Senses fail release 'Lush Rimbaugh' in wake of Rush Limbaugh's death

Senses Fail release red-hot banger 'Lush Rimbaugh' following the death of controversial U.S. conservative radio-host, Rush Limbaugh. 

Ding dong, Rush is dead, and he's now looking up at us.

At age 70, the syndicated conservative radio-host passed away last week from a year-long battle with lung cancer, with the cancer finally being free of Rush. Born Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, one of the laughable "champions of the Right," has spent his time on-air since the 1970s and 1988 (when he went national) on American AM radio drumming up bigotry and hate-speech towards anything and anyone whom he disliked and didn't agree with. This ranged from many dumb racist impressions and repeated use of the N-word, mocking Michael J. Fox's Parkinson disease, once airing a brief segment called "AIDS Update" in which he joked about gay people dying from the disease, as well as this long list of other brain-dead comments he made against women, abortion, feminists, climate-change, and Barack Obama (who, let's be clear, is also a war criminal like any other POTUS,) among others.

It's impossible for me to mourn someone who spent literal decades spewing hatred and driving wedges between white America and other U.S. citizens and non-white demographics. Many will decry "B-b-but we shouldn't be so divisive, we should mourn him." Nah, fuck that! The one sewing such division isn't those not mourning his death or a band releasing a song about his passing; it was all Rush due to the inflammatory things that fell out of his mouth. Where was his empathy for the hundreds of people whose suffering and deaths he lambasted on-air over the years, free of consequence? This man became a millionaire by playing into Republican's fears of others and different ideas, reaching millions upon millions of people's ears every week to peddle his religious views and culture war nonsense.

To no one's surprise, Senses Fail felt the exact same way as I and countless others did about Rush's cancer diagnosis and recent passing, with frontman Buddy Neilsen sharing the below statement to their Facebook his thoughts and where their new diss-track, 'Lush Rimbaugh,' was coming from. As intolerance of the intolerant isn't a form of aggression, it's a defence.

"When I first heard that Rush had cancer I was overcome with a sense of empathy and compassion. We are all humans and live a somewhat shared existence, none of us are immune from aging, sickness and death. No matter what we do, we all have to contend with this at some point in our lives. A couple weeks after his cancer announcement he proceeded to do; that same bigoted racist and vile thing he has done his whole life. I was not surprised that even in the face of death and illness he resigned to tear others down and spew more bigoted racist garbage. He is known to be a champion for The Right, but what he really is a champion of is spreading pain and prolonged suffering to the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. I do not wish death on anyone. I do not celebrate the death of anyone. I do celebrate the movement of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people being liberated from oppression. While one less oppressor is not a victory, it presents an opportunity. A chance to change the narrative and not allow another harmful person to have a pedestal."

[caption id="attachment_1109665" align="aligncenter" width="760"] Buddy is almost 40, still writing songs like 'Lush Rimbaugh'? I don't see a problem as Rush was 70, still saying incredibly stupid shit when he passed. I'd tell him to grow up but he can't do that now, can he? [/caption]

Any of the "Cucks for Rush" getting mad at Buddy for stating that or this new song - with scathing lyrics like "You proselytize in the name of religion but it’s all for show; you’re gonna be locked out of heaven" - clearly hasn't paid attention to what Senses Fail and their frontman stand for. These are people who only seem to listen to the 'From The Depths Of Dreams' (2003), 'Let It Enfold You' (2004) and 'Still Searching' (2006), overlooking the great material they've released in the last 15 years. Like 2018's solid 'If There Is Light, It Will Find You' LP, or the back-to-back success of 'Renancer' (2013) and 'Pull The Thorns From Your Heart' (2015), two of the best albums the band have ever released.

These smoothbrains loved it when Buddy sang about hating and killing women, but once their music actually addressed real shit and took a stand for what they believe in, suddenly that's not okay? Losers with skewed priorities, the lot of 'em, unmasking what they really think. And their rage brings me much joy. Such people, whom you'll find all over the band's recent Twitter replies and Facebook comments in light of 'Lush Rimbaugh' realising, have flat-out ignored the singer and the band's unapologetic left-wing views that they've shared for years now. This track isn't in poor taste, it's exactly what the guy deserves. I'm sure Buddy and pals won't miss those "fans."

So let's get to 'Lush Rimbaugh,' which I'm sure the band wrote and prepared once news of Rush's cancer diagnosis first spread. Strangely enough, a pop-punk and post-hardcore blended track like 'Lush Rimbaugh' is the kind of 2000s-sounding Senses cut that those upset listeners would love. It sits between that sweet-spot of 'The Fire' (2010) and their latest album, showing why this New Jersey group have endured when so many bands from that era have since ended. It's got great hooks aplenty, the catchy choruses of "I'm not sorry, I'm not fucking sorry" drive it all home, there's a solid mix of Buddy's singing and screaming, all with Senses Fail sounding so fired up in their writing, propulsive guitars and instrumental performances. If this is the kind of energy and quality the band are bringing to their new material, then I'm stoked for their new record. And I can't wait for the eventual single, 'Cucker Tarlson.'

Rest in piss, Rush. Senses Fail forever.