I can remember the exact place I was in when I heard Rise Against for the first time in the form of The Approaching Curve. Their music is made up of strong vocals, great guitar, insane drumming and (the key ingredient) raw emotion.
Most place Rise Against in the sub genre Melodic Hardcore. Their new album, Endgame, isn't as hardcore as their older stuff, but it's still damn good. Endgame is more of this band's unique sound and addresses real-world issues such as gay rights.