Rise Against - Appeal To Reason

Tearing into action like a punk rock cluster bomb, Appeal to Reason - the fifth offering from Chicago's Rise Against - is a politically charged, incredibly aggressive and surprisingly melodic body of work. Opener Collapse (Post-Amerika) wastes no time in getting the job done with its squealing guitars and ferocious pace. Releasing an album like this on a major always carries the risk of the rough edges and raw power being planed away in favour of slick sounds, but the production here only amplifies the energy. Over songs like Re-education (Through Labor), Long Forgotten Sons and From Heads Unworthy, storming choruses roared by huge walls of collectively sung vocals beg you to crank up the volume. Elsewhere, Hero of War is a bittersweet ballad that cements its place as a highlight with its lyrical bite. Altogether, this is a pure hit of melodic punk adrenaline that is lyrically sound and rarely relents. [Ryan Drever]