Propagandhi – Failed States (26/11/2012)
When it comes to punk rock, there aren’t many better bands in the modern era than Propagandhi. In fact, one could suggest that Propaghandi form the blue print for the modern punk aesthetic; trading outright anarchy for animal and social rights, amongst other worthwhile causes. This translates through to their music, with their thrashy style of punk rock proving to be highly influential for the next wave of young punk bands. Failed States is essentially the next logical step in the band’s career, picking up exactly where their previous record Supporting Caste left off. It seems as though as the band get older, the music gets angrier and more forceful.
Album highlight ‘Cognitive Suicide’ is a far cry from their pop punk roots, with wailing guitars and thudding bass showing the more technical side of the band. Similarly, the hardcore infused ‘Hadron Collision’ would be completely at home on a Converge record, whilst the equally ferocious ‘Status Update’ takes aim at Facebook and its associated vanity. With the band also being active supporters of animal rights and sustainability, it’s incredibily refreshing to hear a punk band that isn’t just all about sticking it to the man. This only furthers the notion that Propaghandi are the quintessential modern punk band.
‘Ratten Cane’ is one of the heaviest songs the band has written to date. Its sludge influenced sound and structure giving rise to an unprecedented amount of force behind the track. Simiarly, the title track explodes from the speakers with the sheer anger we have come to expect from the quartet, whilst Chris Hannah’s throaty vocals lend some order to the chaos. The addition of second guitarist Dave Guillas in 2006 has certainly worked wonders for the band, allowing them to explore a much larger spectrum of sounds and achieve much more in terms of song writing. This was first shown on Supporting Caste, but on Failed States it appears the band have well and truly found their niche.
In fact, the variability in sound found on Failed States is reflected even more so in the lyrics. Such is the morbid state of the world at present; there are a great many targets for Hannah to aim his provocative lyrics at. In the same way, Failed States is probably the most musically diverse album of their career, traversing many of their influences throughout. Throughout the record, there are small nods to their more accessible past, particularly through the odd catchy melody or hook, as seen in ‘Things I Like’. However, at the same time, Propaghandi in its current form is overall far heavier, as seen with the sludgy and pure hardcore influences, and is ultimately better for it.
Failed States is a tribute to Propagandhi’s consistency over their six albums, despite exploring everything from pop punk to thrash metal. On Failed States, it seems as though the band have found the perfect equilibrium between the two extremes and the result is their best album to date.
Billy Geary
Album highlight ‘Cognitive Suicide’ is a far cry from their pop punk roots, with wailing guitars and thudding bass showing the more technical side of the band. Similarly, the hardcore infused ‘Hadron Collision’ would be completely at home on a Converge record, whilst the equally ferocious ‘Status Update’ takes aim at Facebook and its associated vanity. With the band also being active supporters of animal rights and sustainability, it’s incredibily refreshing to hear a punk band that isn’t just all about sticking it to the man. This only furthers the notion that Propaghandi are the quintessential modern punk band.
‘Ratten Cane’ is one of the heaviest songs the band has written to date. Its sludge influenced sound and structure giving rise to an unprecedented amount of force behind the track. Simiarly, the title track explodes from the speakers with the sheer anger we have come to expect from the quartet, whilst Chris Hannah’s throaty vocals lend some order to the chaos. The addition of second guitarist Dave Guillas in 2006 has certainly worked wonders for the band, allowing them to explore a much larger spectrum of sounds and achieve much more in terms of song writing. This was first shown on Supporting Caste, but on Failed States it appears the band have well and truly found their niche.
In fact, the variability in sound found on Failed States is reflected even more so in the lyrics. Such is the morbid state of the world at present; there are a great many targets for Hannah to aim his provocative lyrics at. In the same way, Failed States is probably the most musically diverse album of their career, traversing many of their influences throughout. Throughout the record, there are small nods to their more accessible past, particularly through the odd catchy melody or hook, as seen in ‘Things I Like’. However, at the same time, Propaghandi in its current form is overall far heavier, as seen with the sludgy and pure hardcore influences, and is ultimately better for it.
Failed States is a tribute to Propagandhi’s consistency over their six albums, despite exploring everything from pop punk to thrash metal. On Failed States, it seems as though the band have found the perfect equilibrium between the two extremes and the result is their best album to date.
Billy Geary