One of the only bands that seem largely shake off “the old stuff was better” tag, Propagandhi’s crown as kings of thrash punk still carries all the shine it did since 2009’s ‘Supporting Caste’, and to say that ‘Failed States’ has been waited on with baited breath would be a complete understatement.
It should come as no surprise that the band have carried on down the path that they’ve been travelling for a while, and for it ‘Failed States’ is eyebrow-raising again for its fantastic musicianship. Propagandhi have long been revered as one of the world’s greatest, and though their move to Epitaph seems a little curious considering their past, there’s no doubt that they’re still top of their game.
Songs like ‘Unscripted Movement’ and ‘Hadron Collision’ mix the heavier parts of the band’s sound with their ‘Today’s Empires…’ material, and though it’s true to say that ‘Failed States’ will require an ear that favours the two records since then, it’s got some of the finest riffs that you’ll hear all year (/ until the band get another record out).
‘Failed States’ feels like a record that’s been meticulously honed, and the image of Chris Hannah shredding relentlessly in a sleeveless shirt and trucker cap is still an easy one to conjure up. The album is staggeringly well executed, and as each song leads into the next effortlessly. It’s often a true joy to listen to, and there’s barely a moment that the band take their feet off the gas.
The highlights on the album are the title track going straight into ‘Devil’s Creek’ early on and the distinctly brutal closing salvo of ‘Lotus Gait’ and ‘Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interim Report)’, and, all things considered, Propagandhi have managed to set the bar even higher than they had on ‘Supporting Caste’.
For some, Propagandhi will be “Back To The Motor League” band forever, but despite the fact that ‘Empires’ is one of the great punk records, they’ve since become an even greater talent. The approach is impeccable, the execution second-to-none and the messages as stark as ever. ‘Failed States’ is a triumph, and if this isn’t the best punk album in 2012, I’ll eat my trucker cap.