Rise Against is an American punk rock band formed in Chicago in the late 1990s around Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Zach Blair and Brandon Barnes. The band became known for an energetic melodic-punk sound shaped by hardcore, alternative rock and powerful choruses, with lyrics often focused on social injustice, human rights, politics and personal conflict. With albums such as Siren Song of the Counter Culture, The Sufferer & the Witness and Appeal to Reason, Rise Against became one of the leading bands in modern punk rock.