Rise against - Siren song of the counter culture

Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. Rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, Rise Against's music emphasizes melody, catchy hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid tempos. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism.

Rise Against's extensive touring schedule helped to establish an early fanbase, and attracted the attention of major record labels, including Dreamworks Records. The general consensus among Fat Wreck Chords musicians was that major record labels sacrifice musical integrity in exchange for commercial profit. Rise Against held the same belief, but eventually came to the conclusion that unlike other labels, DreamWorks supported their politically charged lyrics. According to McIlrath: "Their faith in what we do and the fact that they cared about stuff we cared about was an eye-opener."

The band signed with Dreamworks in 2003, and was given complete creative control to record their major record label debut album, Siren Song of the Counter Culture, which was released in 2004.