Revolutions per Minute (Rise Against album)

Revolutions per Minute
Studio album by Rise Against
Released	April 8, 2003
Recorded	November–December 2002
Studio	The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado
Genre	Hardcore punk melodic hardcore
Length	37:42
Label	Fat Wreck Chords FAT 653-2
Producer	Bill Stevenson Jason Livermore
Rise Against chronology
The Unraveling (2001) Revolutions per Minute (2003) Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)

Revolutions per Minute is the second studio album by American rock band Rise Against. It was released on April 8, 2003, by Fat Wreck Chords. After establishing a fanbase with their 2001 debut The Unraveling, Rise Against wanted to record an album that distinguished themselves from other Fat Wreck Chords bands of the time. They chose Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore to produce the album, with whom they developed a strong partnership. Recording took place from November to December 2002 at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Musically, Revolutions per Minute is rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. Critics noted that the album exhibited greater musical maturity and an overall darker tone when compared to its predecessor. It comprises thirteen tracks, with lyrics that often alternate between themes of relationships and politics. Upon its release, the album reach number thirty-five on the Independent Albums chart, and was praised for its impassioned lyrics and unique blend of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. Some critics called it one of the best albums of the year.

According to Bryne Yancey of Punknews.org, Revolutions per Minute not only popularized the melodic hardcore genre, but also influenced "literally thousands of bands" with its music and social commentary.^[1] The album also introduced several aspects that would become common traits in Rise Against's newer material, such as extensive social commentary, and greater reliance on musical accessibility. In 2013, Fat Wreck Chords re-released the album with ten bonus demo tracks and expanded packaging.

Background and recording

Jason Livermore (left) and Bill Stevenson (right) produced Revolutions per Minute at The Blasting Room.

In April 2001, Rise Against released their debut studio album The Unraveling through Fat Wreck Chords.^[2] Although the album failed to reach any major music charts, it did receive positive reviews from critics,^[3] and helped establish a steady fanbase for the band.^[4] After the release of The Unraveling, guitarist Dan Wleklinski left the band and was eventually replaced by Todd Mohney, the roommate and former bandmate of lead vocalist Tim McIlrath.^[5] When it came time to record their second album, Revolutions per Mintue, McIlrath noted that the band was suffering from an "identity crisis". At the time, Fat Wreck Chords had a specific pop punk sound, so Rise Against wanted to find a producer that could help distinguish them from the other bands on the label, and highlight the heavier side of their music.^[5] Sonic Iguana Studios, where Rise Against recorded The Unraveling, and another studio in San Francisco were both busy at the time, leaving the band had only thirty days to record.^[5][6] They eventually decided on Bill Stevenson, the former drummer of the punk band Descendents, to produce the album.^[6]

Before the recording process began, Rise Against wrote songs for the album above an antique store in Chicago, an environment that McIlrath described as "roach-infested".^[7] Revolutions per Minute was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, from November to December 2002. Stevenson and Jason Livermore produced the album; Stevenson also severed as the engineer and mixer, while Livermore mastered the album.^[8] McIlrath commented that Stevenson was the perfect person to produce the album, as he not only understood the nuances of the band, but was their "musical soul mate".^[5] Revolutions per Minute was the first album that McIlrath played guitar on. McIlrath was nervous about playing the guitar, as no one had ever scrutinized his ability, and described the process as "playing blindly into the wind and hoping it was good enough".^[5]

Revolutions per Minute was recorded a little more than a year after the September 11 attacks. In response to the attacks, United States President George W. Bush launched the War on Terror, an international military campaign that included the war in Afghanistan.^[1] Bush's initiatives led to vocal opposition from many people, a sentiment expressed by Rise Against.^[1] McIlrath notes that these beliefs directly influenced the writing of Revolutions per Minute, commenting "the powers that be had just finished lying to the public and swindled their way into entering what would become the longest war in our country's history".^[7]

Composition

	"Dead Ringer" "Dead Ringer" is one of the two short hardcore songs on the album. Its lyrics chastise those who discredit the band for selling out. "Like the Angel" "Like the Angel" begins with strumming of the bass guitar, which leads into a conventional song structure with a "poppy" beat.
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Musically, Revolutions per Minute is rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore.^[9] Stuart Green of Exclaim! opined that the album exhibited greater musical maturity when compared to The Unraveling, specifically for the inclusion of mood and texture.^[10] These comments were shared by Punknews.org's Aubin Paul, who noted the album's overall darker tone.^[9]

The first track on Revolutions per Minute is "Black Masks & Gasoline", which features power chords and rapid drumming.^[11] Its lyrics advocate for a revolution against a vengeful government, and contain imagery of raised hands and clenched fists.^[11][12] The second track, "Heaven Knows", makes use of "serrated, slingshot hooks",^[13] with lyrics that deal with personal strife.^[11] The next track, "Dead Ringer", is a short hardcore song that chastises those who felt that the band had sold out due to their growing popularity.^[14][15] Jo-Ann Greene of AllMusic believes that "Halfway There" is about the need for a real leader and questioning the current leaders' action, bolstered by McIlrath's "acerbic" screaming vocals.^[11][12]

The fifth track, "Like the Angel", begins with strumming of the bass guitar, before transitioning into a "poppy" beat about unrequited love.^[11][12][16] "Voices Off Camera" is one of the more accessible songs on the album, with McIlrath singing in a softer voice.^[9][15] In contrast, "Blood-Red, White, & Blue" is described by Matthew Fiander of PopMatters as a "musical tour de force", with a moody breakdown and catchy chorus.^[11] With "Blood-Red, White & Blue", McIlrath wanted to write a song that showcased the conflict of interests following the September 11 attacks, between overt patriotism, and war crimes in the name of God.^[15] The eight track, "Broken English", switches tempo constantly and uses a guitar-based lead in to the chorus.^[14] McIlrath describes "Last Chance Blueprint" as the band's "escape song", while Fiander feels it is a "stock get-out-of-town tune".^[11][15] It contains a soundbite from the 1999 film American Beauty.^[11]

"To the Core" is another short hardcore song that Greene describes as "a ferocious, fever-pitched number written and delivered with pure vitriol".^[12][14] McIlarth notes that "Torches" is a very different when compared to most of the band's material, due to its heavy metal intro and breakdown.^[15] The penultimate track, "Amber Changing", is more muted in its sound, and has McIlrath sing about not wanting a great moment in a relationship to end.^[11][12] The album ends with a hidden track, a cover of "Any Way You Want It" by Journey.^[14] The decision to cover the song was made because the band wanted to bring a sense of familiarity to listeners while on tour.^[5]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
Exclaim!	Positive[10]
Punknews.org	[9]
Sputnikmusic	3.5/5[14]

Fat Wreck Chords released Revolutions per Minute on April 8, 2003, in the United States on CD and LP formats.^[17] Like The Unraveling, it failed to reach any major music chart, but did reach number thirty-five on the Independent Albums chart.^[18] To promote the album, Rise Against toured extensively with other Fat Wreck Chord bands like No Use for a Name and Anti-Flag,^[19] and participated in the 2003 Warped Tour.^[20] Additionally, "Like the Angel" was released as a promotional single that year.^[21]

Revolutions per Minute was well received by critics. Paul praised the album for its honest and personal lyrics, as well as its unique blend of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. He concluded by declaring it one of the best albums of the year, a sentiment which was shared by The Virginian-Pilot's Jeff Maisey.^[9][22] Greene liked the juxtaposition of impassioned and political lyrics, commenting that the album is capable of "rubbing emotions raw and minds numb".^[12] Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic felt that with Revolutions per Minute, Rise Against took their craft and musicianship more seriously, and "while it is not altogether successful as an isolated grouping of songs, the band should be given credit for how even and consistent the album still is, and for the fact that it is a solid and cohesive listen."^[14]

Legacy

Bryne Yancey of Punknews.org notes that in the early 2000s, melodic hardcore was not a well established genre. With the release of Revolutions per Minute, Yancey argues that Rise Against not only popularized the genre, but also influenced "literally thousands of bands residing somewhere within the melodic hardcore spectrum" with the album's music and social commentary.^[1] Revolutions per Minute was also an important album for Rise Against, as Boy believes it "clearly played a huge role in shaping what was to come" for the band.^[14] It was their first album to make extensive use of social and political commentary, which has become a staple for Rise Against material.^[14][23] The album also contained some songs that demonstrated a greater reliance on accessibility, which "hinted" at the band's eventual shift toward mainstream rock.^[1]

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of Revolutions per Minute, Fat Wreck Chords re-released the album as RPM10 on May 28, 2013. The re-release features ten bonus demo tracks and expanded packaging.^[16] Yancey felt that album held up surprisingly well, and that while the demos were interesting, they were unessential.^[1] In contrast, Matthew Fiander of PopMatters did not think that the lyrical content had aged well, and that the demos were only "slightly more ragged versions of the album cuts".^[11]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Tim McIlrath; all music composed by Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Todd Mohney, and Brandon Barnes, except where noted.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Revolutions per Minute.^[8]

References

External links

• Revolutions per Minute at YouTube