Rise Against were once synonymous with teenage political angst, sitting alongside other pop-punk titans on Fat Wreck Chords and Geffen, spitting pithy punk slogans like Rage Against the Machine, verbose and outspoken while Blink 182 were goofing off. While never gaining the underground status of Against Me! or the world-conquering resurrection of Green Day, the band’s been remarkably consistent, keeping the flame of the 2000s alive with killer choruses, throaty breakdowns and polished riffs. This year’s new offering, ‘Wolves’, does nothing to change the Rise Against formula that’s served them well for 20 years, but that’s unlikely to deter their fans; the well-honed, pop-tinged punk throwbacks are still as earnest as ever, the perfect gateway drug for young minds searching for some political awareness and reality in their radio rock.
Wed 1 Nov at O2 Academy 2, 16-18 Horse Fair, Birmingham B1 1DB, 7.30pm, £32 seetickets.com
Words: Chris Donald - Gigs Editor
Published on: Fri 3 Nov 2017