Rise Against

Item: Revolutions Per Minute
Author: Gunner

Revolutions Per Minute

(2003)

Reviewed by Gunner

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Label Fat Wreck ChordsDecapolisApril 2003

melodic hardcore punk skate punk

Rise Against formed from the ashes of 88 Fingers Louie and quickly got signed to Fat Wreck Chords with their infectiously melodic hardcore reminiscent of Kid Dynamite and Good Riddance. Revolutions Per Minute is their sophomore effort on Fat Wreck Chords.

Rise Against plays a blend of fast, melodic punk rock and energetic, screamy hardcore. The vocals are what sets this band apart with Tim McIlrath, whose singing style moves seamlessly between singing and screaming without ever completely being one or the other. This provides an extremely energetic overall feel even when the band is playing slowly.

I can't say enough good things about this record, but I'll break it down into the simplest terms. The melodies are infectious while never losing their aggression. This is not pop punk but it is just as catchy. This is not quite hardcore but it has all the energy and power of some of the best hardcore out there. This is not screamo, there is not one hint of emo on this record, but fans of the genre may very well enjoy this as well.

Now for those of you who are already familiar with the band, this album has everything you loved about the band plus some. It sounds better, fuller, tighter, and bigger than their old record, which had a mediocre recording quality. The songs are catchier and yet more powerful than before. It's not really breaking any new ground since their last album, this is mostly just extremely well crafted punk rock.

Lyrically this album does not disappoint, either. Lines like "I have an American dream that involves black masks and gasoline" (Black Masks & Gasoline), "The day I learn to fly, I'm never coming down" (Heaven Knows), "I can't bear the thought of losing, I dread the attention winning brings / And ever since the day I came here I can stand without your strings / I'm so sick of all these people but I'm so scared to be alone / And if this life has taught me anything I forgot it long ago" (Voices Off Camera) are just a hint at the treasures that await you in this album. While some may enjoy more poetic metaphor in their lyrics, Rise Against knows that when your message is good enough, you can say things straight and convey all the power and meaning you need to.

Overall if you're a fan of Fat Wreck bands, or maybe even screamy bands like Thrice, Strike Anywhere, or The Used, this is probably up your alley. It's going to be hard to keep this out of my top 5 of the year.