The Social Threat - Protest Songs Cover Art

The Social Threat is a 3-piece local punk band… er… possible the ONLY local punk band (now that One Shot Left is in hiatus mode). I admit that it is hard for me to get excited about punk music nowadays as my musical preference swings quite the opposite way, as of late. But I can still take the time to enjoy the memories and appreciate the musical aesthetic that The Social Threat is striving for. That’s kind of what listening to “Protest Songs” reminds me of; memories of my youth, going to some cool punk shows in Regina, back when punk was just getting huge again.

Musically, they are quite similar to bands like MXPX, Good Riddance, Dogwood and other punk rock bands from the 90’s and 00’s with fast drumming and harmonization. Lyrically, it’s heavy on politics and social change – like many of the bands of the time as well. It’s quite anachronistic when listening to it with this notion, yet nostalgic at the same time. That leads me to believe most of the appeal of The Social Threat is knowing punk rock from a decade ago. That’s not to say people new to the genre can’t enjoy their music, but I definitely think it would be harder for the layperson.

The Social Threat

There is some good production value on this sophomore album; however, it still feels of DYI in many ways, which I think lends itself to the music quite well. In interview with the band, it was discussed how if they had the choice (budget wise) that they there would be more production value on the recording, so the intention of a DYI aesthetic wasn’t focused on necessarily, but merely due to financials. I was lucky enough to get a physical copy of the album and was glad I did. The whole package was designed by Kyle Hodgman (Drums/BGV), which features a very nice composition focusing on symbolism, poetry-esque messages (on inside cover/insert/poster). It all feels cohesive and put together well (both design and packaging wise).

I feel thematically that the lyrics are good and range nicely from song to song; however, they are very straightforward, rather than relying on metaphor. It’s clear that they want you to hear the message and understand their music on that level. This also becomes transparent as each song has a different theme and clear-cut message of focus. Is that a bad/good thing? The songwriting and instruments are all top notch.

Normally this is where people give a rating out of 5 stars or 10 dinosaurs or something else that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll skip that, and let you decide if this is something you would be interested in. If you listened to punk music during the 90’s and 00’s I would definitely recommend this album (and I don’t mean that in an elitist, hipster kind of way). It’s also a local band, so you should support them! Duh!

Links:

• MySpace
• Facebook

Their full album is $9.99 and can be purchased digitally on CD Baby or iTunes. Alternatively, you can snag a cool physical copy by emailing them, or grabbing one at a show.

Standout tracks (personal picks):

• Broken Bones
• Contrary to Popular Belief
• Bystanders

In discussion about my favourite songs when interviewing with The Social Threat, I came to realize that the songs I liked most were less traditional punk rock songs – take that however you want.

The Social Threat Playing Live

Full track listing:

1. This Oppression
2. Stop Taking Lives
3. Blood Under the Bridges
4. Sionara
5. Here We Go
6. Ramifications
7. Let’s Stand Up
8. Broken Bones
9. Break Out
10. Contrary to Popular Belief
11. Fold or Bust
12. Call to Arms
13. Bystanders

Members:

• Wade Hodgman – Guitar/Lead Vox
• Kaleb Motz – Bass Guitar
• Kyle Hodgman – Drums/BGV