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The band got together in 1999, combining members of independents 88 Fingers Louie and Pinhead Circus, as well as Baxter, to form a band the likes of which have never been seen. So they called themselves Rise Against.

This is quite a fitting name for a band that led the charge to oust George W. Bush from office during the 2004 election in cooperation with Punk Voter, an interest group founded by Fat Mike of former label Fat Wreck Chords to engage the youth vote.

Divorcing politics from music is impossible with this foursome, as vocalist Tim McIlrath said in a November interview.

“Our message is in our lyrics. We don’t have an agenda per se, because there are enough people in life that are trying to get you to subscribe to a belief or tell what to think. We sing about and encourage self-improvement, awareness of the world around us, and self-respect, not letting yourself get stepped on.”

The message McIlrath promotes is plainly exhibited on Siren Song, with standout tracks such as “State of the Union” with lines like “Countdown, to the very end, /Equality, an invitation that we wont extend / Ready aim, pull the trigger now, / in time, you firmly secure your place in hell.”

McIlrath’s lyrics are complemented nicely by his unique hushed-to-yelling voice, leading the listener to feel emotional strain and empathy in every line.

Although I am partial to the lyrics, what keeps Siren Song in my head and my CD spinning are the melodies. Many songs bear traditional punk, bass-dependent, upbeat hooks, but the album also moves in a progressive direction, where some songs feature ballad-like sound.

Said founding member and bassist Joe Principe about the songs: “It’s hard to pinpoint what bands like
Bad Brains and Minor Threat did. They took what they were doing and separated themselves from everyone else. And that’s what I wanted from this band.”

In another interview concerning Siren Song, Tim McIlrath again weighed in with his opinion of Rise Against’s sound.

“Joe comes from more of an old-school background,” he said. “He grew up with Bad Brains, Articles of Faith, SNFU, all the hard-core stuff. And I liked Fugazi, the more melodic, early-’90s emo like Cap’n Jazz, Braid and Friction. We were wondering how this would all work. I mean, it should’ve been a train wreck.”

What emerged from the intermingling of musical styles, though, is something the band has come to perfect after three albums. The Unraveling, Rise Against’s first record, highlighted Tim’s vocals but proved nothing extraordinary. The 2003 release of the band’s sophomore album Revolutions Per Minute, however, was responsible for the formulation of the Rise Against sound. As a result, it landed the band on the 2003 Vans Warped Tour.

This brings us full circle to Siren Song of the Counter Culture. The disc is not as hard as the band’s previous recordings, but it works to the band’s advantage. With songs such as “Swing Life Away” and “Life Less Freighting,” the listener gets a dose of hope in alternative rock’s overcrowded depression alley.

“What we were talking about is that a lot of the songs are about a time in life,” McIlrath said, “where you find yourself at a crossroads, making decisions that are going to shape the rest of your life.”

I recommend you pick up this album; it has provided me with hours of enjoyment. If you are skeptical and looking to download, though, the tracks I mentioned are wonderful. You may also want to find “Paper Wings,” “Anywhere But Here,” or “Like the Angel” č a few of my personal favorites.

As of now, Rise Against is in the middle of a North American tour with dates at the Quest Club on April 9 in promotion of Siren Song, with aspirations to work on another album this fall.