The Unraveling is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against, released on April 24, 2001, by Fat Wreck Chords. Following the release of the extended play Transistor Revolt in 2000, the band signed with Fat Wreck Chords and began working on the album at Sonic Iguana Studios with producer Mass Giorgini. Musically, The Unraveling is rooted in melodic hardcore, which later came to be the band's signature style; conversely, its lyrics differ from their more politically-driven later work, focusing more on personal relationships and issues.
Although it failed to peak within any record charts, The Unraveling received positive reviews from music critics. It is the band's only album featuring lead guitarist Dan Wleklinski, who left the band due to personal differences with lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, and was eventually replaced with Todd Mohney. In 2005, Fat Wreck Chords reissued The Unraveling to coincide with Rise Against's fifth anniversary.
Background and recording
Rise Against was formed in 1999 after the dissolution of the Chicago punk rock band 88 Fingers Louie. Bassist Joe Principe and guitarist Dan Wleklinski were still interested in making music, and decided to start a new band. The two recruited drummer Toni Tintari, guitarist Kevin White, and lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, the former lead vocalist of the punk band Baxter. They called themselves Transistor Revolt, and released the extended play Transistor Revolt in 2000. Transistor Revolt garnered the attention of Fat Mike, the co-founder of the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords. He signed the band to a recording contract in 2000, with the stipulation they change their name; the band members ultimately decided on the name Rise Against. With a new drummer, the band members began to work on The Unraveling at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana, where Principe and Wleklinski had previously recorded material for 88 Fingers Louie. Recording took place over the course of five weeks, with Mass Giorgini serving as the producer, and Wleklinski serving as the assistant engineer. Wleklinski later remarked on the grueling workdays: "12-hour days for 4 of those weeks, and then 22-24 hours per day during that last week of tracking. These were the times of 'If you don't play it right, you have to play it again,' not 'That was good enough, I'll edit it so it's on time.'" Wleklinski also commented that it was difficult to split his time between recording guitar parts and engineering the songs, and that during the last week he had to sleep on the studio floor. The Unraveling begins with a quote by actor and musician Jack Black asking the listener "Are you ready to rock?", taken from the 1996 film The Cable Guy. It failed to reach any major music chart, and did not produce a single. Since the album's release, some of its songs have been featured in compilation albums and other media. An acoustic rendition of "Everchanging" was included on the Warped Tour 2006 Tour Compilation and the European track listing of the 2007 extended play This Is Noise. "The Art of Losing" and "My Life Inside Your Heart" were to be used in the unreleased video game Propeller Arena.
To promote The Unraveling, Rise Against toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. Phillip Hill stood in as lead guitarist, and Kevin White was eventually hired as a replacement.
In 2005, Fat Wreck Chords reissued The Unraveling on CD and digital download format to coincide with the band's fifth anniversary. It was remixed and remastered by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, with two bonus songs ("Join the Ranks" and "Gethsemane"), updated photography, and additional album liner information. Mohney plays lead guitar on "Gethsemane", as the track was recorded after Wlekinski's departure.