The Ricochet hate is warranted for the wrong reasons.
The sound of it is the entire "issue". Not the lyrics, emotion, or message. Each song on its own hits fucking hard, but by the time "Nod" is over the heavy handed vocal processing gets old.
When you listen to it on its own top to bottom the emotion (not the message) of "Soldier" doesnt hit right and by the end it sucks. The message and IMPACT I adore Rise Against for gets lost in the disapointing emotional feel of the album as a whole.
BUT if you mix these songs on shuffle with hours and hours of other heavy punk songs with loads of heart and emotion they stand out. The sound is different the energy is different. The Lyrics finally fucking hit right. Its like hearing a new rise against song for the first time again.
This album sucks because its too dense. When I put on an entire RA album its cause I'm overwhelmed by the state of my country or the content of my local news and I need to feel less alone and hopeful.
This album can't do that and THATS why it sucks. The messages, lyrics, and emotion DO hit fucking hard, just not all at once.