Between the increasingly fascistic nature of U.S. politics, climate crisis, economic disparity, crumbling infrastructure and rampant gun violence, things are still really, really bad. Older generations have seemingly waved away these issues, ignoring how they shaped the reality many of us will grapple with long after they are gone. This pretext serves as the thematic focus of Nowhere Generation, the latest album by Rise Against.

It’s an album dedicated to critically examining the plight of Generations Y and Z as they face increasingly challenging circumstances, living through various crises and recessions, only to be labeled as entitled, fragile or confused kids. Rise Against fights back against these mischaracterizations to stand in solidarity with the so-called nowhere generation.

The album opens with “The Numbers,” which begins with staticky ’30s and ’40s music that gradually slows and distorts as guitars jump in with an abrasive quality. The banging percussion picks up the pace and we get the crooning vocals of lead singer Tim McIlrath belting plights the country faces and calls out the ineffectiveness of a do-little government. “Sudden Urge” follows with a jerky, rocking melody that speaks to the common feelings of anguish of those stepped on by oppressive systems. McIlrath depicts the simultaneous desire to tear down these institutions while hoping to gain peace of mind and prosperity.

The title track is a thesis statement for the album. “We are the nowhere generation/ We are the kids that no one wants/ We are a credible threat to the rules you set/ A cause to be alarmed/ We are not the names that we’ve been given/ We speak a language you don’t know,” McIlrath sings.

A nod to the incessant use of buzzwords like “snowflake” to deride Millenials and Zoomers alike, the statement is an examination of the demographic’s openness to change and empathy toward the plights of others. It’s a hard turn away from the derisive attitudes of older generations seeking to uphold archaic social institutions simply not seen as the norm for young people.

“Broken Dreams, INC.” opens with a single heavy and distorted guitar strike while an overlaying lashing melody tears through it. The song paints a dismal vision of the future of the U.S., where automation has eaten up jobs and caused wealth disparity to alienate and displace many. It illustrates how income inequality eats the working class alive. With the advancement of technology and automation, how long until people are left with nowhere else to go, McIlrath seems to ask.

Rise Against returns to criticizing the government on “Sounds Like,” with direct references to the empty gestures of politicians offering “thoughts and prayers” in response to mass shootings. McIlrath goes on to say, more-or-less, that direct action is needed to bring an end to gun violence.

The next song, “Sooner or Later,” continues to build on that criticism of a dysfunctional and ineffective government’s response to climate change. It opens with eerie synth-organs that are joined by a prominent and building snare. “And soon we’ll feel the panic/ In our breath and in our veins/ When you know there’s no tomorrow/ And you’ve realized too late,” McIlrath sings.

The album concludes with “Rules Of Play,” on which a hard-rocking and somewhat funky guitar melody kicks off with the same consistent thunderous energy felt throughout the album. The song describes the sense of helplessness felt by younger generations navigating the rocky waters of the world, left to follow their elders who’ve seemingly gamed the system and left the rest barely keeping their heads above water. It’s a fitting conclusion to a very grim album, but a cathartic listen, nonetheless. Rise Against delivered a nuanced and insightful examination of the plight of young generations who’ve never really known prosperity the way older generations have.

Follow editor Tim Hoffman at Twitter.com/hipsterp0tamus.