Propagandhi are conflicted on At Peace. When Canada’s punk standouts announced their eighth studio album, singer/guitarist Chris Hannah said its lyrics find him unsure whether to respond to society’s failings by acting like spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle or notorious terrorist the Unabomber. “I am at peace these days,” he howls on the lead single and title track, “give or take a fit of blinding rage!”
It’s understandable why the band don’t know what to do anymore. They’ve been openly antagonising fascist ideologies since they started in 1986, only for that way of thinking to infect mainstream politics over the past couple of years. On top of that, their first new music in eight years came out amidst Donald Trump’s declaring his hopes of making their home country America’s 51st state.
