| Rise Against Appeal To Reason |
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 | Tracklist:
1. "Collapse (Post-Amerika)" - 3:19
2. "Long Forgotten Sons" - 4:01
3. "Re-Education (Through Labor)" - 3:43
4. "The Dirt Whispered" - 3:09
5. "Kotov Syndrome" - 3:04
6. "From Heads Unworthy" - 3:42
7. "The Strength to Go On" - 3:27
8. "Audience of One" - 4:05
9. "Entertainment" - 3:35
10. "Hero of War" - 4:13
11. "Savior" - 4:02
12. "Hairline Fracture" - 4:02
13. "Whereabouts Unknown" - 4:03
Release Date: 10/07/2008 | |
| | other reviews | YeahBaby (4.5)
Its great to know the future of punk rock lies in a band as dedicated to combining the elements of p... | Davey Boy STAFF (4.5)
The same base punk rock aesthetic as always, just in a more melodic and slickly produced package to ... | Corey (4)
Rise Against release yet another solid album and take a step in the right direction . They still nee... | John A. Hanson STAFF (3.5)
A generally great record, featuring some of the best songs Rise Against have written, with perhaps a... | JumpTheF**kUp (2.5)
Musically identical to past works, but lacking the passion that set them above the rest of the pack.... |
On 33 Lists
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| Summary: Appeal To Reason won’t redefine the genre, it won’t be a classic, it won’t be hailed as Rise Against's best album, but it will successfully provide a great fun listen that will have the listener coming back to it every once in a while |
3 of 3 thought this review was well written
After the punk titans from Chicago exploded into the mainstream with their album The Sufferer and the Witness, and help from the Guitar Hero franchise, many of the old fans feared that this would impact the new album. The obvious cry of “They better not sell out” (whatever that really means) could be heard constantly, not really believing it, but more as a prayer to appease the apprehensiveness. Now that Appeal To Reason hit the light, people worrying can sleep better at night.
This album is the natural result of the road the band is playing in. It follows the line established in The Sufferer and the Witness (TSTW), with less hardcore and more melody. Playing with honesty and loving what they do, saying what they want to say, and preventing themselves to be caught in their new found fame. From the first track, Collapse, the band demonstrates that they are still the same band they were in TSTW and that they are still playing their music with the same passion they always did. It is a powerful tune full of energy, that will have you tapping your fingers without even realizing it, and by the time the second chorus comes around you’ll be singing along.
The band however, starts showing signs of “Bad Religion Syndrome”. The syndrome is highlighted by one specific symptom, all the songs start sounding the same. Appeal To Reason doesn’t fall victim to this syndrome in its essence, but it does have something similar to it. In the block of songs between Re-Education and Hero Of War is where this problem takes it's place. The songs kind of flow together, with none standing out much from the rest, and unless you are really listening to the album you can listen to that block of songs and not make out one from the other. Don’t take me wrong, the songs are great individually, are different in certain ways, and even as a group they have their impressive moments, but generally they don’t have much to set them apart. Aside from suffering from a lack of variety, the album also suffers from some inconsistency. It starts off strong, pulling back a little through the middle, and blowing the listener away in the last 4 songs. There are too many mid-tempo songs, and if that wasn’t enough, about 1/3 of the album is lacking the angst and the edge, in Tim’s vocals.
Apart from that, Appeal To Reason is another great Rise Against release, that demonstrates the band is not going anywhere and is still the one we fell in love with. Anyone that still doubts Rise Against ability to still create amazing punk anthems just has to listen to Savior to be proved wrong. The passion for their music is still present, their honesty, and their will to send a message like in the love-or-hate song Hero Of War. An album that will only grow on you, Appeal To Reason won’t redefine the genre, it won’t be a classic, it won’t be hailed as Rise Against's best album, but it will successfully provide a great fun listen that will have the listener coming back to it every once in a while.
Recommended Tracks:
Savior
Collapse (Post-Amerika)
Hero Of War
Whereabouts Unknown
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
As the last news article said, album is streaming in the bands myspace.
www.myspace.com/riseagainst
Enjoy 
Digging: Say Anything - Say Anything | | | Album Rating: 3
I cannot stand Hero of War
[/b]Hero Of War[/b]
fix that also.This Message Edited On 10.05.08
Digging: Brain Banger - Yellow Belly | | | Album Rating: 4
It is definetly a love or hate song. In my case I love it. and thanks for pointing mistake out.This Message Edited On 10.05.08
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
make "rise Against best album" possesive in the summary and end
this album feels like a weird unraveling/siren song lovechild.This Message Edited On 10.05.08
Digging: A Wilhelm Scream - A Wilhelm Scream | | | Album Rating: 3
pretty much more of the same from them. i like it but im getting bored of them playing it safe
Digging: Junius - The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist | | |
hero of war is my fav song off the album right now
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they havent done anything new or interesting for like 4 albumsThis Message Edited On 10.05.08
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Not too intereested in getting this. With Rise Against, I usually really dig 3 or 4 tracks and get sick of all the others really quickly.
Digging: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
| | | Album Rating: 4
definitely a fun listen, but i totally agree with you about the songs starting to sound too similar. Hero of war is a nice change of pace.. i thought the dirt whispers had a sick chorus too.
Digging: Strike Anywhere - Iron Front | | | Album Rating: 3
they havent done anything new or interesting for like 4 albums
they only have 5 albums :S
Haven't listened to this yet, but looking forward to it.
Digging: Earth - Earth 2 | | | Album Rating: 3
they only have 5 albums :S
yea, that's the problem.
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
It's not bad, but it just doesn't grab me. Savior is fucking awesome, and a couple others (Collapse, Entertainment) are a good listen. But a lot of the songs on here are just...well...on here.
Digging: A Wilhelm Scream - A Wilhelm Scream | | |
Some of the riffs and songs sound a hell lot like Bad Reliogion if you ask me. :amaze:
Overall it feels less than Sufferer, for me it goes slightly more into the Siren Song direction. Sounds a lot more melancholic and almost depressed, like they lost all hope they were preaching before...
Anyways, so far, I like it a lot, and a lot more than Sufferer anytime before
Digging: A Wilhelm Scream - A Wilhelm Scream
| | | Album Rating: 4
I was looking for a place in the review to add this while witting it, but I figured I just write it as a comment.
I think the days in which we would hear a State of The Union song from Rise Against are over. We might still get harsh hardcore stuff, but not like that.
| | | Album Rating: 3
State of the Union got me into Rise Against.
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State of the Union is among the best songs they've done.
| | | Album Rating: 3
yep it is. too bad they dont write more songs like that on this or their last album (i think)
| | | Album Rating: 4
A song like that would have made this album much better. It would have given it more variety, a break in the line of "Bad Religion Syndrome" songs, and it would had covered from a song like State of Union that to a song like Hero of War.This Message Edited On 10.05.08
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Actually, the best song by Rise Against for me personal is the cover of Sick Of It All's "Built To Last". It has twice the energy of "State Of The Union", is pissed of as hell and is like the meanest Rise Against you could wish for. Too bad it's not even a song written by them, but performed and interpreted in the best way possible.
| | | Album Rating: 3
That is a pretty gnarly song.
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