Best of Budapest & Hungary

After their hard-hitting concert two years ago, the Chicago punk quartet Rise Against return to Hungary on July 1, armed with a brand-new album and ready to shake Budapest Park once again.

    Few bands have chosen their name as fittingly as Rise Against. While musical trends have come and gone, Rise Against have remained a steadfast compass of artistic resistance. Even as they continuously refreshed their formula, they have successfully preserved their original rebellious spirit for more than a quarter of a century. On their latest album Ricochet, released via Loma Vista, they may have created their most visceral, urgent, and high-stakes collection of songs to date.

    In the four years since Rise Against’s previous release, the world has been flooded with shameless lies, brazen greed, and shocking cruelty - and this decay has not escaped the band’s attention. Ricochet puts these crises under the microscope, dissecting them with clear-eyed insight and raw emotion.

    “We are dependent on each other, whether we like it or not,” says Tim McIlrath, Rise Against’s vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lyricist. “Everything you do affects someone else. We’re connected to other countries and economies, connected to undocumented immigrants. We’re connected to every decision our leaders make. We’re not as isolated as we think. What we do - whether good or bad - comes back to us.”

    Work on the album began after the marathon touring cycle for 2021’s Nowhere Generation. In true Rise Against fashion, McIlrath and the band’s other primary songwriter, bassist Joe Principe, sat down once again to gather and compare ideas. As those ideas began to coalesce, they entered the studio with lead guitarist Zach Blair and drummer Brandon Barnes, with the explicit goal of letting go of preconceived notions of what a Rise Against song should sound like. They enlisted Catherine Marks (Boygenius, St. Vincent) as producer, entrusting her with pushing the boundaries of their already monumental sound. Mixing engineer Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, The Killers) added a refined, atmospheric edge to the final result.

    “The fight for a better world almost always starts with an unpopular opinion or a minority voice,” McIlrath says. “When you feel overwhelmed, when it seems like you’re standing alone against the world, it’s important to remember that every resistance movement began as a small, passionate group. Our songs may take you to a dark place, but we always leave behind breadcrumbs of hope so you can find your way out.” For this reason, Ricochet was written to be part of the solution. Rise Against now return to Budapest Park on July 1 with new, furious songs and beloved classics alike.

    Tickets will be first available for registered Live Nation members starting February 4 at 10 a.m., while general ticket sales begin on February 6 at 10 a.m.