political lyrics, suggested sources of information and environmental packaging are all more ways that Rise Against is proving they’re not simply talking about the issues, but finding ways to live them and help promote a political punk movement as well.

Release Date: October 7, 2008