Rise Against Teeters On The Brink of a Fall

The boys in Chicago's brethren Rise Against sure don't sound like happy campers if the none too subtle hints dropped on "I Don't Wanna Be Here Anymore" are any indication of the color of their collective mood ring. Right out front I'm impressed with how they shift gears from the opening notes which feature your standard solid rock crispiness to the sawed off aggression influential bands like Blag Flag would approve of wholeheartedly. At that moment MPH is front and center on their priority list. Toss in how fed up they are with the way the world is spinning and you'll hear my point of how Rise Against is ready to turn in its walking papers and exit the planet Earth. Vocalist Tim McIlrath gives wing to his outfit's frustration. For many of us getting out of bed in the morning, positive motivation in hand is no mean feat. On quite a few rungs higher than the so called so many words Tim kicks those makeshift reasons and rationales to the curb. Existential angst has him and his mated by the nut sack. The oxygen gets thinner. The walls grow thin. Were it not for the regular tempo change-ups throughout "I Don't Wanna Be Here Anymore" you could easily dismiss this effort is Willy Loman Death of a Salesman ranting, the screeches of an oaf with too much pride to go quietly but not enough backup support to carry through on his threats of tangible change in his life or that of anyone else around him. Whatever intensity level you crave, it's right here. You're also granted passages where you can catch your breath long enough to confirm that yes, Tim's really that out on the last limb. At the bridge Zach Blair draws blood and snidely allows it to run deep without so much as a hint of calling in the ambulance squad for help. Reliable as always drummer Brandon Barnes pounds the message home in case it hadn't sunk in convincingly enough already. Tim's dismissive tone isn't necessarily uncommon. This earth has been labeled paradise, but many of us "endure" as Tim does. Often it feels like a paradise in which the haves slap the have-nots around which requires you have a steel will to get through let alone partake of any of the sumptuous scenery. Tim doesn't find anything worth staying for. That's not an encouraging sign. Many attempts at suicide likely start with this harrowing if not necessarily reality-based claim. Many of us try to "fight the good fight". We play by society's role hoping somewhere perseverance topped off with a healthy dose of moral fiber will elevate us to bigger and possibly better things. The hope and illusion don't likely match though. "I Don't Wanna Be Here Anymore" comes to us from the forthcoming "The Black Market" release. This first salvo certainly has the black sphere of darkness covered. Joe Principe locks in his bass to eviscerate mode. No prisoners can expect to be taken. Their group exhaustion is hard to miss. Tim awaits his rebirth but realizes he has to disappear to get those seeds sown. Another common artistic theme is the search to locate "a better way". I don't think in the 43 years and change period I've been rotating on the planet with y'all that I've ever gotten some clarification on what that better way is comprised of. No quibble I guess. Simply added fuel to Rise Against's inextinguishable fire. Conceptually it's been said before. Musically it spews plenty of venom. It's delivered in a prickly package you'll cotton to before the last chords play out. "I Don't Wanna Be Here" wants to capture your attention for the fleeting time you and I have to pay attention to much of anything substantive. Their artfully manipulated meltdown is worth sticking around for.