Given the amount of truly memorable, treasured songs they’ve written in their career, it almost seems odd that this is only Rise Against’s sixth album. They’re very much ensconced as venerable veterans. Having notched three Gold-certified albums in the US since leaving Fat Wreck for a major label, the Chicago quartet have never compromised in terms of lyrical or musical style and integrity. They’ve impressively evolved as recording artists and songwriters in this time, creating records that appeal to the masses but never pander to a trite concept or formula of what ‘should’ be popular. Put simply: they break the template of achieving mainstream success as a punk band. Having set such standards, it’s perhaps unsurprising that ‘Endgame’ is a brilliant record. It’s an album in which frontman Tim McIlrath delivers some of his most compelling lyrical work. It’s an album drenched in hugely anthemic, melodic movements that could bring stadium crowds to a frenzy while never deviating from a punk blueprint. Opening with ‘Architects’, a galloping punk rock song with a typically catchy chorus and rabble-rousing middle eight about retaining youthful idealism, McIlrath sings the line: “Do you remember when you were young, how you wanted to set the world on fire?”, much like Against Me!’s ‘Teenage Anarchist’ but without the ironic resignation to the world’s realities as one grows older. It’s a brilliant statement of intent for things to come from a band who have consistently balanced an ethical world-view with an awareness (and concern) about the shortcomings of politics in their nation and a proud empathy for their country and its people. –RS
