THE RISE “Signal To Noise”
Originality is overrated. Sometimes. In the few cases where great bands achieve their highest popularity post-mortem, many people find themselves craving for an “almost as good” alternative. And thus, you will probably hear the name REFUSED with nearly every mention of THE RISE. The comparisons are inescapable, these bands sound, look, and think alike, though THE RISE are a bit less overt with their politics. In all honestly, this shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who appreciates good music, no matter where it comes from. “Signal to Noise” features a seamless mating of guitar heavy hardcore, and raspy screaming vocals with techo undercurrents and flourishes. Amazingly, THE RISE are not overwhelming to the senses, as the production on here keeps everything under a tight leash. Lyrically, THE RISE get by with very few written words. Each song contains no more than a few lines of lyrics, and much of this disc’s theme lies in technology and the advancement of computing in society. The final track, “The Machine Question,” closes with the line, “How long before you think that computer’s going to do your job? / 1812 is more relevant thank you think.” Well, I’m still thinking…as much of “Signal To Noise” contains such thought provoking statements. This disc hits a high point between the sixth and seventh songs, with the former being an instrumental tune, showing off more techo treats than blast beats, and the latter containing “Signal To Noise’s” heaviest moments. The cover art to this disc is a really sweet looking picture, giving off a truly professional, clear feeling to the whole project. While it’s hard to say that THE RISE standout on their own turf just yet, if you can get past the blatant REFUSED influence, I’m sure you’ll find yourself warming up to “Signal To Noise” real quick.
Ferret
