The group Rise Against was formed in 1999 by members of the defunct band called 88 Fingers Louie as well as from the band Baxter. Their original members would include Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Toni Tintari, and Mr. Precision. Although this was their original member lineup, the group never performed with these members in live performances.

Rise Against

Is this the life that you lead? Or the life that’s lead for you? Will you take the road that has been laid out before you?

The Windy City

The group Rise Against was formed in 1999 by members of the defunct band called 88 Fingers Louie as well as from the band Baxter. Their original members would include Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Toni Tintari, and Mr. Precision. Although this was their original member lineup, the group never performed with these members in live performances. These members would produce their first demo in 2000 called Transistor Revolt and would go on to sign with Fat Wreck Chords. The band would change their name eventually in 2001 to the present Rise Against and would release their full length album called The Unraveling although this did not gain them much success.

The group toured extensively in support of the album and would afterward go back to the studio to begin work on their second album, which would be called Revolutions Per Minute. The album would be released in 2003 and they would go on to tour with  groups such as NOFX, Agnostic Front, and many others all the while participating in the Warped Tour of 2003. After such an extensive tour, the group would be released from their previous record contract and sign with DreamWorks Records in 2003 when they would start recording the album Siren Song of the Counter Culture. The group would then again sign with Geffen Records and then would be able to release the album.

The album would go gold and would be the group’s first album to reach the Billboard 200. The group would receive some warm criticism of the album that was issued mainly in forward looking statements for the group. They would then embark on the tour through North America, Australia, and Europe with a short stay in Japan to support the album release.

Furthering Their Success

Rise Against would take a short break after their extensive tour and immediately go back into the studio for work on their next album. The album was recorded at the studio called the Blasting Room and would be titled The Sufferer and the Witness and would be released on independence day in 2006. This was the band’s most popular release as of yet as it would find its way to number ten on the Billboard 200 and would sell over forty thousand copies in its first week. It was said that this album was more of a return to their original punk rock roots.

This also was an album that was politically confrontational that was said to garner the strength of growing political and social concerns of the younger generations of the United States. The group would release their first DVD that same year, which documents the band’s career in the music industry and their rise to fame. The group would embark on another tour in late 2006 and early 2007 to support both the DVD as well as the album release earlier that year. The group would undergo some lineup changes but be back on tour headlining for their album.

The band was about to release another album and  but first would go on tour through Europe in some of the Scandinavian countries to further their international fan base. Appeal To Reason was eventually in 2008 across the globe and sold over sixty thousand copies in its first week of sales although many critics did not feel it was as good as their previous album.

Many critics would go on to say that their songs concerning the social issues were not filled with much true angst and were merely reaching out to a teeny bop crowd. The group would then go on another American tour to promote the album with groups such as Rancid and Riverboat Gamblers.

Did You Know

• All of the group’s members are vegetarians and are strong supporters of the animal rights group PETA.

• Unlimited Music Access
• Music File Sharing
• Country Based Radio Channels
• Easy, Fast and Safe!
• 100% Free!