Siren Song of the Counter Culture

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album Siren Song of the Counter Culture is the third studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Released on August 10, 2004, it was Rise Against's first album on a major record label, after the band signed with DreamWorks Records in September 2003 and is their first with lead guitarist Chris Chasse. The recording sessions for the album with producer Garth Richardson were mostly split between two studios in British Columbia. These sessions were marred by numerous distractions and inconveniences, such as the absorption of DreamWorks into Geffen Records, the arrival of a new guitarist, accusations of the band selling out, and the birth of lead vocalist Tim McIlrath's child.

Siren Song of the Counter Culture is primarily a melodic hardcore album. It comprises twelve songs, with lyrical themes ranging from social commentary to personal reflection. To promote the album, Rise Against toured throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Siren Song of the Counter Culture sold poorly for the first six months, but the band's incessant touring schedule eventually led to a gradual increase in sales. It became their first album to chart on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number 136, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The album received generally positive reviews, with praise for the lyrics, but drew some criticism for a lack of individually memorable songs and perceived overproduction. Three songs from Siren Song of the Counter Culture were released as singles: "Give It All", "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening". All three songs charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" in particular are credited with helping Rise Against achieve mainstream appeal.

Background and recording

After the release of Revolutions per Minute in 2003, a number of major record labels became interested in Rise Against, including DreamWorks Records.<ref name="Announcement">Template:Cite web</ref> At the time, Rise Against was under contract with the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords. The general consensus among Fat Wreck Chords musicians was that major record labels sacrifice musical integrity in exchange for commercial profit.<ref name="Announcement"/> Rise Against held the same belief, but eventually came to the conclusion that, unlike other labels, DreamWorks supported the band's social and political charged lyrics. According to lead vocalist Tim McIlrath: "Their faith in what we do and the fact that they cared about stuff we cared about was an eye-opener."<ref name="Announcement"/> The band signed with DreamWorks in September 2003,<ref name="Announcement"/> and was given complete creative control to record Siren Song of the Counter Culture.<ref name="UGA Interview">Template:Cite web</ref>

The band members went into the album with the assumption that DreamWorks was going to drop them at any moment, so they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by working with their "dream producer". They chose Garth Richardson, known for his work with heavier sounding bands like Rage Against the Machine and Sick of It All, to produce the album.<ref name="Punknews 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> The recording sessions for Siren Song of the Counter Culture were split between Plumper Mountain Sound in Gibsons, British Columbia, and The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.<ref name="SS">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Richardson insisted on recording the guitar and bass one measure at a time, to ensure perfect timing; as a result, each song took nearly twelve hours to record.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Canadian politician Nicholas Simons contributed the cello to four songs.<ref name="Nicholas Smith">Template:Cite web</ref> Simons met the band while in Gibsons, and recalled not knowing who they were.<ref name="Nicholas Smith"/>

The writing and recording sessions for Siren Song of the Counter Culture were marred by numerous distractions and inconveniences.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> In November 2003, DreamWorks was acquired by Universal Music Group for US$100 million, and eventually folded into Geffen Records.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Atlantic Press">Template:Cite news</ref> The transition period between labels left Rise Against without an A&R representative, and little acknowledgement from Geffen executives.<ref name="Atlantic Press"/><ref name="Metal Hammer">Template:Cite web</ref> Guitarist Todd Mohney left the band during the writing sessions, was replaced by Chris Chasse of Reach the Sky.<ref name="UGA Interview"/> McIlrath noted that the band members was nervous about teaching Chasse completely new songs in a short period.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Meanwhile, McIlrath was experiencing more personal distractions.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Some Rise Against fans accused the band of selling out after signing with DreamWorks. Although McIlrath felt that most of the fans would realize that the band had not changed upon hearing the album, it still bothered him knowing that some longtime fans now hated the band for switching labels.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Additionally, McIlrath's wife, who was seven months pregnant, went into labor while he was in the vocal booth. The band temporarily moved recording sessions from Vancouver to Chicago so that McIlrath could be with his wife.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/>

Composition

Template:Listen Siren Song of the Counter Culture is primarily rooted in melodic hardcore.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> According to Ultimate Guitar Archive, the album contains archetypal elements of punk rock, including "fast-paced drum beats, powerful guitar chords and thrashing bass lines".<ref name="UGA Review"/> Each song has multiple guitar layers combined with rhythmic arrangements, which add "melodic flavor".<ref name="UGA Review"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Critics have compared the album to works by other punk rock bands like AFI, Bad Religion, Blink-182, Poison the Well, Refused, and Sick of It All.<ref name="AllMusic"/><ref name="Contactmusic"/><ref name="Blistering Review"/> AllMusic's Johnny Loftus commented that the band diversified their lyrics for Siren Song of the Counter Culture, mixing social and political commentary with personal reflection.<ref name="AllMusic"/> McIlrath believes that the album is about standing up for oneself, and not being afraid to have a dissenting opinion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first track on Siren Song of the Counter Culture is "State of the Union", a short and aggressive song that contains the most screaming on the album.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> Its lyrics criticize bureaucratic injustice, as well as those who do not speak out against injustice.<ref name="Blistering Review"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic believes "The First Drop" is more toned down, and acts as a bridge to the third track "Life Less Frightening".<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> "Life Less Frightening" is a conventionally structured song, that Boy notes almost has an alternative rock sound, but keeps underlying punk rock traits.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> The fourth track, "Paper Wings", tells a sad story about growing apart, backed by a guitar lick that lasts the entire song.<ref name="AllMusic"/> "Blood to Bleed" features reflective lyrics about broken hearts, presented from a first-person perspective.<ref name="AllMusic"/>

The sixth and seventh tracks, "To Them These Streets Belong" and "Tip the Scales", have AFI-like vocals according to BlisteringTemplate:'s Justin Donnelly.<ref name="Blistering Review"/> "Anywhere But Here" features a backing drum beat that both Donnelly and Ultimate Guitar Archive highlighted as the best part of the song, with Ultimate Guitar Archive describing it as "contagious".<ref name="UGA Review"/><ref name="Blistering Review"/> "Give It All" is a short hardcore track, that Boy believes is reminiscent of songs by The Offspring.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> McIlrath commented that the song is "kind of a punk rock anthem about being a punk rocker in today's world; like what being a human being in today's world is like".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Dancing for Rain" opens with acoustic strumming, before transitioning into a frenetic pace, combining pop elements with punk rock.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> The penultimate track, "Swing Life Away", is an acoustic ballad, with simple lyrics discussing daily life and the working class.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> The final track, "Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated" features one of the few guitar solos on the album, and "end[s] things in huge style", according to Donnelly.<ref name="UGA Review"/><ref name="Blistering Review"/>

Release and commercial performance

To promote Siren Song of the Counter Culture, Rise Against toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.<ref name="soulshine">Template:Cite web</ref> They participated in the 2004 Warped Tour,<ref name="New Wave">Template:Cite book</ref> and supported Bad Religion in a late 2004 tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, Rise Against participated in the Taste of Chaos tour (with Funeral for a Friend, Killswitch Engage, Story of the Year, and The Used),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Give it a Name festival (with Alexisonfire, Coheed and Cambria, Fightstar, and MewithoutYou),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK.<ref name="AllMusic Biography">Template:Cite web</ref> McIlrath commented that the band was "touring like maniacs at the time", accepting every show they could get into.<ref name="UGA Interview"/>

Siren Song of the Counter Culture was released on August 10, 2004;<ref name="AllMusic"/> the first 30,000 copies contained a "question authority" sticker.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the first six months, the album sold poorly, and attracted little fanfare.<ref name="UGA Interview"/><ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Geffen did not promote the band, as they were virtually unaware of their existence. This led Aubin Paul of Punknews.org to jokingly comment that Fat Wreck Chords was doing more to promote the band.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Rise Against's incessant touring schedule resulted in greater exposure, which contributed to a gradual increase in sales. Eventually, Geffen noticed the increase in sales, and began promoting the band.<ref name="UGA Interview"/>

Siren Song of the Counter Culture became Rise Against's first album to reach the Billboard 200, peaking at number 136 on August 28, 2004.<ref name="B200"/> It also reached number one on the Top Heatseekers chart.<ref name="TH"/> According to The A.V. Club, the album sold over 400,000 copies by 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2009, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States.<ref name="US Gold">Template:Cite web</ref> Elsewhere, the album was certified platinum by Music Canada, denoting shipments of 100,000 copies in Canada;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, denoting shipments of 35,000 copies in Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Three songs from Siren Song of the Counter Culture were released as singles: "Give It All", "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening".<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> All three songs charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number thirty-seven, twelve, and thirty-three respectively.<ref name="Alt Songs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Accompanying music videos were shot for "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away".<ref name="Kerrang">Template:Cite web</ref> In the "Give It All" video, Rise Against performs in a crowded subway car, while other people travel throughout Chicago vandalizing and defacing billboards and posters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The "Swing Life Away" video is more relaxed, and follows the band members as they hangout with friends.<ref name="Kerrang"/> The video for "Swing Life Away" was shot over a year after the release of Siren Song Of The Counter Culture, a rarity in the music industry, as most videos are shot only a few months after the song's parent album is released.<ref name="Punknews 2006"/> Music journalists have credited "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" as helping Rise Against achieve mainstream appeal.<ref name="TMC">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="AA">Template:Cite web</ref> John J. Moser of The Morning Call considers "Give It All" to be the band's breakthrough single,<ref name="TMC"/> while Alternative Addiction wrote: "'Swing Life Away' catapulted Rise Against past Anti-Flag to the point where they've been with the past three albums as one of most established bands going in rock."<ref name="AA"/>

Critical reception

Siren Song of the Counter Culture received mostly positive reviews from critics. Ultimate Guitar Archive lauded almost every aspect of the album, with particular praise for the use of multiple guitar layers, its "poetically angry lyrics", and McIlrath's vocals. However, the review also mentioned that Rise Against fans may be disappointed with the band's move towards a more accessible sound.<ref name="UGA Review">Template:Cite web</ref> Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic described Siren Song of the Counter Culture as an "impressively energetic and surprisingly accessible package of punk, hardcore and rock all rolled into one", and praised the simple yet effective lyrics.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review">Template:Cite web</ref> Writing for The Herald-News, Chris Brooks highlighted Brandon Barnes' drumming, and recommend the album to drum fans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Alex Parker of Contactmusic.com complimented the lyrics for their relevancy, and noted their subtlety when compared to Green Day's 2004 album American Idiot.<ref name="Contactmusic">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Boy found the paucity of individually memorable songs to be Siren Song of the Counter CultureTemplate:'s biggest issue, and noted the album's lack of immediacy.<ref name="Sputnikmusic Review"/> Donnelly and Loftus felt that some of the album's songs suffered from overproduction, which lessened their lyrical potency and musical aggression.<ref name="AllMusic">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Blistering Review">Template:Cite web</ref> Loftus ultimately summarized his review by saying "Siren Song of the Counter Culture is simply the band's latest statement ... to recruit more kids for the raging".<ref name="AllMusic"/> Marc Hogan's review for Pitchfork is written as if it were a letter addressed to American political activist Ralph Nader. In his review, Hogan heavily chastises the band for their "empty political sloganeering and crybaby bullshit", and compares the album's "over-the-top bloviating" to Nader's 2004 presidential campaign.<ref name="Pitchfork Review">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Siren Song of the Counter Culture.<ref name="SS"/> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2

Rise Against

• Tim McIlrath – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Chris Chasse – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Joe Principe – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Brandon Barnes – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Neil Hennessy – additional backing vocals
• Nicholas Simons – cello

Artwork

• Shepard Fairey – cover illustration
• Lisa Johnson – photography

Production

• Garth Richardson – producer
• Dean Maher – engineer
• Bryan Gallant, Lee Robertson, & Scott Ternan – assistant engineers
• Steve Sisco – assistant mixing
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• Ben Kaplan & John O'Mahoney – digital editing
• Richard Leighton – guitar technician
• Eric "Wilcard" Bonny – stage technician
• Chris Crippen – drum technician

Management

• Missy Worth – management for Artistic License
• Corrie Chiristopher – booking Agent for Fierce Talent
• Marlene Tsucii – International Booking Agent for Creative Artists Agency
• Ron Handler – A&R
• Graham Martin – A&R coordinator

Charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (2004–05)	Peak position