Supporting Caste is the fifth full-length album by the punk rock band Propagandhi. It was released on March 10, 2009, by G7 Welcoming Committee Records and Smallman Records in North America,[4] Hassle Records in the UK and Europe,[5] and Grand Hotel van Cleef in Germany.[6]
Recording
Supporting Caste is the first Propagandhi release with second guitarist David "The Beaver" Guillas and the first not released on the band's former longtime label Fat Wreck Chords. It is also the third Propagandhi release on their own label and the first on Smallman Records. The album was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado.[7]
Release
On January 13, 2009, Supporting Caste was announced for release in two months' time; alongside this, the album's artwork and track listing were posted online.[8] In February 2009, the band embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.[9][10] "Dear Coach's Corner" premiered on BBC Radio 1 on February 2, 2009.[11] The following week, listeners could receive "Supporting Caste" and "Human(e) Meat" if they donated to one of three charities that the band chose.[12] In March 2009, they embarked on a series of East Coast shows, which included a performance at the Harvest of Hope Fest. They were mainly supported by Paint It Black, with additional local acts on most shows.[13][14] In part to stop or impede the leaking of the album, the band set up a page with an option to receive two high-quality songs from the album before release by donating as little as $1 to one of three activist organizations supported by the band. This page also linked to various pre-orders of the album.[15] The artwork is by the Canadian artist Kent Monkman, entitled "The Triumph of Mischief".[16]Supporting Caste was posted on the band's Myspace on March 3, 2009, and was released on March 10, 2009.[17] The album was critically acclaimed and was voted by Punknews users as the best album of 2009.[18] In April 2009, they went on a short tour of the United Kingdom.[19] In May and June 2009, they toured the West Coast and Midwest with Bridge and Tunnel and Strike Anywhere.[20][21] In October 2009, they played a handful of Canadian shows with support from the Rebel Spell.[22] They closed out the year touring the UK alongside Strike Anywhere and Protest the Hero.[23]
On the CD, the final song ("Last Will & Testament") is followed by several minutes of silence, an excerpt from Black House (at 11:06) and a cover version of Black Widow's "Come to the Sabbat" (at 11:22). On the double LP, the two songs are separate tracks, sequenced normally.
