This record is basically one shout-along, mosh-worthy song after another, though the guys do throw in some interesting moments outside of continual rushes of pure adrenaline. 'Injection' and 'Ready to Fall' bring things back into invigorating Rise Against territory early on, while 'Bricks' stands out as a vicious blast of old-school hardcore energy and power. This later happens again in songs like 'Under the Knife' and the ferocious-yet-still-slightly-missing 'Worth Dying For,' but moments like these are, in truth, more the exception than the rule. However, 'Chamber the Cartridge' doesn't quite open the record with the same acidic bite as past lead tracks, as the chorus is lacking something in its delivery to really hit a nerve. As such, Rise Against continue to muscularly confront political and personal grievances to the tune of swirling guitars, assertive rhythms, and Tim McIlrath's sandpapered vocals. With producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore manning the controls this time around, the band's inner grit is aptly drawn out amid all the pit-ready choruses and fist-in-the-air, stirring lyrics. After all, the band's sincerity and passion emerge very much intact - their socially conscious approach no less pressing - and new and old fans alike should take to Sufferer with open arms. Their melodic hardcore may still sound more mainstream accessible, but this can hardly be looked at as a bad thing. The Sufferer & the Witness finds Rise Against continuing on the path begun on 2004's well-received Siren Song of the Counter Culture.

The sufferer and the witness tracklist