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Please excuse me moderators, but I've seen one topic about them and it long since has died.
If this topic must be locked, so be it.

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Rise Against(wikipedia):


Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Zach Blair (lead guitar, backing vocals), Joe Principe (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Brandon Barnes (drums, percussion).

Musical style and influences

Rise Against's musical style throughout the band's career has been described by most critics as hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, or punk rock. The band has cited numerous punk and hardcore bands as influences to its music. In 2004, drummer Brandon Barnes stated: "I think we have a lot of different influences from hardcore like old Cave In, to a lot of punk like Face to Face, Screeching Weasel, and Down By Law."
In 2006, Tim McIlrath stated of the band's style: "We’re emulating Minor Threat and Black Flag. Who knows, maybe if Ian MacKaye was wearing eyeliner then I would be." Other bands that have influenced Rise Against include Descendents, Dead Kennedys, Refused, and Bad Religion.

Politics and ethics
(For the sake of keeping flame off this topic, politics has been skipped, and I've gone to ethics.)

All of the group's members are vegetarians and active supporters of PETA, an animal rights organization (excluding Barnes). Their video for the single "Ready to Fall" contains footage of factory farming, rodeos, and sport hunting, as well as deforestation, melting ice caps, and forest fires. The group has called the video the most important video they have ever made. The Director's Cut of the video was first made available to a PETA website. In 2009, the band was voted Best Animal-Friendly Band by PETA. In addition to being strict vegetarians, all the members of Rise Against, except drummer Brandon ... Barnes, are straight edge, abstaining from consuming alcohol or using recreational drugs.

Discography

+ The Unraveling (2001)
+ Revolutions per Minute (2003)
+ Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)
+ The Sufferer & the Witness (2006)
+ Appeal to Reason (2008)
+ TBA (2011)


So what do you all think about this band? Their music? Their message?

I personally think that their message and music are amazingly strong, and that this is definitely one of my favorite bands.

I've gotten into listening to this band and I have to say I'm impressed. After hearing one of their songs on the radio, I decided to investigate further, finding an awesome band that has a lot of energy and whose songs make you want to jump, sing and rock your heart out.

I've already gotten a couple of their songs from iTunes, but I'm still sampling the rest of their library on Youtube, so it's very likely that I wil be getting a few more. My advice for any rock fans is to give this band a try if they already haven't. You may like it, you may not, but you'll never know for sure unless you go and give them a listen.