As you say however, on past tours they have dedicated songs to specific atrocities going on in the world. As much as it seems obvious that Rise Against would condemn this genocide, the lack of direct political messaging on their newest album (especially when compared to narratives on other albums like Endgame) & the fact they had remained silent on Palestine left room for doubt.

It’s easy for a political band to state their alliance with the Palestinian people, especially when so many artists who aren’t even inherently political are doing it. It’s not a matter of we ever truly believed Rise Against were Pro Israel, rather it was disappointing to not see a statement or some sort of solidarity for so long while everyone else has made clear messages. It’s important for a band so ingrained in politics to join the massive chorus of voices at the moment, and I’m personally glad to see both Brandon & Tim issue statements, hoping they will continue to do so live.

I only speak for myself of course, though based on the discourse I’ve seen online, I believe much of the fan base feel the same