Jobie Reviews Music 148: Nowhere Generation (album) by Rise Against
- ChemicalSkylines
- Jun 4, 2021
- 2 min read
Nowhere Generation is a 2021 punk rock album by the band Rise Against. It is 11 tracks long, encompassing 41 minutes and 44 seconds of music. The album features the band’s first example of original material since 2017’s Wolves, (The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol.1 does not count as original material, since all 10 tracks on the album were covers of previous Rise Against tracks) with the band coming back as fierce as ever.
The album is musically similar to the aforementioned Wolves, but still retains its identity as the band going in a new direction with its sound. You certainly wouldn’t hear a track like “Nowhere Generation” on Wolves, which is a considerably more melodic track than the tracks on that album. The energy from Wolves is still retained on this album, with the track “Sounds Like '' being a particularly good example of the band continuing their energetic sound. Also, fans of Siren Song of the Counter-Culture are in for a treat with the track “Sooner or Later”, which I am not going to spoil in this review.
Most tracks on the album contain political messages, with Tim McIlrath himself commenting on the album’s message as being about the “American dream”. These messages are delivered in a well executed manner, with the band expertly delivering its message with effective punk rock melodies.
“Nowhere Generation” was also one of the 4 singles released before the album was officially released. It certainly deserves to be a single, since it’s very representative of the album’s memorable sound. The track discusses the current generation’s ability to outperform the previous one in terms of political rallying and change, with lyrics like “We are a credible threat to the rules you set/A cause to be alarmed” clearly illustrating the track’s encouragement of listeners to make a change in the political landscape.
“Sounds Like” is one of the most memorable moments on the entire album, with the track featuring an incredible riff-and even a breakdown-towards the end of its runtime. The track is one of the most energetic tracks on the album, matching the energy of tracks like “Bullshit” from Wolves.
Of course, not all of the tracks on this album follow a more melodic punk rock sound. Such is the case with the track “Forfeit”, which is a track which contains mostly acoustic instrumentation. This results in a track that could very well be featured on the next volume of The Ghost Note Symphonies, the track’s solemn nature further exemplified by McIllrath’s fantastic vocals.
My favorite tracks from this album are “Sudden Urge”, “Nowhere Generation”, “Sounds Like”, and “Sooner or Later”.
Overall, Nowhere Generation is an incredible return for Rise Against, with incredible instrumentation and vocals spanning all 11 tracks on the album. The album’s mix of more melodic punk rock tracks and energetic tracks-which are sure to be a delight for fans and new listeners alike-makes for a listening experience which is sure to be a positive one. Fans should keep on the lookout for whatever the next album may bring, as I feel this album is just an introduction to what is to come in the future.
Overall rating:
9.5/10
LINK TO ALBUM:
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