"The Violence" contains lyrics inspired by the 2016 United States presidential election cycle. In an interview with Kerrang!, vocalist Tim McIlrath stated that "As we were watching the news and seeing all the different things around the planet, I realized that violence has such a role in a lot of what we see when the world is falling apart. The violence is a reflection of whether our is in our nature, our DNA, or whether we have a choice to be part of it. And it is a choice that we make - a conscious one - to use violence as a means to an end. Aren't we better than this? Aren't we the apex of the animal kingdom? Aren't we the only ones on the planet that have the capacity for compassion? Aren't we good enough or brave enough to not sink to violence?"
Music video controversy
On May 1, 2017, "The Violence" became enshrouded in controversy when it was revealed that the band was prohibited from shooting a music video due to being "anti-government". The plan originally called for Rise Against to perform the song in a field containing busts of all 43 United States presidents located on a privately owned farm in Croaker, Virginia, formerly the site of the deteriorating Presidents Park. The permit granting Rise Against the right to film on the property was rescinded by the farm's board of directors during filming as the "message" it sent was deemed too "anti-American". Later that day, Rise Against posted a message on their Facebook page reading: In its place, a lyric video was released on May 7, 2017 instead.
Reception
"The Violence" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Rolling Stone stated that the song was "packed with jagged guitar riffs and rumbling drums that combine with Tim McIlrath punchy vocals to create a furious tension that finally bursts with a soaring chorus." Loudwire noted that "People around the world are wondering about the state of punk rock in the Trump era. Will it gain massive amounts of support and traction like it did in the Bush years? We’ll see how it all unfolds with Rise Against being one of the first prominent punk acts to release new material in 2017. Rise Against sound just like themselves with “The Violence,” as frontman Tim McIlrath ramps up his distinctive vocal style over buzzing guitars and marching drum beats."
