Rise Against
Appeal to Reason

THE REVIEW

That the Rise Against have increased their potential listener base with each album, reaching the ears of many, is a fact. Despite this, the band's proposal has always remained captivating, although something is beginning to change, and "Appeal To Reason" is the proof of it.

Not that our guys have turned to reggae, but there is a noticeable lightening of tones in favor of tracks more oriented towards mid-tempo and melody at the expense of sharp guitars, screams, and detonating drum parts in classic four-four time.

Naturally, the distinctive traits of the Chicago group remain evident, although here they are diluted and freeze-dried compared to the recent past in a punk rock that, however, does not lack modern-rock nuances and only rare hints of past melodic hc (the excellent "Kotov Syndrome" and the daring opener "Collapse (Post Amerika)").

But the present is represented by tracks such as "Re-Education (Through Labour)" and "Audience of one", straddling rock and melodic punk.

The tracks that present something new are "Entertainment" with its sudden accelerations and an vaguely folkloric interlude complete with accordion, and the finale "Whereabouts unknown" a sort of "Dancing for rain" pt.2, which brings water to the mill where McIlrath's vocal lines are more captivating and inspired than the average of the tracks.

An album still quite varied in the styles it proposes, capable of moving from playful tracks with decidedly catchy choruses like "Saviour" or "The dirt whispered" to more lively and unsettling tones like the already mentioned "Entertainment" to more intimate and reflective parts such as in the touching acoustic episode of "Hero of war", now a fixed appointment in the latest releases of the combo.

The only criticism that can be made regarding the creation of this album is the almost total abandonment of the screamed parts that have always added an extra march to the compositions, and "Whereabouts unknown" with its pyrotechnic and dizzying finale with its screamed and powerful parts is unfortunately the demonstration that for the future Rise Against might need to reconsider this choice.

An album that, even if it may not present ingenious finds in all the 13 tracks plus bonus track, despite many critical opinions scattered around the web, still manages to fulfill its primary purpose, which is to offer half an hour of entertainment, allowing us to escape from the worries of daily life for a while.

Approved, despite the fact that the three previous albums continue to have an extra edge.