With hardcore anthems that raged against teen apathy in the Bush era, these Chicagoans began as a thinking punk’s alternative to the chain-wallet angst of groups like Sum41 and Simple Plan. Then they cracked the Top 10 with 2006’s excellent The Sufferer And The Witness and the follow-up Appeal To Reason nailed it yet again… And Rise Against counts legions of die-hard fans worldwide by now. Their songs are driven by an ever-sharpening pop sensibility. Rise Against has dirtied up the chugga-chugga riffs with the Reagan-era spit shine of bands like Black Flag, but big choruses and radio-friendly hooks still anchor their powerful skate-punk pogo beat tunes and shout-along refrains. Rise Against may be nervous about leaving the underground behind, but with sharp songs like these, they’re ready for the rest of the world. Check out the most brilliant latest release, Endgames.