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Rise Against, "The Sufferer & The Witness" (Geffen Records)

The title should be a dead giveaway that this Chicago quartet is still raging against the corporate and political machine ("Bricks" with the line: "The fumes of injustice") and the social decay it spawns on its fourth full-length release.

Spewing emo feelings over speedy tempos, this is mostly pretty fast, all-intense punk rock. However, they do slow it down once in a while ("Roadside," with strings and chorale harmonies, and "Prayer of the Refugee," about picking up the pieces).

There's big guitar bombast, bashing drums and crashing cymbals ("Chamber the Cartridge"), and vocalist Tim McIlrath is more of a shouter than a screamer ("Injection," which seems to equate love with drugs).

The standouts are the anthemic "Ready to Fall" with its punky interlude and big chorus that's catchy as hell, and "The Approaching Curve" with its spoken-word vocals that break into a sung chorus that's urgent and uplifting.

The band's logo - a raised fist inside a heart - is rather apropos, as these guys wear their hearts on their sleeves but with a fierce conviction.

Silverstein, "Arrivals & Departures" (Victory Records)

On its third CD, this quintet from the suburbs of Toronto refines its signature sound: metal guitar riffs courtesy of a twin-ax attack set to punk-rock tempos. It's emo, mostly sung, with some screamo but always very melodic.

Before recording this disc, vocalist Shane Told ended a seven-year relationship, and that angst and ennui seeps through the proceedings; they could've called this "The Breakup Album." The song titles tell the story: "If You Could See My Soul," which is the best song on the disc; "Worlds Apart," about the aftermath; "Still Dreaming"; "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"; "Love With Caution."

But in an effort to not be overly maudlin, the eternal optimists in the group always see the positive, even in the most negative of situations ("Bodies and Words"; "True Romance"). The love song (?) "My Disaster" is fueled by killer guitar arpeggios.

All in all, there's not a bad tune on this record.

Rise Against headlines an all-ages show Wednesday at the Sunshine Theater, 120 Central Ave. S.W. Silverstein is direct support, with Comeback Kid and Cancer Bats sharing the stage, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $23, plus service charges, at Ticketmaster outlets. Call 883-7800 or Ticketmaster Smoking and alcohol service in segregated areas only.

June, "Make It Blur" (Victory Records)

This Chicago indie-rock four-piece goes pop on its second release. It's mostly up-tempo rock, with dual vocalists providing harmonies and dual guitarists supplying a poppy crunch.

On most of the songs, the vocalists deal in call-and-response, but a better term would be "begin-and-end," where one of them starts a lyric and the other finishes it, often with a turn of phrase ("No Time for Sense"; "Closer").

Highlights include the slight reggae lilt of "Finally" and "Machine and the Line," slick pop with what sound like synthesized hand claps (!) that's loud and over the top. "Tempter" sounds like something Rick Springfield would do, and I mean that in a good way. It has a killer lyric: "Oh, this is terrible, but I'm loving every minute of it."

On their bio, the guys cop to being influenced by Maroon 5, Third Eye Blind, Foo Fighters and even Justin Timberlake. And on this disc, it shows.

June hits the stage Thursday for an all-ages show at the Launchpad, 618 Central S.W. My American Heart, the Higher, My Heart the Hero and Good as Dead are also on the bill. 7 p.m. $8 advance/$10 at the door 764-8887. Virtuous