On album number eight, long-running Canadian punk rockers Propaghandi continue to perfect their craft on At Peace (Epitaph Records) in a manner their peers can not keep up with. They self-identify as a progressive thrash band, which is a point driven home on several songs, but at the album’s core beats their rebellious punk hearts. Perhaps it’s because they are from Canada, but the political edge to their lyrics has always hit differently. They remain thoughtful and self-reflective, with this brooding carrying over into the metallic edge, coloring this album, which must be listened to through headphones, if possible, as it makes the guitar pop more than computer speakers.

The vocals on the title track have an urgency that sets the stage for the taunt thrashing riffing to kick the door in. If you were going to introduce a metalhead to punk, this would be the best band to use, as they are so technically sound as musicians, the sheer weight of what they do with their instruments is more prone to win over your average metal head than guys banging on two chords. The album’s lead single, “Cat Guy,” is a flawlessly written, little ditty that is catchy as hell. Chris’s voice sounds great on it. There is more of their metal beginnings present in the riffing, though it is run through the mature filter of age. 

“No Longer Young” might not have a whammy-bar driven solos, but their palm-muted guitar attack is air-tight,  “Rented P.A.” has a cool groove that brings Iron Maiden‘s “The Prisoner”. Being Canadian, they can’t escape the shadow of Rush, which can be felt on “Stargazing”. It might not be punk, but it is 100 percent good music. The vocals stay in the center stage of the mix, which adds to the rock n roll feel of  “God of Avarice”. There is the first hint of a guitar solo on the break here. It’s more of a melodic nuance, but it stands out, though it does not stand out on the monitor. “Prismatic Spray” strut with a chug that could have come from a NWOBHM band with dynamic drumming all over the place in the best way. 

This is more of a somber album than a dark one, though “Fire Season”  finds them getting serious before setting the song up from the album’s most impressive gallop. Steve Harris would be proud. Then an actual guitar solo leads the way into  “Day By Day,” which is more of a proggy rock than a prog rock song since there are no synths or odd time signatures. But this is way more complex than punk, yet it flows well. “Something Needs to Die, But Maybe it’s not You” closes out the album in epic fashion. This might be the best metal album released by a band that’s not metal this year. It is highly impressive that decades into their career, this band would be releasing one of their more creatively inspired albums to date.

Buy the album here:
https://propagandhi.ffm.to/atpeace

9 / 10
WIL CIFER
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