Review: Rise Against - The Black Market
[Interscope Records; 2014]
Rating: 7.5/10
By Ethan Forness
Key Tracks: “Tragedy + Time,” “Zero Visibility,” “People Live Here”
There’s a lot that can be said about Rise Against’s growth over the years. The Chicago-based activist punks have been the poster children of consistency, releasing six albums of pure unadulterated noise laced with underlying themes covering every aspect of the political spectrum. Rise Against has been everything but melodic--that all changes on the band’s seventh studio album, The Black Market. Having been through a plethora of guitarists since the band’s inception in 1999, it seems as though front man Tim McIlrath and current guitarist Zach Blair, a six-year veteran of the band, have engineered a new sound somewhat unfamiliar to long-time fans.
The “new” sound Rise Against brings to the table isn’t the only change from its usual patented style of punk with a purpose. The Black Market has a seemingly much more personal connection to vocalist Tim McIlrath. McIlrath has never been known for great control of his voice, characterized by a natural growl in nearly every note, but each lyric on this album carries with it a palpable tone of desperation and raw emotion. Chill-inducing anthems such as “Sudden Life” fully display the changes Rise Against has made.
Rise Against also tackles some personal demons, such as matters of the heart and the effects of depression with tracks like “The Black Market” and “Tragedy + Time.” Despite the song’s melancholy subject matter, “Tragedy + Time” has a positive message. “Nothing matters when the pain is all but gone / When you are finally awake / Despite the overwhelming odds, tomorrow came,” exclaims McIlrath as the song shifts from the darkest depths of depression and progresses into a happy ending.
The Black Market already possesses an element that the band’s 2011 effort, Endgame, lacked. “People Live Here” represents the band’s first acoustic track since “Hero Of War” on 2008 album, Appeal To Reason. Much like “Hero Of War,” “People Live Here” is a strong and effective activist song but shares the same personal and repeat-worthy element that the ever-popular “Swing Life Away” displayed on Siren Song Of The Counter-Culture in 2004.
15 years with Rise Against have been a fantastic ride, but the same musical style over six albums admittedly became rather stale in spite of the respectable causes the band has supported. Yet with miniscule arrangement changes in guitar melodies and the personal touch of McIlrath’s voice, The Black Market provides a breath of fresh air to tenured fans and gives the group a more approachable feel to a new generation of listeners. Rise Against, master of the metaphor, steps up to the plate after a disappointing 2011 release and absolutely delivers in 2014.
