Chicago’s own hardcore punk gang Rise Against contributes to the music world once again with their explosive new album “Endgame.” Being their seventh album, most listeners would have expected Rise Against to fade away and stop producing music of such high quality.

Throughout all the Rise Against albums the main elements of their music remains the same; heavy drums, powerful guitar chords and Tim McIlrath’s huge voice combining the punk band’s purposeful lyrics with their high-octane tracks. Unlike most heavy bands, Rise Against consistently writes intelligent lyrics that listeners can understand and relate to. In “Endgame” McIlrath’s voice is supported, not drowned out, by the loud instruments at the lead singer’s back.

On the track “Disparity by Design,” Tim McIlrath, James Blair and Joe Principe and sing about the apparent poverty and unequal distribution of wealth in the world, and how the government makes it impossible for those people to break out of the cycle of poverty. Tim McIlrath sings, “If we just take a step back, a bigger picture we might view / Perhaps the man in the gutter, isn’t so different from you.”

Another solid track, “Survivor Guilt” criticizes the war in Iraq and the sense of invincibility we seem to have in America. “Fought your fight / Bought your light / In return I lost my life/ What purpose does this serve?”

Anyone looking for a great all around album with a sense of purpose behind all of the hard rock, “Endgame” is a perfect choice. With not one bad song on the album, Rise Against mixes melodic yelling, high powered guitars, and understandable lyrics perfectly, resulting in the band’s exceptional new album.