Album Review: Rise Against - Wolves

Originally titled Mourning In America, Rise Against chose to rename their latest offering to Wolves, in line with how they felt after the results of the US Presidential election, feeling they needed something with "teeth and claws" that focused more on society's potential rather than its failings.

They kick things off with the title track, and it's easy to find their thoughts on the state of the world and the shape that the album is going to take. Musically, for the casual Rise Against listener, it's hard to find anything new in their sound, even with the influence of new producer Nick Raskulinecz.

House On Fire is an early standout, with the right balance of angsty and catchy; but further than this, there's little to distinguish between this album and previous Rise Against works.

Far From Perfect feels contrived; like it's been thrown in there as a halfway point, 'let's-all-band-together-and-fight-the-power' type rock anthem, just to break up the heavy rhetoric throughout the rest of the album.

While surely their angst will never die, hopefully, Rise Against will find a slightly new way to convey it on the next one.