Many people’s knowledge of Rise Against doesn’t stretch further than the angry anthems that spawned out of 2006, including ‘Prayer for the Refugee’ and ‘Ready to Fall’. However, seven albums in, Rise Against are still going strong and delivering their punk, eco-political inspired sound across the World. Latest offering ‘The Black Market’ continues on from where the band left off with ‘Endgame’, and still retains the angst that has filled their songs throughout the years, but can they really pull together another record based on the overwhelming issues of the world?
The titles of some of the tracks on the album certainly boast the idea that a strong social message resides in all of them, with the likes of ‘The Great Die-Off’, ‘The Eco-Terrorist In Me’ and ‘Tragedy + Time’ painting a bleak portrait of what to expect from the outset. ‘The Great Die-Off’ is a suitable opener for the record, elegant strings lead into the fast-paced punk that is Rise Against through and through, and we welcome the gritty tone of Tim McIlrath that has become so familiar over the years.
‘Tragedy + Time’ despite its gloomy title, brings moments of spirit and life within it, we hear words of encouragement, of self-hope, with the track closing on the words “we’ll learn to laugh again”, it’s like a self-help book in a song. And we all need one of those from time to time.
‘Sudden Life’ has a more developed, mature sound compared with the anger-filled tracks that surround the album. It has hints of old Foo Fighters – the good kind – showing how, like the Foos, you can be seven albums in but still create songs that have the ability to fill a stadium with sound and power. ‘Methadone’ takes a similar approach, starting huge and continuing on the anthemic path until the bitter end. It’s certainly one of the highlights off the whole album, alongside closing track ‘Bridges’.
‘The Black Market’ is an interesting mix. In ways it is no different to any of the older material we’ve ever heard from Rise Against, however there are some shining moments throughout – moments that makes you forget you’re listening to just another Rise Against record. They’ve managed to keep the listeners attention without doing anything too extreme, and etained their distinctive sound without it being boring. Let’s face it, not many bands these days are going to be able to follow in Rise Against’s footsteps and receive the same success. So for that, you have to salute them.
TAMSYN WILCE