Rise Against
The Unraveling

THE REVIEW

Just in the past weeks, their sixth album "Endgame" has been released, but today we will take a journey back in time to 2001, the year that saw the debut of Rise Against with "The Unraveling."

The time elapsed since the release of this album is especially noticeable in terms of sound when compared to the group's latest releases. The only thing this album has in common with their most recent work is having its own title track, unlike the rest of their production.

Here we have four guys from the Chicago hub (one of the nerve centers in the star-spangled scene after the immortal New York and Los Angeles), who bring out of their instruments an honest and straightforward new school punk hardcore without too many frills, getting straight to the point.

The band that most closely resembles them in several respects is surely Strike Anywhere in their early works, although the latter is at least ten steps below Tim McIlrath's group in terms of emotional involvement.

Rise Against are known for the strength of their openers, and here "Alive And Well" holds its own against future releases, being one of the quartet's best tracks even after so many years. This track was also unexpectedly included in the set list of the concert held in London for the presentation of the new album, and broadcasted live on their MySpace.

It can be said that the initial triptych "Alive And Well - My Life Inside Your Heart" and "Great Awakening" brings out the qualities of the combo, also being quite representative of their offering.

However, the list of best tracks would be quite long and it would be difficult to draft a definitive and objective one, but tracks like "401 Kill" with its nice mid-tempo and a worthy ending, "Reception Fades", "Sometimes Selling Out Is Giving Up", or the bonus track "Join The Ranks" will undoubtedly be remembered.

A special note goes to the other bonus, the spectacular "Gethsemane" with its incisive riffing, which after a relatively slow start, picks up speed and explodes with screams that come at just the right moment, exponentially increasing its value. The album turns out to be very varied with brief assaults on the white weapon alternating with paced punk-rock songs, which, however, are not the same thing as those on "Appeal To Reason"!

The only real moment of tranquility on the entire album is the beginning and the brief central break of "Everchanging", the only track with hypothetical radio potential.

What is surprising here is surely the cohesion and maturity achieved by a band that formed not that long ago, with an album that is anything but raw, but rather lays the groundwork for the explosion of the subsequent "Revolutions Per Minute" that picks up where "The Unraveling" left off.

A production that is exactly what it should be for such an album: raw and unpolished, highlighting the abrasive and dry guitar sound, as well as the pounding drumming. Tim McIlrath's voice already shows all its strength here, with a never-static performance, but vocal lines full of nuances and different sensations, capable of shifting within seconds from a warm, clean voice to harsher and more intense tones.

The album that brought the Chicagoans to success, at least in America, will be the third one, but it is interesting to rediscover the origins of a band, but in this case, not for mere statistical reasons. For those who love a less refined and more classic sound, this album could actually be their best.

Make your choice.

Notes:

The album was reissued by Fat Wreck in 2005. In this new edition, there are two bonus tracks. The version I examined is the latter one.