![\"\"](\"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/tumblr_inline_mwaxwpOqHW1qztcot.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Formed from the ashes of Chicago punk bands 88 Fingers Louie and Baxter in 1999, Transistor Revolt was born. After releasing a demo in 2000, the band signed to Fat Wreck Chords and changed their name to Rise Against<\/strong><\/a>. They would release two albums under the label before signing to a major label i.e. DreamWork Records. Eventually, DreamWorks would be absorbed into Geffen Records. So far the melodic hardcore punk have released four full lengths, with a new album in the making. The punk band have grown from strength to strength, along with several line-up changes, morphing into one of the world\u2019s most adored punk bands, politically active in all manner of social conventions. The current line-up includes vocalist Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, guitarist Zach Blair and drummer Brandon Barnes.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s Already Heard versus sees us tackle an important question; what is Rise Against<\/b>\u2019s best album? Having wowed us at the recent Warped Tour show in London and the band heading off to record their seventh album, we thought it would only be appropriate to answer this. Sticking by \u2018Siren Song of the Counter Culture\u2019<\/em> is Jay Sullivan, whilst Aaron Lohan defends ‘Revolutions per Minute\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n What do you consider Rise Against\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0best album and why? Let us know on our\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and Twitter<\/a>\u00a0pages.<\/em><\/p>\n Remember when you were 14? Apart from having terrible clothes and hair, unless you\u2019re an absolute liar or have rockstar parents, your music taste probably hadn\u2019t evolved to the superior heights that you like to think it has now. Somewhere along the way, you discovered a handful of \u2018gateway\u2019 albums, the ones that led you away from the mainstream and into a back alley filled with a brave new world of undiscovered bands and music. For me, Rise Against<\/strong> were one of those bands and \u2018Siren Song of Counter Culture\u2019<\/em> was one of those albums and for that, I owe them a fair bit.<\/p>\n The first song I heard from this album was \u2018Give It All\u2019<\/em> which featured on Rock Against Bush, a CD whose campaign I was obsessed with that year. After I purchased \u2018Siren Song of Counter Culture\u2019<\/em> it was \u2018Paper Wings\u2019<\/em> and its lyrical simplicity that drew me in, before songs like \u2018Dancing for Rain\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Life Less Frightening\u2019<\/em> made me a fully-fledged fan.\u00a0 Nearly ten years on, \u00a0while \u2018Swing Life Away\u2019<\/em> \u00a0makes me wish I was dead whenever I hear it due to overplaying it one too many times, I still proudly sing every word to \u2018Blood to Bleed\u2019<\/em>.\u00a0 In fact, I did exactly that when I saw them live just last week, and the inclusion of many of these fondly remembered tracks made their two-hour Groezrock set was a definite highlight of my weekend.<\/p>\n The perfect mixture of teenage nostalgia and stellar songs that stand the test of time, \u2018Siren Song of Counter Culture\u2019<\/em> is Rise Against\u2019s<\/strong> magnum opus.<\/p>\nSiren Song of the Counter Culture<\/strong> (by Jay Sullivan)<\/h2>\n