After a 3 year gap since their last release Canadian punks Propagandhi are back to blow your mind in the way they always do. With this, their sixth studio album in the form of ‘Failed States’ it’s a safe bet to call the Propagandhi gentlemen veterans.

The album showcases the slower but hard hitting pace of the band as well as double time and thrash moments in others. Give a listen to the first two tracks to hear this juxtaposition in full force, opening with the calm then being taken and completely overwhelmed by the storm. The thrash moments are accompanied throughout the album with melodies the constant outbursts or crash and ride cymbals.

Riffs dominate ‘Failed States’ either as vocal melodies, guitar or even bass lines and showcase quite a technical feel which adds another dimension to the songs and so bars of this technicality can intersperse between regular verses and riffs. Chris Hannah’s vocals are very distinctive and lyrically he ventures across many different topics, but always sitting on top of Propagandhi’s crafted sound.

‘Failed States’ is a solid record that Propagandhi fans will enjoy on every listen and can certainly entertain new fans.

4/5

‘Failed States’ by Propagandhi is out now on Epitaph Records.

Propagandhi links: Website|Facebook

Words by Mikey Brown (@MikeyMiracle)