Holy shit. After two decades of thrashing true-blue punk rock from Manitoba to Mongolia, I could only have predicted self-destruction and an early death to anyone daring a try at something so ambitious as Propagandhi’s new album. And, true to form, most punk records’ shelf life extends little past the release of their sophomore album. Perhaps the ideals of chaos are better preached than practiced? Absolutely not, if longstanding veterans Propagandhi have anything to say about it. While some may choose let their punk hair down after years of servitude in favor of a softer, more subdued sound Propagandhi has, on their latest, Supporting Caste, crafted an audio assault (excuse my cliché, but give it a listen and try and think of a better one) that would make even Black Flag shake just a little bit.
Having spent some portion of my childhood carting 1993’s How to Clean Everything between composition books, I was always struck by Propagandhi’s recurring social themes. That a band could actually put such a strong message of uprising in music had, to my young mind, never occurred before. Here now, fifteen years later, the state of world’s politics is at its worst in decades; more than ever, now is the time for music to once again be a thorn in the side of political America. Supporting Caste borrows not only punk influences, but even a thrash metal tinge likened more closely to groups like Megadeath or even Dragonforce. It seems almost imperative that, given our collectively dire straits, Propagandhi should deliver an album that sounds as violent and heavy as the days’ headlines read. Arguably the hardest track on the album, “Night Letters” is a picture of metal musicianship. The almost unfathomably quick bass steps and palm mute guitar are enough to wake you from a dead sleep with lyrics that seem to fit flawlessly, as in “you work the night shift so you won’t be alone.” “Night Letters” is not so much a first track as it is a battering ram through your speakers.
The brutality of “Night Letters” is just a snippet of what the band has brought to the table on this, their fifth full-length release. For fans of their earlier, more pop punk sound, fear not. Supporting Caste delivers power chord power melodies along with its heavy dose of social commentary. “Human(e) Meat (the Flensing of Sandor Katz)” is a vegetarian anthem of sorts, railing against author and chef Sandor Katz. The opening verse says it all, with “I swear I did my best to ensure that his final moments were swift and free from fear, but consideration should be made for the fact that Sandor Katz was my first kill.” The lyrics are part shock value, part real substance, and all parts that make you sit back and say “Jeeeesus.”
If radio weren’t so terrified of a little controlled lyrical chaos, “Potemkin City Limits” would have made for a terrific single. Upon first listen it seems to adhere to all the staple signs of classic pop punk: steady uptempo drums, major chords and sweet melodies, etc. But, as with most every Propagandhi song, a look to the lyrics sheet reveals much, much more. In doing so you may also need to keep a dictionary handy, as these guys are not above using “ten-dollar words” in even the most trashed of punk rock classics.
The varied world of the epic closer is a very tight rope to walk. An otherwise flawless album can be quickly undermined by one longwinded track. Now, the world of the epic as it appears on a punk album is an ever harder hill to climb, as punk has and will never be meant to resemble anything of the sort (in saying this, I must acknowledge first NOFX’s, The Decline, which I feel, quite humbly is absolute genius). So it goes that Propagandhi have stepped up to plate, with the 15-minute “Last Will & Testament” set to close. Under differing circumstances, this could have been another in a long line of such lengthy failures. But the band’s musical virtuosity is enough to keep the song from ever get bogged down, instead highlighting in almost every way what the group is capable of. It also doesn’t hurt that the entire middle half of the song is divided silence, meant to connect what I can only assume is a hidden track.
It really makes me happy to come across bands like Propagandhi with albums like Supporting Caste to let me know that music can still have a backbone, even when it seems no one is listening. Sure, our generation is an iPod shuffle shy of having our own Bob Dylan, but that’s not to say there aren’t still groups out there willing to stick out their necks for causes that, in many cases, seem damned from the start. Propagandhi is and will always be one such group, and thank God for that because now more than ever, we need them.
Track List
1. Night Letters (3:52)
2. Supporting Caste (4:58)
3. Tertium Non Datur (3:17)
4. Dear Coach’s Corner (4:52)
5. This is Your Life (1:04)
6. Human(e) Meat (the Flensing of Sandor Katz) (2:48)
7. Potemkin City Limits (3:49)
8. The Funeral Procession (4:15)
9. Without Love (3:50)
10. Incalcuable Effects (2:09)
11. The Banger’s Embrace (2:13)
12. Last Will & Testament (15:16)
