“Drones” takes this mile-a-minute mentality and mixes it with a rolling bassline, pleading vocals, and harmonies to showcase Rise Against at its finest, fusing melody with aggression. The ode to old school hardcore comes later on with “Bricks”, a loud, biting song with a chorus that matches the brash guitar attack: “With hope in our hearts and bricks in our hands we sing for a change”. Unlike Siren Song‘s opener “State of the Union”, the loudest, angriest, most bare-bones hardcore on the album (perhaps an attempt to show that the band hadn’t softened their attack on a major label), TSATW opens with the less acerbic, and all around more mediocre “Chamber the Cartridge”. The Sufferer and the Witness, Rise Against’s second album for Geffen, picks up where Siren Song left off, with 13 tracks of hard-nosed punk with a focus on melody, crunchy hooks, and shout-along choruses. While such additions may have opened the band to ridicule, in truth the hardcore heart of the songs was still there, only in a more accessible manner. Siren Song of the Counter Culture‘s new addition of poppier guitars, strings, and an acoustic track confirmed for many the fatal prognosis. Through and through, it was a perfect record that showed us a path of light.When the melodic hardcore outfit Rise Against switched from Fat Wreck Chords to the “evil” major label Geffen Records in 2004, cries of “sellout” were uttered by mohawked suburbanites everywhere, even before the album was released. Rise Against did not hold back their energy and commitment on The Sufferer And The Witness. With a meaty chorus and sincerity evolving at every moment, it was the main highlight on a record that oozed greatness. “The Good Left Undone” was a masterclass in punk and riveting lyrical meaning, pushing the boundaries for this forward-thinking band. It was a lyrical and driven piece of melancholy. McIlrath sang evocatively, pushing his acoustic guitar to the sky. Brash percussion intertwined well with volatile guitar strokes. “Behind Closed Doors” sprang to life as a punk score. “The Approaching Curve” was narrated beautifully, a monologue of unhappiness and smashed resolve. “Prayer And The Refugee” sparked controversy, but it was the song we needed. Well-formed notes and guitar riffs were graciously integrated and the meaning behind it resonated. It was a highlight, a true trademark sound. McIlrath sang with anger spreading through his veins, he sang conveying mistrust and internal pain. “Injection” was a stab in the light, a song with technicalities and lyrical swagger. Some louder than others, but they all had meaning. Blazing a trail is what Rise Against dreamt of doing, and they did so with intent.ġ3 songs made up the LP. It did not lapse or seize up either it flew the flag for a band who were on the edge of something special. People rushed forward into the band’s whirlpool of trust and energy, declaring The Sufferer And The Witness as the complete album, a record fortified with evocative traits and justified hope. It made it urgent, real, original, and timely.Īnd hearts and minds connected to the LP. Throughout the album, the songs all came together as one blast of anger. Lead singer Tim McIlrath also sang with newfound vigor, lashing the world with his political leanings and fists of rage. This disc morphed into something massive, colossal in its armory of songs. Punk has always been a mainstay in Rise Against’s makeup, but with The Sufferer And The Witness they implemented newly drafted sounds and melodic importance. In time, though, the band escalated beyond the brashness and found their way into more subtle terrains. Not only did they entice many fans to the party, but they drew out political blood, and created a landmark sound. Yes, they developed many punk discs prior to the landing, and these records were raw and revealing, truly testing the punk scene. Battle-hard and ready for the fight, Rise Against truly grew into a behemoth act when they released their seminal album The Sufferer And The Witness in 2006.
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