06 Jul

Propagandhi – Supporting Caste

The four Canadian skids are back after four years since their previous full length “Potemkin City Limits” with a brand new disc, and also on this new release the band keeps on playing the hard, metal influenced music they have been playing since “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes”, when John left the band, and Todd joined. And so, from the twelve new tracks, don’t expect soft poppy stuff, because even tough someone says this band rips Venom off, I truly believe the originality of these guys is above all.

“Supporting Caste” starts with a song sung by bass player Todd: “Night Letters” is a fast, short and angry anthem that is filled with metallic influences. As well as most of the other songs, Propagandhi plays fast, without space for intermissions.

Lyrically, the band deals with a lot of politics but not just that: most songs deal with personal issues too (vegetarianism, as on “Human(e) Meat (The Flensing of Sandor Katz)”), the world’s worst happenings (as the war in Afghanistan on “This Is Your Life”) and praise towards bands that Propagandhi enjoy (”The Banger’s Embrace” is about the band Sacrifice). The most outstanding track is surely “Potemkin City Limits” (named as the band’s previous album), which deal with the run of a pig out of a slaughterhouse, and I must say it’s very touching.

I think this is the best material the band released since “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes”, with both catchy and fast, hardcore, speed thrash and metal anthems, that will make you want to trash your head and make you think about what’s going on around you, too.