The group, based on the former hardcore bands Baxter and 88 Fingers Louie, formed by the main vocalist Tim McIlrath from the first one, and John Principe and Dan Wielklinski, has become a real icon for a narrow circle of fans of both hardcore rock and political punk.
Some critics even called Rise Against as the rare case of the political punk band's success. For sure, political punk is not a musical genre per se. This definition of the group arose thanks to the sense of their lyrics. Thus, the texts are often highly social by the context and encourage listeners to think about actual social, moral, and political problems. If we describe in more detail the sound of the band, then a general description of the band as hard punk would be appropriate. Also, to clarify the sound, they use such concepts as hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. All these thanks to the typical punk tempo and vocal style. In turn, melodic hardcore is called a subspecies of punk, which differs with a dense concentration on guitar riffs and a wide variety of guitar parts.
On all the band's releases, since 2001, the musical composition has remained practically unchanged. The only position that underwent changes until 2007 was the lead guitar. So, let's take a closer look at the current and past line-up of the group for a better understanding of the concept of melodic hardcore. As of fall 2020, the group consists of the following four members:
Timothy McIlrath - lead vocals and rhythm guitar;
Joe Principe - bass and occasional backing vocal;
Brandon Barnes - drums and percussion;
Zack Blair - lead guitar, occasional backing vocal (2007 - present).
Also, we separately note the list of former members of the group:
Kevin White, who was the first rhythm guitarist of the band during the very first years of its existence, and also tried himself as a lead guitarist for a few months, and several lead guitarists: Dan Wieklinski, Todd Mohney, Chris Chasse.
The future members of the group first met in 1999, while Tim had good vocal abilities, which amazed the rest of the group and invited him to the group. To start a musical career, Tim dropped out of the university where he studied at that time. At first, it was difficult for the musicians to get along all together since the instrumentalists played faster than Tim used to sing along. Nevertheless, already in 2000, Rise Against was playing its debut EP, which attracted considerable attention from the local punk community, including Fat Mike. The first releases of the group took place based on the independent platform Fat Wreck Chords. At the same time, the musicians chose a rather catchy name for their band. The musicians began recording their debut studio album at the end of 2000 and finished in the spring of 2001. The musicians themselves remember this period as a time of hard work on their music.
Although the first album was well received by the local punk community, it did not bring the band the popularity they were waiting for. That is not the situation when guys had an explosive start at the same time. Over two years, the band's line-up settled down, various changes took place, and then, the guys released their second studio album in turn. This album, like the first, failed to create hits that would soar to the top of the American charts; however, the album was marked by some independent publications, which allowed the group to gain some primary popularity and go on their first North American tour. The real popularity of Rise Against began to acquire at the time when the label Dreamworks Records expressed some interest in them. This decision was received ambiguously in the Chicago punk community, where the group was from originally. Anyway, this decision was taken bearing in mind that this label was the most unbiased of all big publishers of those days. Weighing all pros and cons, the group decided to make this necessary for the future popularity step.
Several tours, collaborations with successful bands, and the support of front producers and record companies allowed the group to find its niche. So, from the third to the fifth album, the group expanded its popularity and began to give world tours, which allowed it to become a truly international group. At the same moment, the lyrics of the group become even more acute, drawing more and more attention to the surrounding problems. In 2011, the sixth album was released, called Endgame. Together with the issues described in previous albums, ecology threatens, homophobia, and the political agenda of 2010-2012 were added to the band's lyrics. Also, in 2013, the group performed for the first time on the African continent, where it became the headliner of local festivals. The band was gaining a significant fanbase in virtually every corner of the world at this time. The group decides to take a short break soon after the RSA performances.
The group's exit from this kind of respite commemorated the modern stage of the group's activity. Rise Against has released two more albums over the past six years. The group has been moderately active, giving concerts constantly, mainly in the North American continent for all these years. It is worth noting that the group left a significant mark on popular culture as their songs were used in many films and video games. The group is not going to end their career, despite the growing political activity in recent years, and have already announced their next tour, which will take place in continental Europe in mid-2021.
