Ready To Charge Down All
Five albums in and Winnipeg’s’ Propagandhi are still as mad and angry as ever. Thank god. Formed back in the 90s, the quartet have become renowned for their hardcore activism and whilst earlier albums found them veering more towards the upbeat punk path, latest release, ‘Supporting Caste’ finds the band piling more adrenaline into each track as thrash levels are raised higher and anger upped accordingly. Fast, furious and relentlessly pounding, Propagandhi are certainly back to inform and educate once again.
Instantly hitting with an insanely tight blitz attack of thrashing guitars and anger drenched vocals, ‘Supporting Caste’ ricochets out of the speakers with intent to not only maim but kill, as Propagandhi’s rush of politically fuelled rampages collide with brutal riffs stapled to a juggernaut of melodic rock. And as if that isn’t enough, the Canadian’s have even decided to mix in touches of humour sprinkled with wickedness to delight; from a discussion of their various humanitarian causes amid attacks on a Canadian hockey announcer on ‘Dear Coach’s Corner’ to bringing the hypocrisy of a fermentist feminist to light in ‘Human(e) Meat’. As each vicious riff is bulldozed into the next, ‘Supporting Caste’ immediately engages, actively forcing you to pay attention to the issues the band are raising whilst geniously underlying each track with a melodic hook to guarantee that the entire album still grips, perfectly issuing entertainment alongside education.
Refusing to ease off the accelerator, ‘Supporting Caste’ is an exhilaratingly exhausting rampage. From the combating guitars and drums on ‘Tertium Non Datur’, pummellingly acting as a rally cry for the passion fuelled track, to the engaging slew of guitar solos on ‘Incalculatable Effects’ that give way to snarling vocals to scare and charm. But it is the thrash frenzy introduction of ‘Dear Coach’s Corner’ that ensnares all within a 100 mile radius as audio commentary gives way to harshly euphoric blast of thrash before Propagandhi take the track and throw it slamming into your face, challenged only by the punk melodic charm of ‘The Banger’s Embrace’. Brandishing a barrel load of gang vocals amongst a raging hail of uplifting guitars and drum beats, ‘The Banger’s Embrace’ squeezes out the last drop of joy from’ Supporting Caste’ before ‘Last Will And Testament’ brings things back to reality with typical Propagandhi gutso.
At times echoing Thrice with touches of Rise Against, ‘Supporting Caste’ ushers in a new path for Propagandhi, one that is blistering with thrash filled rage, ready to charge down all and bring them kicking and screaming with elation into the Canadian’s embrace.