Revolutions per Minute (Rise Against album)

Background and recording

In April 2001, Rise Against released their debut studio album The Unraveling through Fat Wreck Chords. Although the album failed to reach any major music charts, it did receive positive reviews from critics, and helped establish a steady fanbase for the band. After the release of The Unraveling, guitarist Dan Wleklinski left the band due to personal differences with lead vocalist Tim McIlrath; he was eventually replaced by Todd Mohney, McIlrath's roommate and former bandmate.

When it came time to record their second album, Revolutions per Minute, 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. 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. They eventually decided on Bill Stevenson, the former drummer of the punk band Descendents, to produce the album.

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". 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; the former also severed as the engineer and mixer, while Livermore mastered the album. McIlrath commented that Stevenson was the perfect person to produce the album, as he not only understood the nuances of the band, but was also their "musical soul mate". Revolutions per Minute was the first album that McIlrath played guitar on. He 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".

Composition

Musically, Revolutions per Minute is rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. 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. These comments were shared by Punknews.org's Aubin Paul, who noted the album's overall "darker" tone.

The first track on Revolutions per Minute is "Black Masks & Gasoline", which features "power chords" and rapid drumming. Its lyrics advocate for a revolution against a vengeful government, and contain imagery of raised hands and clenched fists. The second track, "Heaven Knows", makes use of "serrated, slingshot hooks", with lyrics that deal with "personal strife". 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. 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 screaming vocals.

The fifth track, "Like the Angel", begins with strumming of the bass guitar, before transitioning into a "poppy" beat about unrequited love. "Voices Off Camera" is one of the more accessible songs on the album, with McIlrath singing in a softer voice. In contrast, "Blood-Red, White, & Blue" is described by Matthew Fiander of PopMatters as a "musical tour de force" and as a "catchy song", with a moody breakdown. With it, 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. The eight track, "Broken English", "switches tempo constantly", and has motivational lyrics in the chorus. McIlrath describes "Last Chance Blueprint" as the band's "escape song", while Fiander feels it is a "stock get-out-of-town tune". It contains a soundbite from the 1999 film American Beauty.

"To the Core" is another short hardcore song that Greene describes as "a ferocious, fever-pitched number written and delivered with pure vitriol". 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. 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. The album ends with a hidden track, a cover of "Any Way You Want It" by Journey. The decision to cover the song was made because the band wanted to bring a sense of familiarity to listeners while on tour.

Release and reception

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

Revolutions per Minute was well received by music 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. Greene liked the juxtaposition of impassioned and political lyrics, commenting that the album is capable of "rubbing emotions raw and minds numb". Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic felt that with Revolutions per Minute, Rise Against took their craft and musicianship more seriously. He commented that while the songs themselves do not work well individually, "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."

Impact and re-release

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. 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. It was their first album to make extensive use of social and political commentary, which has become a staple for Rise Against material. The album also contained some songs that demonstrated a greater reliance on accessibility, which "hinted" at the band's eventual shift toward mainstream rock.

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. Yancey felt that album held up surprisingly well, and that while the demos were interesting, they were unessential. In contrast, Fiander did not think that the lyrical content had aged well, and that the demos were only "slightly more ragged versions of the album cuts".

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.