Rise Against's mastery of anthemic punk rock is second only to their mastery of being pissed off. On the Chicago band's sixth album, Tim McIlrath is an "orphan of the American dream," heraldically ranting about environmental collapse, economic inequality, teen suicide and other unanswerable evils atop the mix of Bad Religion hardcore, metal-guitar action and modern-rock balladry that's evolved into a platinum-plated formula (Endgame is the third R.A. disc produced by Bill Stevenson of pop-punk legends the Descendents). If success hasn't done much to brighten McIlrath's worldview, songs like the rousing Katrina-themed scorcher "Help Is on the Way" manage to fist-pump in the face of doom.
Listen to "Help Is On The Way":
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