The current political climate is a polarizing one, to put it simply. All over the internet, self-proclaimed “punks” are spouting off rhetoric that mirrors that of a conservative, white dad. Conversely, the other side of the political spectrum is suffering from a nasty wave of uncritical progressivism that is ready to misuse the word “fascist” whenever they see fit. It’s times like these where we could all use a little Marxist grindcore in our lives to set the record straight. Themes of class warfare and discontent for the status quo need to remain strong in contemporary music, and luckily, the NYC/Nepal quintet Chepang are here to grind away the capitalist class and help you unlock your revolutionary potential! The band’s newest release, Lathi Charge, is packed with raw emotion and a serious sense of urgency among lower classes of people to recognize their potential and take control of the state. Just to be clear – a lot of the content on the record deals with Nepal’s political climate, however, you shouldn’t need a fucking political scientist to tell you that class warfare and oppression intersect all over the world. It’s records like these that make heavy music and politics accessible to audiences everywhere. Because of Chepang, some kid who feels beaten down by the system has just found the motivation to give resistance another try. Sure, you can have great grindcore without any politics attached. Shit, you can even have engaging politics with no grindcore attached, but why the fuck would you wanna do that when they are so goddamn good together! Lathi Charge gets a 10/10 for being unapologetic on all fronts. Yuppie assholes go to school for years to achieve the insight this record drops in roughly eleven minutes, and what an incredible fascist-punching eleven minutes it is. So what are waiting for? Hit play below, and have a Molotov cocktail or two.
Footage via Goblin Gobin
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