Founded in late 1999 by Joe Principe and Tim McIlrath, Rise Against rose from the ashes of Principe's former band, 88 Fingers Louie. Sporting blistering, aggressive melodic punk and hardcore traits, Rise Against took the template Principe set in his previous band and expanded it further. The cohesive sound of Rise Against is actually a seamless melding of two musically independent worlds. "Joe comes from more of an old-school background," says McIlrath. "And I liked Fugazi, the more melodic, early '90s emo like Cap'n Jazz, Braid and Friction. After three successful major label releases, Rise Against have proven their combination of of influences appeal to the masses of punk rockers worldwide.