BACKGROUND
Rise Against is an American hard rock and punk band from Chicago formed in 1999. An early proponent of the melodic hardcore sound, Rise Against found underground success in bridging the gap between the grit of punk rock and the atmosphere of rock music. As a punk band, Rise Against was and continues to be an advocate for progressivism, supporting pro-LGBTQ+ groups, animal rights, and other social justice causes. In 2003, their second album, Revolutions Per Minute, was a bold journey in punk and melody, seeking to respond to the political controversies of that time, most notably the pro-US fanaticism which followed 9/11 and US interventions in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
and Afghanistan.
DESIGN STRATEGY
The band did do an official re-release of the album for its 10th anniversary, but did little to re-modify the cover. I wanted to create something that would not just acknolowledge the original cover but something that could respond and expand on it. The original cover features a pair of headphones attached to a grenade on a rough grey background, marketing the music as explosive and dangerous (but in a “all the more reason you should listen to it” way). My tribute poster accomplishes this by featuring a similar coarse background, and all caps type highlighting the band and album contents. I did choose to modify the color palette to a green and blue, as I felt the grey was a little too monotone for the subject matter involved. The staple elements are not a pair of headphones but a pair of Apple Airpods, the 2020s re-invention of headphones, and twenty grenades which symbolize the time that has passed since the album was released. The message I wanted to drive here is as follows: It has been 20 years since 2003, and the political environment the album references (overzealous patriotism, the consequences of US military intervention in other countries), still ring strong today.