Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
If ever there was a year to release a political punk album it was 2008, when the U.S. was consumed by the wildest presidential campaign in modern history. It seems like the perfect backdrop for Rise Against to release Appeal to Reason, their third major-label record, and in a way it is -- certainly, the group rages against the moral decay rotting the core of the U.S. on the opening "Collapse (Post-Amerika)," just as they strike out against the slow dumbing down of America on "Re-Education (Of Labor)" and tell Iraqi soldier stories on "Hero of War." The latter showcases the acoustic guitars that helped goose 2006's The Sufferer & the Witness into the Billboard Top Ten but the rest boast the manic rapid-fire hardcore delivery that hearkens back to Rise Against's politically minded forefathers Bad Religion. This balance of plaintive modern folk and carefully traditional protest punk is offset by Rise Against's increasingly strong fondness for heavy, slick production, the kind where the rhythms are too tight and the guitars overdriven and clean, the kind where it sounds more like '80s metal than '80s punk. Rise Against is hardly the only modern punk band to be weighed down by this contradiction -- it's entirely too devoted on chops and gear, Guitar Center punk -- but it stings a little more with them as their ambitions, smarts, and skills are higher than their peers. They seem like they shouldn't have such a beefy, big sound, particularly as it obscures their message, giving the group a weird dichotomy: they are clean, accomplished musicians and sincere, socially conscious rockers but those two halves don't complement each other well, at least not on the well-intentioned Appeal to Reason.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Tim McIlrath, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Brandon Barnes, ComposerLyricist - CHRIS LORD-ALGE, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rise Against, MainArtist - Ted Jensen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Keith Armstrong, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Brad Townsend, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bill Stevenson, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Berlin, Producer, Engineer, Additional Producer, StudioPersonnel - Jason Livermore, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Timothy Mcilrath, ComposerLyricist - Zach Blair, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Principe, ComposerLyricist - Lee Miles, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chad Price, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Nik Karen, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Felipe Patino, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 DGC Records
Album review
If ever there was a year to release a political punk album it was 2008, when the U.S. was consumed by the wildest presidential campaign in modern history. It seems like the perfect backdrop for Rise Against to release Appeal to Reason, their third major-label record, and in a way it is -- certainly, the group rages against the moral decay rotting the core of the U.S. on the opening "Collapse (Post-Amerika)," just as they strike out against the slow dumbing down of America on "Re-Education (Of Labor)" and tell Iraqi soldier stories on "Hero of War." The latter showcases the acoustic guitars that helped goose 2006's The Sufferer & the Witness into the Billboard Top Ten but the rest boast the manic rapid-fire hardcore delivery that hearkens back to Rise Against's politically minded forefathers Bad Religion. This balance of plaintive modern folk and carefully traditional protest punk is offset by Rise Against's increasingly strong fondness for heavy, slick production, the kind where the rhythms are too tight and the guitars overdriven and clean, the kind where it sounds more like '80s metal than '80s punk. Rise Against is hardly the only modern punk band to be weighed down by this contradiction -- it's entirely too devoted on chops and gear, Guitar Center punk -- but it stings a little more with them as their ambitions, smarts, and skills are higher than their peers. They seem like they shouldn't have such a beefy, big sound, particularly as it obscures their message, giving the group a weird dichotomy: they are clean, accomplished musicians and sincere, socially conscious rockers but those two halves don't complement each other well, at least not on the well-intentioned Appeal to Reason.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:12
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Rise Against
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2008 DGC Records ℗ 2008 DGC Records
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.