Protest 100: Dropdead – ‘Torches’

Posted on by dugtheship

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.

Protest 100: Power Trip – ‘Nightmare Logic’

Posted on by dugtheship

Artist:          Power Trip

Song:           Nightmare Logic

Album:        Nightmare Logic

Producer:     Arthur Rizk

Label:          Southern Lord

Year:           2017

Notes:
The fools in charge seek to demonize the oppressed. What they don’t realize is their methods can and will be turned against them. Preach law and order while breaking the laws. Their soft, feeble-minded underbelly is vulnerable.

Riley Gale, who wrote the lyrics below, died earlier this week at the age of 34. He was a positive force on this earth, always rooting for the little guy, openly calling out and evicting homophobes, misogynists, and racists from both his and the band’s orbit. (I personally loved the Twitter feud he had going with a herd of Proud Boy dipshits a few years back!)

This is the second (of six) Power Trip songs I’d already selected for Protest 100. They’ll all still run, and they’ll all still mean exactly what they mean. I love this band. And Riley’s presence here, doing what he did and how he did it, helped me feel both normal and empowered. I will miss him greatly.

Excerpt from ‘Unreality’  —
This meant work could begin on the problem at hand and left open the possibility that some sort of headway could be established before nightfall.

Lyrics
The slumber of reason gives birth to all demons
A new battle takes form
Forced evolution to incite revolution
Rewrite the rules to play the game

As we struggle in the fight to survive
Through strange domains and vicious ways
From the darkest depths we will arise
This realm will be their demise
Their demise

They underestimated the force behind the hatred
Grown with war on our minds
Lawlessness of their nightmare has left them unaware
To the weakness they’ve exposed

We reach the summit in our climb to the top
Through strange domains and vicious ways
In the darkest depths, a planned devised
Their spite for us is their demise
Their demise

They’ve given us a devil’s playground and all his deadliest toys
We must take all we’ve learned to destroy all they know
This nightmare logic, our greatest tool
Decimate the all-righteous fool

—

‘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.

Protest 100: Iron Reagan – ‘Cycle of Violence’

Posted on by dugtheship

Artist:          Iron Reagan

Song:           Cycle of Violence

Album:        Worse Than Dead

Producer:    Phil Hall

Label:          A389

Year:           2013

Notes:

Iron Reagan (yes, it’s the pun you assume) is a crossover thrash supergroup from Richmond, Va., featuring members of Municipal Waste, Darkest Hour, and Cannabis Corpse. It kept some of Municipal Waste’s humor but added sincere political commentary. ‘Cycle of Violence’ addresses the increased ease with which public protests can descend into chaos.

Excerpt from ‘Unreality’ (now seeking publisher!) –
“Cookie had meant to ask the Captain about what seemed like an endless supply of drugs onboard and if it might be playing a role in the crew’s deepening cycles of lethargy and violence.”

Lyrics:

Mandating slaughter of public views
Dictatorship prevails, rioting ensues
Just don’t ask questions, censor the news
These are all the attributes in the

Cycle of violence

Our peoples’ voices protest our rights
Deteriorating promise truth burns in the fight
Don’t try to stop us, it’s in our sights
And this just fuels the hate and spite in the

Cycle of violence

It’s a cycle of violence
The cycle will never end

—

‘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.