Appeal To Reason

Rise Against | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: DGC / Interscope
• ASIN: B001FYRNJQ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,914 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Post Hardcore
  • #24 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Punk Revival
  • #33 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

Chicago's Rise Against is anything but a single-minded musical outfit. An astounding fusion of unhinged power, ear grasping melodies, stimulating lyrics and the ability to reach audienced in both underground and mainstream circles, they have redefined the rules. To date, the band has released four albums plus a rare material EP, and a DVD called Generation Lost. Each of their past two albums have sold just shy of 1/2 million copies in the U.S. with each album garnering three full on Modern Rock radio hits. The first single is 'Reeducation (Through Labor)' hit radio airwaves in August 2008.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best albums of 2008 October 7, 2008

By T. Yurish

Format:Audio CD

Rise Against have nailed it yet again with their third major label album. With powerful vocals and a strong political message, Rise Against have created another masterpiece. They definitely aren't afraid to stray a little from their hardcore style and into a slower, more melodic genre, but they also aren't afraid to express their feelings, and express them well.

I give this album 4.5 stars(can't pick it, but 4 is not enough) because RA have only improved from their last release, and improvement is the greatest virtue in a band's music career. However, the only advice I'd have for the band is to not stray too far from their fast hardcore roots. Mid-tempo songs are good, but I have every confidence that RA will speed up their tempos a little on their next release. However, for now, I commend the band because they've still stayed, for the most part, true to their hardcore/punk roots, while also getting great popular reception with Appeal to Reason.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Appeal to my Ears October 7, 2008

By goatdan

Format:Audio CD

I first heard about Rise Against when they opened for Bad Religion, and I was really surprised by the combination of how fun they were to listen to and watch, as well as how they had lyrics that were written to actually mean something.

With the release of Appeal to Reason, Rise Against continues this trend and refines it. The songs all have a bit of a more radio-friendly sounding edge to them, but the lyrics to the songs are all still clearly more intelligent than your normal 'radio band.' Also, unlike what normally happens with band releases so close to an election, Rise Against manages to avoid harping specifically on their feelings about the candidates and therefore end up with an album that is timeless in nature. The musicality of the group has also improved with songs having a more refined edge to them with less of the more out of control feeling of their earlier albums.

If you're looking for an album that is catchy but has a lot more meaning in it than your average pop-punk album, look no further than this album. If you like songs with meaning to be all about the lyrics and to take second place, you probably won't much care for this album. I think it is amazing though.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Rise Against - Appeal to Reason 8/10 October 7, 2008

By Rudolph Klapper VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Pop-punk has always been a fairly trivial, disrespected genre; even the combination of such wildly divergent descriptors as "pop" and "punk" was more than a little odd. On one hand of the spectrum you had bands like Good Charlotte and Simple Plan, bands that took the rapid-fire, up-tempo rhythms and power-chord angst of their predecessors and paired them with bratty, candy-coated pop song structures and high-pitched sentiments. On the other hand, you had bands that retained the melodic integrity of punk and their poppier brethren but took inspiration from the furious, challenging, and socially conscious hardcore bands of the `80s, such as Fugazi and Bad Religion. As anyone who has listened to Rise Against's previous albums, they fall much more squarely in the latter department, yet with Appeal to Reason, their 5th record, they lean even more into the poppier realm without leaving behind the politically-charged lyrics of their previous releases.

The addition of new guitarist Zach Blair has done nothing to dull their obvious musical fire; opener "Collapse (Post Amerika)" announces itself with a squall of feedback before erupting into a blistering solo and an unrelenting drumbeat as singer Tim McIlrath's vicious yet controlled roar snarls "this is not a test / this is cardiac arrest." One of the most immediately apparent improves on Appeal to Reason is McIlrath's delivery, as the talented vocalist now stays away from the tuneless screaming that often characterized their peers and continues to focus on leading the melody.

Songs like lead single "Re-Education (Through Labor)" and the astounding "The Dirt Whispered" showcase McIlrath's versatility and his ability to overcome the cacophonous storm of the instruments below him. Unfortunately, when he is confronted with songs that never interest musically and the band tinkers too much with the production ("From Heads Unworthy," "The Strength To Go On"), his vocals tend to remind one of a slightly more punkish Nickelback, a comparison that should definitely not be taken as a compliment.

Rise Against have also not forgotten that this is an election year, and the majority of the album reflects their stance that, uh, President Bush sucks. The aforementioned "Collapse" hopes that "this is a chance to set things straight," while the undeniably angry McIlrath rages on "Entertainment" that "all we are is entertainment / caught up in our own derangement / tell us what to say and what to do." And perhaps the most touching song on the record, if not the best, is the mostly acoustic "Hero of War," a song about a soldier, is patriotic and critical at the same time, as all great protest anthems try to be.

And so what Rise Against have produced with Appeal to Reason is at once your typical punk protest record, one that at times blurs together with repetitive bursts of guitar and propulsive, standard hardcore beats, but for the most part stands on its own plateau of McIlrath's righteous indignation, melodies that don't quit, and a sense of energy that is far more tangible and real than that of their mall-punk neighbors. Rise Against are on a streak for a fickle genre of even more fickle fans, and Appeal to Reason is another strong effort by a band on the way to the top of their game.