"We have not made a part two or anything."

I quote from the remarkable video insight into the creative process of "the black market" (You might want to look for Rise Against The Black Market EPK VEVO).
And just as this album is well. Below I would like to describe my first impressions. Am now come to the work to home, the CD had pulled on my phone and am using headphones armed gone out into the sun, went comfortably through the greenery and have let the music affect me. After fleeing from the next shower inside followed by two more passages. Should be enough for a first impression.

Shortly the digipak, this is simple, chic and in the same shades from white to brown to red held as the album cover. The booklet is glued to the left side, the CD is in the right. So I know the past of the publications and that's perfectly fine. This time not a PETA-flyer was; if my memory serves me, that was the last time still the case ... Anyway. If I think a good platform for this worthy cause!

It has been done a lot. The album is multi-layered, in a way that is not so easy to explain.
First, notice that the sound is always very tight. Many - not necessarily auseinanderzuhaltende - Instrumental tracks form the overall impression. Even with the ballad close Streicher space, would normally be the voice plus guitar. It is used a lot of backing vocals (sometimes à la "oohh ohh aaah" or "hey hey", but partly also supportive repetition of texts).
The production is neat, everything sounds pretty bold. But also not an exaggeration. Not that I would have here great idea, but the high level that one has come to expect from such a global player of punk, is achieved.

Musically, it is probably the most versatile and most level Rise Against album to date, constantly small rhythmic gimmicks are interspersed the songs partly distinguished by characteristic solos or even vocal distortion, samples and the like. That sounds violent to, as it is, such things are really good dosed. As examples, one can take the start of "The Great Die-Off" and the first three seconds of "Too Long Awake". It fits in.
With "The Eco-Terrorist In Me" and a real firecracker is that I want to emphasize here. Here injected the poison of the early days, so the song has earned this special mention.

Tim actually uses his voice an a lot more aware than it was previously the case. So his voice. The vocals play a strong role on this album. Often they are the only element that really comes out of the overall piece. Direct the opener and Tim's first line of text should some listeners have been listening dumbfounded, as his voice from the beginning of the sentence until the end executes a 180 ° -Kehre and therefore sets a strong accent.

In all experiments, small but never over the top and it does not sound forced.
Instead, the band's sound has evolved really impressive. In an organic way, wohgemerkt! I am very grateful to the huge success of the band now but does not require them, the direction in which it goes.

Lyrically, I naturally do not have everything completely recorded and processed on release day. Nevertheless, some lyrics hew directly very pure. Prime example is certainly "Tragedy + Time", behind whose poppy facade hides quite hard foods. In "Bridges" I have also been listening, "we built the brigdes we now sleep under," such strong images hide certainly in large numbers in the texts. It is thematically rather off the political aspect, but rather the direction of personal, strong feelings, sadness, anger, etc., all that is treated here. As always, the lyrics of Mr. McIlrath deserve special attention, who does not read at least once purely, certainly missed something.

I like this album right away really well. I am relieved also to a certain extent that this is so. It brings just the right amount of change is that I needed, but remains typical Rise Against. The pieces are not necessarily easily accessible, be therefore certainly take some time and a lot of runs, until I "know" it. It tears with, lets sit up, so I can only express a great recommendation.

Rise Against are now really one of the great bands (it provides me this year the direct comparison, the Concert 2009 in Hamburg fit about 6000 people in the hall, but only because the docks were too small and the concert in the Alsterdorfer Gymnasium was relocated - this year, the O2-World is recorded, 16000 can be there!).
They are I think by this album continue to grow - a good thing! This band and this album deserve to be heard by many. I hope you heard soon do so. :) A few days can be there on Spiegel Online streaming legal, who wants to can get a general impression.

Best regards - I hope, my impressions are somewhat helpful in their purchasing decision.
Christoph (Hannover)