Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes

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Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
Studio album by
Propagandhi
ReleasedFebruary 6, 2001
RecordedMay–August 2000
Studio
GenreHardcore punk, melodic hardcore
Length33:21
LabelG7 Welcoming Committee, Fat Wreck Chords
ProducerRyan Greene
Propagandhi chronology
Where Quantity Is Job #1
(1998) 		Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
(2001) 		Potemkin City Limits
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Drowned in Sound6/10[2]
Kerrang![3]
Wall of Sound84/100[4]

Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes is the third album by Canadian punk rock band Propagandhi, released February 6, 2001. It was released on the band's own G7 Welcoming Committee Records label in Canada and Fat Wreck Chords elsewhere. It is the first Propagandhi release of new material on their own label.

Background[edit]

Recording sessions were delayed due to various issues, one of which was the band's practice space being flooded, and another being that drummer Jord Samolesky broke his foot playing hockey.[5][6] Prior to recording in May 2000,[7] the band announced that it would have 14 songs, and would be titled Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes.[8] Samolesky broke his foot again in June 2000 while riding motocross;[9] recording continued into August.[10]

Composition[edit]

One of the album's tracks, "Back to the Motor League", indirectly refers to two songs by the Dead Kennedys, "Triumph of the Swill" and "Chickenshit Conformist", as well the year of their release on the 1986 album Bedtime for Democracy. The "Back to the Motor League" lyrics state: "fifteen years later it still reeks of swill and chickenshit conformists". Both the Dead Kennedys songs and the Propagandhi track concern the co-opting of punk ideology by the corporate record industry.

"Purina Hall of Fame" is a reference to the Nestlé owned pet food company, The Ralston Purina Company. The title is a cynical take on the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, a site that celebrates animals who have saved human lives.[11] The lyrics of "Purina Hall of Fame" obliquely outline Propagandhi's concerns about animal cruelty.

Cover art[edit]

The album art is credited to the painting The Unfinished Flag of the United States by American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Propagandhi continued this motif of using established artists to provide their cover artwork on their next two albums, Potemkin City Limits, using a piece by anarchist artist Eric Drooker, and Supporting Caste, which featured a painting entitled "The Triumph of Mischief" by Kent Monkman.

Release[edit]

After initially being planned for released in October 2000,[12] and then delayed to November due to bassist/vocalist Todd Kowalski and guitarist/vocalist Chris Hannah both losing their voices.[13] The album was again delayed to early 2001, with the label citing "something to do with hockey and ice-fishing."[14] "Back to the Motor League" was posted on G7 Welcoming Committee Records' website on November 10, 2000.[15] Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes was eventually released on February 6, 2001;[16] G7 Welcoming Committee released it in Canada, and Fat Wreck Chords released it in the US.[17] A release show was held at the University of Manitoba in Manitoba, Canada, on February 23, 2001.[18] The band toured eastern Canada in April and May 2001, with Sixty Stories.[19] In June and July, the band toured across Australia.[20] In August and September, the band went on a tour of North America with Randy.[21] Following the September 11 attacks, the remaining tour dates were cancelled.[22]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Mate Ka Moris Ukun Rasik An"3:03
2."Fuck the Border"1:31
3."Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes"2:37
4."Back to the Motor League"2:40
5."Natural Disasters"2:04
6."With Friends Like These Who the Fuck Needs COINTELPRO?"3:23
7."Albright Monument, Baghdad"2:27
8."Ordinary People Do Fucked-Up Things when Fucked-Up Things Become Ordinary"2:17
9."Ladies' Nite in Loserville"1:45
10."Ego Fum Papa (I Am the Pope)"1:38
11."New Homes for Idle Hands"1:44
12."Bullshit Politicians"1:33
13."March of the Crabs"1:56
14."Purina Hall of Fame"4:43
Total length:33:21

Personnel[edit]

  • Chris Hannah - guitar, vocals
  • Jord Samolesky - drums
  • Todd Kowalski - bass, vocals

References[edit]

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Hocking, Mat (March 12, 2001). "Album Review: Propagandhi - Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Alexandra, Rae (January 20, 2001). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 836. UK: EMAP. p. 45.
  4. ^ Enright, Patrick. "Wall of Sound Review: Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on April 15, 2001. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Paul, Aubin (November 23, 1999). "Propagandhi / G7 News". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  6. ^ Paul, Aubin (January 17, 2000). "More Fat News". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Paul, Aubin (February 3, 2000). "Propaganda from Propagandhi". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "38 Days Till Propagandhi Records". Punknews.org. April 25, 2000. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Paul, Aubin (June 19, 2000). "Strung Out Accident". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  10. ^ "Vote to Get Propagandhi's New Album on Election Day". Punknews.org. August 8, 2000. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  11. ^ The Purina Hall of Fame
  12. ^ Paul, Aubin (June 29, 2000). "More about the Upcoming (Finally) Propagandhi". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Propagandhi Once Again Delays". Punknews.org. July 4, 2000. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Paul, Aubin (September 26, 2000). "Doh! Though, I guess we saw it coming". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Paul, Aubin (November 10, 2000). "Propagandhi MP3 Available now". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  16. ^ Paul, Aubin (December 15, 2000). "Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes". Punk News. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  17. ^ White, Adam (February 4, 2001). "Propagandhi release party". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  18. ^ White, Adam (February 24, 2001). "10 Years of Propagandhi / Jord has Crabs". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  19. ^ White, Adam (March 25, 2001). "New Malefaction LP / Propagandhi Canadian Tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Paul, Aubin (May 31, 2001). "Strung Out ready for Oz Tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  21. ^ White, Adam (August 16, 2001). "Propagandhi/Randy Tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  22. ^ White, Adam (September 12, 2001). "Cancelled Tours". Punknews.org. Retrieved February 11, 2021.

External links[edit]

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