Dead Pioneers – PO$T AMERICAN (Hassle Records) – All aboard for second ride on the American Dream then, let’s see if anyone’s driving this time? Take take take some more, culture vulture whiteness, white washing? Does he complain too much? Are they starting to say that? Are his blows landing, are they landing a hit or two? Gregg Deal does not hold back. Gregg Deal leads the no holds bared punk rock confrontation that is Dead Pioneers, and today, right in the middle of Trump’s chaos, they’re releasing their much anticipated second album.

Native American bite from the inconvenient Indian and his band. John Wayne, where you at? Have you got your cowboy hat? he doesn’t drink but his favourite white whine is all lives matters and yes it isn’t all ranting, Mr Deal can turn to his spoken word side and take the time to explain his thinking, his anger, the fights he chooses to pick (or the ones picked for him maybe?) and if you are offended then maybe you need to take a look in the mirror and with all due respect, as he puts it, in the name of all that’s holy, shut the fuck up. We’re in the margins now, it isn’t quite so funny as last time, it feels like a more serious time now even though that debut album wasn’t that long ago (late 2023), these feel like darker times, this feels like a darker record, it feels like a deep record, there’s a lot here, there’s a unity as well as a challenge and yes, it is gloriously woke, brilliantly so, a positive mind virus cleanser. And, maybe something a touch unexpected, there’s a beauty as well, Fire and Ash is a little but of an oasis in the middle of all the rule of thumb and the stripping of dignity.  

Hey, is this all a little too real? And why dog? What’s your Indian name? Can I have an Indian name? Wrestle with the facts, don’t run and hide, after all American is so star spangled awesome, check your notes, what’s the result. Once again you really need the whole thing, you can listen to the singles or the tracks they’ve put on line up front, but you really need to listen to the whole body of work as one whole thing, take all the medicine, not just the easy bits. They could have just made another album like the excellent first one, but somehow you know that wouldn’t have been enough for them or indeed us. Yes they are still an angry hardcore punk rock, one of the best angry hardcore punk rock bands out there, but he speaks, he has spoken, he has tales of social justice, he has tales to tell, why does he spend so much time complaining? if you really need to ask that then maybe you are part of the many problems. A proper properly good activist punk rock record from a band who properly matter, oh and by the way, they make damn fine music as well. (sw)

Bandcamp / Previously / Album details / Website

UK tour dates:
13th May –  Norwich – Voodoo Daddy’s
14th May –  London –  The Dome (Downstairs)

Reconstruction Tour with Pennywise, Propagandhi, Comeback Kid
16th May –  Poble Español, Barcelona, ES 
17th May –  Carroponte, Milan, IT 
18th May –  Koplex, Zurich, CH 
20th May –  Media Center, Ljubljana, SI 
21st May –  Arena, Vienna, AT
23rd may –  Gaswerk, Augsburg, DE
24th May –  Berendrecht, Booswegske, BE 
25th May – Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, DE 
27th May – Live Music Hall, Cologne, DE 
28th May – Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL 
29th May – Docks, Hamburg, DE
31st May – Zitadelle Spandau, Berlin, DE