Experience Punk Rock With Rise Against

Rise Against is an American band from Chicago, Illinois that has been in the punk rock scene for more than a decade.

Band History

Former members of the bands Baxter and 88 Fingers Louie got together to form a new band called Transistor Revolt. Tim Mcllrath led the band with vocals while Joe Principe and Mr. Precision took on the bass and guitar roles, respectively. Both of these players also provided backup vocals while Toni Tintari handled the drums. Before signing with a record label, the band managed to self-produce a 4-track demo EP called "Transistor Revolt."

This was Toni Tintari's only performance in the band as he left the band shortly after where he was replaced by famous drummer Dan Lumley for a short period of time. Brandon Barnes then became the permanent drummer who still plays for the band today.

A year later, the band signed with independent label Fat Wreck Chords. Prior to the release of their first album, the name of the band changed to Rise Against. "The Unraveling" was the name of their debut album released on April 2001. Mr. Precision left the band after the release and was replaced by Todd Mohney. Work began on their second album titled "Revolutions per Minute" which saw a release in 2003.

2004 was the year where the band decided to pursue their mainstream dreams by signing with Dreamworks Records which led to their third album release titled "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" in 2004. Their record label changed to Geffen Records after the Universal Music Group absorbed Dreamworks.

Todd Mohney left the band after the label changed and Chris Chasse stepped up to be the new guitarist. Chris Chasse remained in the band till 2007 after the fourth Rise Against album was released. After he left, Zach Blair replaced him. The four members proceeded to work on their fifth album and still remain together.

Studio Albums Released

"The Unraveling" is the debut album that was released in 2001 after "Transistor Revolt" changed name. All of the demo tracks in their early EP were rerecorded with Brandon Barnes in action as the drummer. It was reissued in 2005 where the tracks were remixed and remastered. Under the same Fat Wreck Chords label, "Revolutions per Minute" followed where it made it to number 15 of the 2003 Billboard Top Independent Albums.

When the band signed up with Dreamworks label, their third album "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" was recorded. This was considered a major release and it got some average to high feedback from fans and critics. It was their fourth album "The Sufferer the Witness" that earned high success selling over 48,000 copies in its first week of release. Critics didn't like their latest album "Appeal to Reason" as much, but it still managed to sell more copies (64,000+) that week and peaked at number 3.

Rise Against appears to be leaving the underground scene which resulted in mixed reactions amongst fans and critics. On the upside, their generally positive reception makes them prepared for playing in all parts of the world. Rise Against will record another album around fall of 2010 and they will also open up for Green Day to further increase their awareness.