For 18 years, Rise Against have been steadfastly pointing in the politically correct direction, using their international punk platform to advocate for social justice. The band grew up during the reign of George W. Bush and released albums over the course of three US presidencies. However, given today's political climate, Rise Against felt compelled to rethink their previous approach and ask themselves how they actually define themselves.

"In many ways, a Rise Against show is a safe bet for our fans," says McIlrath. "But I realised that I don't just want to provide comfort zones; I want to create a threatening scenario where there is no room for misogyny, or xenophobia. I want to create environments in which these feelings simply cannot breathe and suffocate; they simply die."

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