10-28-2008, 12:15 PM
When I heard the first single, “Re-Education (Through Labor),” on the radio, I thought I would be disappointed with “Appeal to Reason.” When you consider how amazing “The Sufferer and the Witness” was, it would be almost impossible for Rise Against to top it in the next album, and they don’t here. In fact, in terms of quantity of standout tracks, this could very well be their worst album since “The Unraveling,” but an album disappointing for Rise Against is still better than what just about any other punk band can put out.
1. Collapse (Post-Amerika) 10/10: Let’s just call the song “Collapse,” makes more sense considering the chorus, and it isn’t misspelled. It’s one of the better songs on the album, a really strong opener. The chorus is especially heavy and catchy.
2. Long Forgotten Sons 6/10: This has got to be the most forgettable #2 track of any Rise Against album, but it’s still not technically a bad song.
3. Re-Education (Through Labor) 7/10: I like the energy of this first single, the structure too, but the lyrics are subpar for Rise Against, absolutely loaded with clichés and with a message so vague that it makes no point at all.
4. The Dirt Whispered 6/10: This song reminds me a lot of “Under the Knife” from the last album, more of a mid-tempo song than an all-out rocker. It works very well as a change of pace. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think the lyrics work very well on this one either.
5. Kotov Syndrome 6/10: This song has a rather simple and catchy chorus, which helps to make it one of the initial favorites, but I also think it’s one of those songs that will get worse with repeated listens due to its simplicity. In fact, I’m on the third listen, and I already like it less.
6. From Heads Unworthy 6/10: Now just the opposite: a complex song with minimal initial catchiness. The song would seem to be about the purpose of the band being to sway the audience to be proactive, a personal song in that sense.
7. The Strength to Go On 8/10: While not a spectacular song, this one has pretty good lyrics, energy, catchiness, and a little vocal trick on “On.” Actually, that part gets kind of annoying.
8. Audience of One 9/10: On the last album, the slower songs were terrible and felt added just to have something in the same vein as “Swing Life Away.” This time, the slower songs are some of the best ones on the album, including “Audience of One” here. It’s a coming of age song, and it seems very sincere and personal, and though slow, it’s not pop-punkish.
9. Entertainment 7/10: The song starts off very well, but the chorus is pretty dumb, and the carousel music in the bridge sounds very tacky.
10. Hero of War 10+/10: This is easily the best acoustic track Rise Against has done, and it might just be the best song of the year by any band. I saw them live a few weeks ago, and I heard it the first time live. They threatened to close with it, didn’t, but it could make a great closer at some point in their tours. When this one hits the radio, it’s going to be huge.
11. Savior 8/10: It’s a catchy song, and it’s refreshingly non-activist oriented, but it comes dangerously close to entering pop-punk territory.
12. Hairline Fracture 7/10: The chorus is kind of a letdown, but the song is still good, complex, and with a lot of potential to grow on you. The harmonies are a nice touch.
13. Whereabouts Unknown 9/10: For the last two albums, the closer was the best song, but that’s not the case here. It’s the vagueness of the imagery and the message that really hurts it, just like a lot of the album, but other than that, a lot of neat shifts, catchiness, the telegraph noises in the background, the hardcore screams… a lot to love about this song.
14. Historia Calamitatum 7/10 *Import Bonus Track*: I think it’s literally about natural disasters and rebuilding from them, but like most of the album, it’s hard to tell. It could be about the “floods” of drinking, like “Dancing for Rain,” but that might be a stretch. Honestly, it’s probably not worth buying the import for this song, but it’s not bad, and I’m glad I got it.
Overall, this is one of the best albums of the year, musically, vocally, and lyrically impressive, but still, not the best Rise Against has done. The lyrics are too vague and cliché on too many songs, and the melodies aren’t as catchy or memorable as the ones on their previous albums. The biggest kudos go to how solid this album is (as you can see by my rankings, not really a bad song on it), and of course, how very special “Hero of War” is.
1. Collapse (Post-Amerika) 10/10: Let’s just call the song “Collapse,” makes more sense considering the chorus, and it isn’t misspelled. It’s one of the better songs on the album, a really strong opener. The chorus is especially heavy and catchy.
2. Long Forgotten Sons 6/10: This has got to be the most forgettable #2 track of any Rise Against album, but it’s still not technically a bad song.
3. Re-Education (Through Labor) 7/10: I like the energy of this first single, the structure too, but the lyrics are subpar for Rise Against, absolutely loaded with clichés and with a message so vague that it makes no point at all.
4. The Dirt Whispered 6/10: This song reminds me a lot of “Under the Knife” from the last album, more of a mid-tempo song than an all-out rocker. It works very well as a change of pace. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think the lyrics work very well on this one either.
5. Kotov Syndrome 6/10: This song has a rather simple and catchy chorus, which helps to make it one of the initial favorites, but I also think it’s one of those songs that will get worse with repeated listens due to its simplicity. In fact, I’m on the third listen, and I already like it less.
6. From Heads Unworthy 6/10: Now just the opposite: a complex song with minimal initial catchiness. The song would seem to be about the purpose of the band being to sway the audience to be proactive, a personal song in that sense.
7. The Strength to Go On 8/10: While not a spectacular song, this one has pretty good lyrics, energy, catchiness, and a little vocal trick on “On.” Actually, that part gets kind of annoying.
8. Audience of One 9/10: On the last album, the slower songs were terrible and felt added just to have something in the same vein as “Swing Life Away.” This time, the slower songs are some of the best ones on the album, including “Audience of One” here. It’s a coming of age song, and it seems very sincere and personal, and though slow, it’s not pop-punkish.
9. Entertainment 7/10: The song starts off very well, but the chorus is pretty dumb, and the carousel music in the bridge sounds very tacky.
10. Hero of War 10+/10: This is easily the best acoustic track Rise Against has done, and it might just be the best song of the year by any band. I saw them live a few weeks ago, and I heard it the first time live. They threatened to close with it, didn’t, but it could make a great closer at some point in their tours. When this one hits the radio, it’s going to be huge.
11. Savior 8/10: It’s a catchy song, and it’s refreshingly non-activist oriented, but it comes dangerously close to entering pop-punk territory.
12. Hairline Fracture 7/10: The chorus is kind of a letdown, but the song is still good, complex, and with a lot of potential to grow on you. The harmonies are a nice touch.
13. Whereabouts Unknown 9/10: For the last two albums, the closer was the best song, but that’s not the case here. It’s the vagueness of the imagery and the message that really hurts it, just like a lot of the album, but other than that, a lot of neat shifts, catchiness, the telegraph noises in the background, the hardcore screams… a lot to love about this song.
14. Historia Calamitatum 7/10 *Import Bonus Track*: I think it’s literally about natural disasters and rebuilding from them, but like most of the album, it’s hard to tell. It could be about the “floods” of drinking, like “Dancing for Rain,” but that might be a stretch. Honestly, it’s probably not worth buying the import for this song, but it’s not bad, and I’m glad I got it.
Overall, this is one of the best albums of the year, musically, vocally, and lyrically impressive, but still, not the best Rise Against has done. The lyrics are too vague and cliché on too many songs, and the melodies aren’t as catchy or memorable as the ones on their previous albums. The biggest kudos go to how solid this album is (as you can see by my rankings, not really a bad song on it), and of course, how very special “Hero of War” is.