Every year a plethora of music is poured into the market, one hit wonders and fresh takes from old contenders battling it out with new industry upstarts. Unfortunately for consumers and artists alike, not all of this music is created equal. Many of the albums entering into this battle fall tragically short of great, casualties of mediocrity and uninspired concepts. At the same time a few do rise to the occasion and deliver something with lasting impact and importance.
The latest release from veterans of the punk scene Rise Against, a full length album titled Endgame, is a pleasant surprise that gives me hope for the future of music. Not only is it musically sound, the album has a real purpose, delivering important messages to the masses. Endgame takes punk music back to its roots, back to a time when it was about politics and activism.
“Help is on the way”, the second track, is an ode to the catastrophic flooding in Louisiana earlier this year. The song carries the stories of desperation and the sense of abandonment shared by all the victims of the event. It can also be interpreted to represent the BP oil spill or even the gulf war. No matter how you choose to interpret the song, its message of human suffering is evident.
The next track, “Make It Stop (September’s Children)”, starts ominously with the sound of children humming before the blunt opening line “bang bang go the coffin nails”. This song was written in remembrance of the homosexual youths who killed themselves in response to being violently bullied and mistreated by their peers. Rise Againsts’ lead singer, Tim Mcllrath, wrote the song to bring attention to the suicides that tragically rose in September of 2010. The song ends with his voice calling out the names of the victims: Tyler Clementi, age 18, Billy Lucas, age 15, Harrison Chase Brown, age 15, Cody J. Barker, age 17, and Seth Walsh, age 13.
Rise Against lights a fire in the hearts of listeners with their we’re-all-in-this-together attitude on the albums fifth track, “Satellite”. It starts out at a medium pace, picking up speed and intensity as the message of standing ones ground is repeated. This is a personal favorite of mine on the album as it creates a sense of hope and possibilities against all odds.
The entire album of 12 tracks has been playing in my car since its release and while having a great sound and powerful meaning, they are far from “holier than thou” and lean more towards the “we can all do more to help” feeling in their lyrics. It’s a political and social message calling on all who listen to get involved in the world around you, not just when tragedy strikes but, to be proactive and that is what I love about the c.d. and this band!
If you or someone you know is being bullied because of of their sexuality visit www.itgetsbetter.org even if you don’t know someone it is a real problem and we need to get the word out that there is NEVER an excuse to abuse another person… too many young people have died already… when you go on the site you will have an option to take a pledge stating this: “THE PLEDGE: Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I’ll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I’ll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that “It Gets Better.
To get involved in other projects and help out in your community and the world visit http://www.riseagainst.com/activism to find links for disaster relief and many other topics that give you an opportunity to help make our world a better place for all.
