Album Reviews

After more than 20 years as one of punk rock’s biggest bands, Rise Against decided it was time for something a little different for album number ten. So they headed into the studio with producer Catherine Marks (boygenius, St. Vincent, Manchester Orchestra) and walked out with something different indeed.

Opener 'Nod' sets the pace in typical Rise Against fashion. Rolling Stone called it a “rallying cry.” Then again, you could say that about most of their songs. What stands out here is the overall sound. For some reason, they’ve made everything super-processed and slapped an effect on Tim’s vocals that leaves them tinny. Not sure who thought this was a good idea... it isn’t.

Things get more baffling with 'I Want It All,' built around a riff that wears out its welcome in 30 seconds and a chorus that doesn’t save it. The title track fares much better, fusing acoustic guitar with electronic touches to create something new yet unmistakably Rise Against. After that, it’s back to "business as usual" with 'Damage Is Done' and 'Us Against The World,' the latter a bit overly dramatic but no real harm done. 'Black Crown,' featuring Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and Jennifer Decilveo with some extra vocal power, is a standout. I wouldn’t have guessed Hull and McIlrath’s voices would mesh, but they do.

Then come two misses. Even though 'Forty Days' packs the solid line “I draw my own damn breath”, the song had me half-expecting Bon Jovi to burst in singing about how he is wanted dead or alive. And calling a song 'State Of Emergency' and then making it sound as urgent as a lukewarm cup of chamomile tea, feels like an inside joke only the band gets. Luckily, the band recovers with the previously released 'Prizefighter' and the piano-and-acoustic-driven 'Gold Long Gone,' another song that teeters on the edge of drowning in pathos but somehow manages to stay afloat.

Rise Against’s tenth album might be the band's most divisive album yet. Credit where it’s due: they took risks. But the overall sound leaves me scratching my head, and I didn’t expect to find this many duds on a record called 'Ricochet'.