You will find little argument with Propagandhi’s accepted status as one of Canada’s greatest punk bands. Not just now, but ever.

Formed in the ’80s as a fuck-around pop-punk band and eventually morphing into the “progressive thrash” band they always claimed to be, the Winnipeg-based four-piece holds claim to a few important punk and metal thrones – one of the first band’s signed to Fat Wreck Chords in the ’90s, they’ve also released a split with Canuck metal legends Sacrifice. Riding the line between punk’s melodic accessibility and the brain-busting guitar virtuosity of their metal-minded listening habits, Propagandhi have honed in on a truly original sound since their thrash reinvention on 2001’s Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes.

Failed States, the band’s most recent full-length, drives them even deeper into darker sonic territory. Leaving behind much of the pop-leaning moments of Supporting Caste and Potemkin City Limits, the band’s two preceding records, States is a grimier, less forgiving album of pummelling riffs and ruminations on the social and political causes that have driven Propagandhi since their inception.

The album art for Failed States was created by the band’s bassist, Todd Kowalski. He and guitarist David Guillas took some time to develop the concept and pose like space monkeys while Kowalski developed his ideas.

Failed States marks the second Propagandhi record with full-time second guitarist David Guillas contributing. Traditionally the domain of founder member and longtime guitarist and vocalist Chris Hannah, Guillas’ mark as a player and a songwriter seems to come through stronger on this record.

When Kowalski joined Propagandhi in 1997, his affect on the band was immediate, as they moved swiftly away from the NOFX leaning pop-punk of their first two records and dove headfirst into the punk-metal hybrid that defines them today. Failed States feels like a fully realized metamorphosis, not only for the balance between all four members in the songwriting process, but the move to a Winnipeg-based studio to record.

While Kowalski disagrees, there seems to be some unexpected threads of positivity on Failed States, like on his ode to biking in the Winnipeg winter, “Hadron Collision,” and Hannah’s straight-faced ode to things he likes, including Kurt Russel and the Maple Leafs, “Things I Like.” This from a band who’s last record had a pro-vegan song about cooking and eating “humane meat” proponent Sandor Katz.