Rise Against is one of the brightest punk rock bands of our time. The group was formed in 1999 in Chicago. Today the team consists of the following members:
- Tim McIlroth (vocals, guitar);
- Joe Principe (bass guitar, backing vocals);
- Brandon Barnes (drums);
- Zach Blair (guitar, backing vocals)
In the early 2000s, Rise Against developed as an underground band. The team gained worldwide popularity after the presentation of the albums The Sufferer & The Witness and Siren Song of the Counter Culture.
The history of the creation of the group Rise Against
The band Rise Against takes its beginnings in the late 1990s in Chicago. The origins of the band are Joe Principe and guitarist Dan Vlekinski. Prior to the creation of the group, the musicians were part of the 88 Fingers Louie group.
A little later, another talented musician, Tim McIlroth, joined the band. At one time he was part of the post-hardcore band Baxter. The chain of formation of the Rise Against group was closed by Tony Tintari. The new team began performing under the name Transistor Revolt.
It was in this line-up in 2000 that the musicians recorded their first tracks. The guys ignored the concert stage of "promotion". But then they presented a mini-album, which attracted the attention of punk rock fans.
Already established stars instantly drew attention to new musicians. So Fat Mike, the frontman of the California band NOFX, advised the guys to refuse to sign a contract with a recording studio. And also think about changing the creative pseudonym. Soon the members of the new group began performing as Rise Against.
Actually, then there were the first changes in the composition. Tintari was replaced by drummer Brandon Barnes. And soon Dan Walensky left the musical project. After a brief involvement with Kevin White, he was replaced by Zach Blair from the shock show GWAR.
Music by Rise Egeinst
The creative biography of the punk rock band took place immediately after the presentation of the debut album. The studio album was called The Unraveling. The album was worked on by recording studios Fat Wreck Chords and Sonic Iguana Records. The album was released in 2001.
Commercially, the compilation was not successful. Despite this, the record was appreciated by music critics and fans. They predicted a good future for Rise Against.
In support of the debut album, the musicians went on a large-scale tour. Thanks to the tracks included in the album, the musicians were warmly welcomed in almost all parts of America. The project participants prepared material for recording the second studio album.
In 2003, the band's discography was replenished with the album Revolutions per Minute. The release of this collection extolled the punk rock band. The guys entered the list of the most popular and independent rock projects of our time. The musicians gained popularity for their melodic and lyrical rock.
Around this period, Rise Against appeared on joint performances with famous rock bands. The punk rock band appeared on the same stage as Anti-Flag, None More Black, No Use for a Name and NOFX.
Signing a contract with DreamWorks
Major labels became interested in the joint performances of the group, as well as the release of the "evil" album. In 2003, the team refused to cooperate with the old companies. The musicians signed a lucrative contract with DreamWorks.
This deal cut off oxygen for the musicians. Now the recording studio itself dictated how the compositions should sound. And if for some groups this would have been a fiasco, then the Rise Against group benefited from this situation.
Soon the musicians presented the new album Siren Song of the Counter Culture to the fans. After the release of the collection, the presentation of lyric videos for the tracks Give It All, Swing Life Away and Life Lessscaring took place. The first gold certificate was in the hands of the musicians.
Success cemented the release of The Sufferer & The Witness. Then there were joint performances with the Billy Talent team from Canada and the My Chemical Romance group.
In 2008, after playing festivals in the UK, Switzerland and Germany, Rise Against presented their new album Appeal to Reason.
Soon the musicians presented a new song Re-Education (Through Labor). The track was accompanied by the release of a video clip. The clip for the first time in the history of the band entered the top three of the Billboard 200.
The fact that the album was successful was evidenced by the number of sales. Fans sold out 64 copies of the new record in the first week. Unlike the "fans", the music critics were not so good-natured. They noted that the tracks became "stale". According to critics, the original energy was no longer felt in the songs.
The musicians were not confused by the opinion of the critics. The band members noted that they are growing up, and their repertoire is “growing up” with them. In subsequent years, the discography of Rise Against was replenished with several more successful records. The collections The Black Market and Wolves deserve considerable attention.
Interesting facts about Rise Against
- All team members are vegetarians. In addition, they support organizations. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Also, everyone except the drummer is a straight edger.
- Rise Against are ardent fans of the political views of Fat Mike, who is a member of the popular band NOFX. He is known for his sympathies for the political left.
- McIlroth has a rare natural feature - heterochromia. His eyes are different colors, his left eye is blue and his right eye is brown. And if modern people perceive this as a zest, then at school the guy was often teased.
- Tim McIlrath is the author of all lyrics for Rise Against.
- Rise Against's tracks have been used in various TV shows, sports, videos and computer games.
Rise Against today
In 2018, the band posted photos and videos on Instagram, which presented the new project The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1. Later, the fans found out that these will be stripped down tracks with alternative instrumental.
The musicians also presented the concert program The Ghost Note Symphonies. In 2019, the most popular songs performed by the musicians of the Rise Against group have already sounded in the United States.
In 2019, it turned out that the musicians were working on recording a new album. Tim McIlrath commented:
“Yes, we write a lot now. But, the main thing that we have now decided is not to rush with the presentation of the album. We will release the compilation when it is ready, and we will not try to meet any deadlines ... ".
In 2020, the musicians presented an extended version of The Black Market. The compilation includes songs: About Damn Time and We Will Never Forget from the single The Eco-Terroristin Me and a Japanese bonus track by Escape Artists.
Rise Against in 2021
The punk rock band delighted fans of their work with the release of their ninth studio album. The record was called Nowhere Generation and was topped by 11 tracks. The musicians noted that the collection cannot be called conceptual. But, one way or another, a number of tracks touch on the theme of a terrifying global heritage.
