Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness

Rise Against
The Sufferer & the Witness
Geffen Records
Grade: A-

On Rise Against’s second major label release, and fourth full-length overall, the Chicago-based outfit continue their onslaught of political punk songs refreshing wrapped in catchy aggression. From their initial beginnings from dissolved Chicago punk bands, their two Fat Wreck albums and 2004’s Siren Song of the Counter Culture, countless tours, and now The Sufferer & the Witness, Rise Against has only seemed to get better, tighter, and more respected. Of course, being an aggressive punk band on a major label has its pitfalls amongst the scene, but Rise Against has mostly insulated themselves from criticism by simply continuing to play terrific music. The Sufferer has the terse and concise intensity you desire just spread across an immaculately recorded set of songs. The Geffen promotion machine has already bombarded you with the exceptional “Ready to Fall,” but the Sufferer is a solid record through and through, with little reliance on one-trick ponies. Opener “Chamber the Cartridge” does a superb job of setting the stage for the next twelve songs with a catchy chorus, while the follower “Injection” literally injects you with an adrenaline shot and picks up perks from a quasi-tripping tempo breakdown. Further, “Under the Knife” comes at you with a now familiar chorus; “The Approaching Curve” wraps soft melody over a traditional punk song technique of distorted background talking that launches into a chorus; while “Behind Closed Doors,” “Drones,” “Worth Dying For,” and the fabulous closer “Survive” are a set of hard-hitting and memorable numbers. Clearly, The Sufferer & the Witness is one of the top punk records of 2006.