The Black Market

As pointed as Rise Against\'s critiques of government malfeasance and social injustice have been, the seventh studio album from the Chicago hardcore-punk stalwarts finds them in new mode: introspection. \"I Don\'t Want to Be Here Anymore\" isn\'t about expatriation; it\'s about ending a relationship. \"All that matters is the time we had/Doesn\'t matter how it all went bad,\" sings Tim McIlrath on \"Tragedy + Time.\" Soul-searching lyrics aside, this is still a Rise Against album, full of whiplash-inducing fury. \"The Eco-Terrorist in Me\" is an anthem played at breakneck speed, and \"Sudden Life\" approaches Foo Fighters territory with its midtempo chorus. With its acoustic guitars, strings, and trenchant vocals, \"People Live Here\" is a rousing protest song that exemplifies *The Black Market*\'s mix of caustic contemplation.

After spending the last 12 years waging war against society's ills, Rise Against square up against their own inner struggles on their seventh album, Black Market.

It's been eight years since Rise Against's landmark record The Sufferer & The Witness, which was characterized by masterfully meshed pop-punk melody and hooks with hardcore fury and politically-conscious lyrics.