Propagandhi - Supporting Caste

Artist: Propagandhi

Album: Supporting Caste

Label: Smallman Records

I put off reviewing Propagandhi's latest release, Supporting Caste, for quite some time because of my admitted lack of familiarity with the firmly established band.  But then I realized that Supporting Caste was somewhat of a relaunch for Propaghandi, and a natural place for me to jump in.  From what I understand, the band has picked up an additional guitarist, known as "The Beave," who has helped the band refine their sound and tighten their focus.

Propagandhi began in the early 1990's as a fast, sloppy, politically charged punk band.  Over the past decade, each release has added more and more layers of musical complexity and polish - all while never sacrificing their raw enthusiasm.  The result has lead to the squeaky clean sounds defining up Supporting Caste.  In refining their sound, the band has continually developed their technical complexity, giving Supporting Caste an undeniably professional quality.  For example, songs like "The Funeral Procession" maintain a razor sharp edginess against a speedy tempo and consistently changing chord structure.  Just the intro to "Dear Coaches Corner" has more complexity in its first thirty seconds than many bands explore throughout a career.  Furthermore, for tracks like "Supporting Caste" that last for nearly five minutes, the band explores various tempo changes, producing memorable highs and deep, ponderous lows.  The whole balance feels a if it could at any time collapse under the weight of its own ambition, but thankfully Propagandhi's tight musicianship shines through time and again.  Simply put, the effect sounds as vast and detailed as the rolling landscape depicted on the album cover.

Propagandhi hasn't changed their lyrical focus since their inception, and seeing how their content reflects personal ideals, their narrow focus is more characteristic of a group in touch with their principles than a band starved for creativity.  Supporting Caste is ripe full of dark, demanding calls to arms over political issues, with a special focus on human and animal rights.  For example, "Human(e) Meat (The Flesh of Sandor Kats)" opens with what sounds like the cries of a torture victim.  The song goes on to satirically equate the act with slaughtering animals, even going so far as to state "I swear I'll do my best to ensure that/his final moments are swift and free from fear."  My personal favourite track, "Dear Coaches Corner," uses a commentary from the Canadian cultural phenomenon "Hockey Night In Canada" to address human rights.  The band presents the song as a letter to Hockey Night In Canada host Ron Mclean in response to a post game dialogue in which one announcer (Don Cherry) dismisses a political comment as "sickening" and not appropriate for escapist television.  It's a smart comment becuase it forces the listener to really consider the media's filter on complex issues, and what ultimately what makes it through the TV and into the living room.

Supporting Caste pushes Propagandhi in a naturally evolving direction while retaining the band's politically confrontational core.  And while Supporting Caste might have more melody than its predecessors, there's no shortage of enthusiasm and aggression.  As I soon discovered, Supporting Caste is a great place for newcomers like myself to finally hop on the bandwagon and put Propagandhi in regular rotation..