We Witness, We Suffer (Music #8)

Today I'm going to write about an album that changed my life:
The Sufferer and the Witness.

Rise Against has a long history with me.  First introduced to them by a current bandmate in around 2001 or '02, I simply liked their name.  At the time, I'd been playing guitar and singing for a metal/hardcore band for a bit, and though in retrospect it wasn't much, I had been overwhelmed, being introduced to more music then I could possibly ever assimilate.

Sitting here now in this fine 2012, with 10 years of acquaintance to their music/politics/ideas, and having seen them twice, along with a slough of bands from pretty much any genre you could imagine, things seem a lot different.  It could be the Bridgeport Witch Hunt that I'm drinking, or the fact that this album is currently blasting on my record player (yes, record player), but this is a critically under-appreciated band.  The one pitchfork review trounces them.  This is their major label debut though, so I can sort of understand.  Sort of.  Marc Hogan's writing here is sloppy and lacking much humor, however, despite his finest efforts otherwise.

I first heard Revolutions Per Minute upon release and was immediately drawn to the album.  I had a bit of a musical renaissance after playing in a ska band and a 'nu metal' type band, landing smack dab with some musicians who were into the misfits, black flag, minor threat, and many other real bands that I still listen to.  Anyway, this musical renaissance was brought on by bands like Opeth, In Flames, Thrice, Thursday, Strike Anywhere, Propagandhi, Coheed and Cambria, A Wilhelm Scream, friends in Countdown to Life, Death by Stereo, Boysetsfire, etc.  I was pretty heavy into jogging at the time, and I can't count how many times I was running to RPM.

Their next album was just a year later (they were blowing up fast), a major label release which was a step backward in my opinion.  I listened to it quite a lot still, but I was in major transition.  I had moved to Eugene to start school at the University of Oregon and our band, after having been together for 4 years or so, finally had to give up the ghost.  I lost track of a lot of music at that point.

"Down beyond those city streets through gutters filled with black debris..."  Starts the album.  Though released in 2006, I doubt I got into this album until early 2007, sometime after my rough breakup with Olivia.  To be honest, I think I listen to this album more now than I did in the oughts.

The lyrics are nice and socially conscious.  I think it's probably musically the most solid all-around Rise Against album.

"Deep inside these burning buildings voices die to be heard, years we spent teaching a lesson we ourselves have never learned," from Prayer of the Refugee.


References
Film

Literature/Websites
-Activism on band website
-Band Website here
-Review of "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" at Pitchfork
-Rise Against Youtube channel
-Sputnik Rise Against

Music
Rise Against Discography (Listed in chronological order)
-The Unraveling, Rise Against, 2001
-Revolutions Per Minute, Rise Against, 2003
-Siren Song of the Counter Culture, Rise Against, 2004
-The Sufferer and the Witness, Rise Against, 2006
-Appeal To Reason, Rise Against, 2008
-Endgame, Rise Against, 2011