Shining a spotlight on the social, political, and economical injustices fracturing our society, Rise Against have spent the better part of three decades utilising punk rock as a force for good. With nine studio albums to their name, each stacked full of unabashedly outspoken songs searing with aggression and driven by melody, they’ve become one of the most vital bands of their generation. Guided by frontman Tim McIlrath’s increasingly desperate lyrical pleas for a kinder world, the 45-year-old’s words have long served as an urgent manifesto for countless music fans exasperated with the state of the world around them.
Zooming in on everything from humanitarianism and political corruption to environmentalism and animal rights, their inability to stand back and ignore the atrocities unravelling around them has seen Rise Against blossom into so much more than a scruffy punk rock band. From the dirty floors of Chicago clubs to stages far bigger than the four-piece ever dreamed, their message has spread far and wide, forging a global community like no other. With a firm focus on unity and a commitment to speak the truths many are afraid to speak, Planet Earth will never be a perfect place, but each new Rise Against track comes with the reminder that if we work together – something better could indeed be possible.
Striving for connection in a world that feels more divided than ever, Tim McIlrath talks Rock Sound through ten of the lyrics he is most proud to have written. “.