Rise Against

A lot of people have a problem when bands, songs or even genres sound similar to one another. This problem can be especially pervasive in punk music, where simplicity is often toted as an integral part of the music. When punk bands start to get more complex, a group of the fan base are quick to start yelling "sell out" as fast and as loud as their lungs are able to. So, here's Rise Against, who sit comfortably within the label of punk, who have now released their sixth studio album, Endgame, and who have been accused in the past of making similar sounding albums time after time.

The thing with Rise Against is that, even though most of their songs are remarkably similar, they're remarkably good finding ways of differentiating one song from another by adding something to each song that engages you directly and makes you take an interest. Whether it's a lyric or a tempo change, something usually grabs your attention and makes you want to take interest in that particular song. It's not that the songs are hooky; its that parts of the songs are hooky, and that's enough to suck you into the rest.

The problem with Endgame is that these "catchy moments" are not as prevalent as on other records. Sure, "Make It Stop (September's Children)" is a great exception, featuring children chanting at the beginning and a part towards the end where singer Tim McIlrath starts rattling off names in a spoken word style; these parts engage you, and I found myself really liking the song. But so many songs are just... bland... samey... uninteresting.

With that said, however, I don't dislike this album. I definitely see points of musical growth in it. For instance, on "Midnight Hands" there is a pretty damn near fantastic riff that sounds like something they may have picked up on the Warped Tour from some of the more metal artists. This type of musical evolution is what makes a band interesting, and I have always applauded how Rise Against seems to be able to knock it out of the park when they try something new.

In the pantheon of Rise Against albums, this one probably won't be cited as a defining work, but it holds true to what you would expect from the band and isn't terrible by any means. If you liked their previous work, you'll probably be able to tolerate this album and may find a few tracks that you keep coming back to.

Recommended Tracks: "Help Is On The Way", "Make It Stop (September's Children)", "Midnight Hands"

-Andrew Wixq hosts Grade A Explosives on Thursdays from 3-5pm