Tim McIlrath
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| Tim McIlrath | ||
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 Tim McIlrath
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| Background information | ||
| Born | 1980, Chicago, Illinois | |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, Songwriter, Musician | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Bass | |
| Years active | 1996-present | |
| Label(s) | Fat Wreck Chords (2001-2003) Geffen (2003-present) | |
| Associated acts |
Rise Against .baxter. Arma Angelus The Killing Tree |
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Tim McIlrath (born 1980) is the lead singer for the American Hardcore Punk band Rise Against. He is known for his versatile voice, and is able to sing softly, scratchy and frantic, or an all out scream. He is also a competent guitarist; during Rise Against's time without a second guitarist, McIlrath filled this role.
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[edit] Biography
Timothy J. McIlrath was born in 1980 in Indianapolis, Indiana. At a young age he read books such as 1984 by George Orwell, and A Brave New World. As a child in Catholic (Our Lady of the Wayside, the school that Mark Sansait went to) school in Arlington Heights, IL, he was taunted for having one brown eye and one blue eye[citation needed], known as heterochromia. Fellow classmates thought this a mark of the beast. In his teenage years, he was very active in his local alternative rock/punk scene. He was part of a post-hardcore band from Chicago called .baxter., a metalcore band called Arma Angelus with Pete Wentz (now in Fall Out Boy) and in a band called The Honor System. In 1999 Tim and former 88 Fingers Louie bassist Joe Principe and guitarist Mr. Precison formed Rise Against along with Brandon Barnes on drums, which has released two albums, however they found a new guitarist in Chris Chasse in 2002.With Chasse on the guitar they made two more albums: Siren Song of the Counter Culture along withThe Sufferer and the Witness which reached #10 on the Billboard charts. Tim is also active in a heavier, more hardcore type side-project band called The Killing Tree along with former Rise Against guitarist Todd Mohney, though all members use pseudonyms in concern to the band.
[edit] Role in Rise Against
Tim is known for his deep and melodic vocal style, which often sets them apart from other Hardcore bands. Tim also writes the lyrics for all Rise Against songs. His songs usually involve his liberal political stand point, and love songs. In his political songs he often portrays a group of people, but at times portrays only himself. He is also a competent guitarist but didn't start playing guitar for Rise Against until the "Revolutions Per Minute" writing sessions. This has been more evident in recent years.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Rise Against
[edit] The Killing Tree
- Bury Me At Make-Out Creek (EP) (2000)
- The Romance of Helen Trent (2002)
- We Sing Sin (EP) (2004)
[edit] .baxter.
- Troy's Bucket full-length cassette (1996)
- Lost Voices... 7" (Static Station Recordings, 1997)
- Baxter two-disc CD compilation (Will Not Clear Man, 2002)
[edit] Arma Angelus
- Things we Don't Like We Destroy (compilation) (2002)
- Where Sleeplessness brings Rest From Nightmares
- The Grave End of the Shovel
[edit] The Honor System
- Single File
[edit] PETA work
Tim and his fellow bandmembers are vegetarian and are active with the animal rights group PETA. Tim often takes part in PETA protests and gives out PETA books and flyers at shows. He has given many interviews along with other bands.
[edit] Trivia
- Tim has one child, a daughter, named Blythe with his still current girlfriend.
- Tim is featured on the song Denak ez du balio by the Basque Country band Berri Txarrak from the album Libre (Free) (2003)
- McIlrath's father is a right wing ex-military intelligence officer as was his grandfather{AP220}, although Tim himself is known for his left-wing political views as demonstrated in Rise Against songs such as "State of the Union", "Blood-Red, White and Blue", and others. In the booklet of Revolutions Per Minute and the inside case of The Sufferer and the Witness he lists several left-wing books, films, and websites to take a look at. They include Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me, as well as Michael Moore's website and the film The Corporation, amongst others.
