Propagandhi
Failed States
(Epitaph Records)
3/5
Outspoken Winnipeg-based rockers Propagandhi are on their sixth full-length album, and if you haven’t heard these guys since their early Fat Wreck Chords albums, well, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. Is it a pleasant one? I don’t think “pleasant” quite fits. “Ripping,” maybe.
The departure from the straightforward punk of yesteryear is evident right from the start. The haunting intro of “Note to Self” sets the tone for the politically charged, prog-rock-tinged first track.
But the diversity doesn’t stop there. I thought I was listening to a classic track from the band Helmet when “Rattan Cane” really got going. So heavy it’s almost scary, when you get right down to it.
But this talented, opinionated group just doesn’t have the same appeal to me that they used to. Maybe I was hoping for something less heavy lyrically, something a bit more fun. Propagandhi still have something to say. These days, I just don’t really want to hear it.