Artist: Dropdead
Song: Torches
Album: Demo 2019
Producer: Trevor Vaughn
Label: Armageddon Label
Year: 2019
Notes:
Dropdead have been performing Rhode Island political hardcore (their label) on a DIY basis since 1991, touring the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan along the way. Anti-authoritarianism, pacifism, and animal rights are among their focuses, but ‘Torches’ seems uniquely crafted for the here and now. The song has since been included on the band’s 23-songs-in-24-minutes new album, produced by Kurt Ballou, who also has remixed the band’s 1990s output.
Excerpt from ‘Unreality’ —
“That shifty little fuck decided I was ‘the man’ or something. He was gonna torch me!”
Lyrics
Hail the leader of racists
Bow down to his wisdom so vain
Demagogue rules from his throne made of gold
While the common man suffers in vain
Self serving rule of the pious
Feeding their greed til their gain
Crushed under foot, society falls
Again and again, again and again
The time has now come to rise from your knees
Hatred is with us again
Torches of bigotry alight in the streets
Igniting the hatred of man
Fascist messiah, leader of fools
Rules from his kingdom of lies
Army of ignorance, violence rules
They execute those who defy
Behold the church of bigotry
Where the fools in power reign
While blood runs red within the street
Where the activists were slain
They use Nazi propaganda
Disguised as country pride
To divide and and rule the populace
Pure hatred… glorified
—
‘Protest 100’s mission is two-fold: dispelling the myth that heavy metal is a brainless, socially unaware music genre, and raising awareness of the issues facing our country in the Nov. 3, 2020 election. The path won’t be exclusively metal—some punk and rap and other stuff will be in here too, including the classics—and is not a ranking. All songs are songs I’ve heard while putting this list together, ordered in a manner designed to entertain and educate.
Chris Smith, Author 