From the Editor's Floor: Rise Against
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 24-Sep-08 @ 11:07 AM
HAVING A BLASTFor their fifth album, RISE AGAINST returned to Fort Collins, Colorado, to record with punk-rock luminary Bill Stevenson, former drummer of seminal punk outfits Black Flag, Descendents and ALL. The band first worked with Stevenson (and co-producer Jason Livermore) in 2003 for their second album, Revolutions Per Minute, released by Fat Wreck Chords. When Rise Against stepped up to the big leagues for the third album, 2004's Siren Song Of The Counter Culture, the group headed to Vancouver to record with noted heavy-music producer Garth "GGGarth" Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins). "We wanted to go out into the high-profile-producer world and see what that [was like]," frontman Tim McIlrath says. "And I think we found we don't have a lot in common with that world." Going back to the Blasting Room for The Sufferer & The Witness in 2006 made sense; returning there this year wasn't a question. "We need to have the right person who knows how to capture the beast in its natural habitat," McIlrath says. "I think that most people, 99 percent of people, don't know [how to do that]." "This is what separates him from 'A-List' producers," bassist Joe Principe adds. "We're doing a punk-rock song, and I'm like, 'Bill, let me play this note here, because it sounds more shitty!' And he's like, 'Yeah, of course!' I love that, because he'll never forget his roots. Because sometimes things need to be shitty like that." --Kyle Ryan |
