Rise Against - 2006 - The Suffer and The Witness (320kbps) KindMetalRG
Style:
Hardcore Punk
FORMED:
1999 in Chicago, Illinois
BIOGRAPHY
Chicago's Rise Against began in 1999 when ex-88 Fingers Louie bassist Joe Principe tapped area vocalist Tim
McIlrath for a new project rooted in the sound and social vision of traditionalist hardcore. Joined by fellow
88 Fingers vet Dan Precision on guitar and, eventually, drummer Brandon Barnes, Rise Against signed to Fat
Wreck and issued The Unraveling in 2001. Precision left the band that same year to be replaced by Todd
Mohney. Extensive touring followed, leading to their sophomore outing, 2002's Revolutions Per Minute. After
solid response from fans and critics alike, as well as a stint on the Warped Tour, Rise Against left the Fat
Wreck fold for DreamWorks/Geffen. By this point, guitar duties were being handled by Chris Chasse (Reach the
Sky). Rise Against made their major-label debut in August 2004 with Siren Song of the Counter Culture. They
toured steadily after the album's release, received plenty of solid press, and even saw Counter Culture crack
the Billboard Top 200. In 2005, Rise Against appeared in the skateboarding film Lords of Dogtown, playing an
old-school Cali punk band. (They performed a rousing version of Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" for the
film's soundtrack.) Rise Against continued to tour throughout that summer, including a spot at the U.K.'s
Reading and Leeds festivals in August. Their fourth album, The Sufferer & the Witness, appeared in July 2006
and its debut at number ten on the Billboard Top 200 was their highest yet. The band spent the summer tearing
up Warped's main stage before hooking up with Thursday and Billy Talent that fall. Rise Against continued
playing shows into 2007, but their extensive tour schedule eventually proved to be too much for Chasse, who
bowed out that February. The band solidered on, enlisting Only Crime's Zach Blair to temporarily take his
place.
COVER
RELEASED
Jul 4, 2006
TRACK LIST, TIME, SIZE
1. (00:03:35) Rise Against - Chamber the Cartridge
2. (00:03:19) Rise Against - Injection
3. (00:03:47) Rise Against - Ready to Fall
4. (00:01:31) Rise Against - Bricks
5. (00:02:45) Rise Against - Under The Knife
6. (00:03:19) Rise Against - Prayer of the Refugee
7. (00:03:01) Rise Against - Drones
8. (00:03:44) Rise Against - The Approaching Curve
9. (00:03:20) Rise Against - Worth Dying For
10. (00:03:15) Rise Against - Behing Closed Doors
11. (00:03:21) Rise Against - Roadside
12. (00:04:11) Rise Against - The Good Left Undone
13. (00:03:41) Rise Against - Survive
14. (00:01:1
Rise Against - Boy's No Good
Playing Time.........: 00:44:07
Total Size...........: 101.00 MB
NFO generated on.....: 7/13/2007 5:28:32 AM
REVIEW
The Sufferer & the Witness finds Rise Against continuing on the path begun on 2004's well-received Siren Song of the Counter Culture. Their melodic hardcore may still sound more mainstream accessible, but this can hardly be looked at as a bad thing. After all, the band's sincerity and passion emerge very much intact -- their socially conscious approach no less pressing -- and new and old fans alike should take to Sufferer with open arms. With producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore manning the controls this time around, the band's inner grit is aptly drawn out amid all the pit-ready choruses and fist-in-the-air, stirring lyrics. As such, Rise Against continue to muscularly confront political and personal grievances to the tune of swirling guitars, assertive rhythms, and Tim McIlrath's sandpapered vocals. However, "Chamber the Cartridge" doesn't quite open the record with the same acidic bite as past lead tracks, as the chorus is lacking something in its delivery to really hit a nerve. This later happens again in songs like "Under the Knife" and the ferocious-yet-still-slightly-missing "Worth Dying For," but moments like these are, in truth, more the exception than the rule. "Injection" and "Ready to Fall" bring things back into invigorating Rise Against territory early on, while "Bricks" stands out as a vicious blast of old-school hardcore energy and power. This record is basically one shout-along, mosh-worthy song after another, though the guys do throw in some interesting moments outside of continual rushes of pure adrenaline. The excellent "Prayer of the Refugee" jarringly alternates between plaintive guitars and weary singing to an empowered chorus and exploding rhythm section to affectingly address the plight of displaced families of war; the frustrated disconnect distressing a troubled relationship is represented surprisingly well in "The Approaching Curve," with its driving use of spoken word and complementary female backing vocals. Essentially, The Sufferer & the Witness showcases Rise Against maturing within the realms of major-label hardcore revivalism, while still remaining relevant and exciting. So even with the occasional letdown, there's a lot to be said for Rise Against pulling everything off with as much substance and strength as they do the whole way through.
QUALITY
* 320kbps MP3
TRACKERS
Rockbox
