The Black Market

It was almost with a sense of dread that I approached listening to Rise Against’s latest offering.
“Why?” you may ask and if you didn’t, I’ll tell you anyway:  it’s because Rise Against are so popular and now have such commercial appeal that they have seemed to phone in their last 3 or 4 albums. Their fans have lapped it all up anyway and I’m sure the band aren’t miserable in their palaces of gold.

Whether they were aware of this or not, they have moved forward and made one of the best punk records of the year so far. The usual themes are all there: political lyrics, mid-song breakdowns and Tim McIlrath’s I’m-singing-melodically-NOW-I’M-JUST-SCREAMING! vocal style.

The single, I don’t Want To Be Here Anymore is full of angst and energy and is arguably the album’s best song; The Eco-Terrorist In Me’s hardcore element makes it sound like it could be a forgotten track from The Unraveling (the only Rise Against album I simply cannot remove from my iPod) and People Live Here is the token Hero Of War-esque ballad.

All in all it’s 45 minutes well spent. That being said, I’ve just been listening to it on YouTube rather than throw any more money at a band who have had more than enough out of me through the years.