Dead Pioneers’ third full-length, Wagon Burner, is here, and as with their two previous works, the band isn’t playing for a draw; they never speculate. It’s not that they don’t know the meaning of the word, they just don’t like it.
The album’s title itself is a statement: wagon burner is a racist slur originating in the 19th century, used by European settlers to refer to Native American tribes who attacked their caravans, an expression meant to dehumanize indigenous peoples. Dead Pioneers ironically appropriates this term, turning the stigma into a banner.
After the opening track «Dead Presidents», a spoken word intro rejecting the pristine image of the early presidents, the album moves into its first two striking blows. «Nazi Teeth» and «No Kings» showcase what we’ve already seen from Dead Pioneers in their two previous releases: a display of aggression, power, and ultimately, a rejection of the American society’s status quo, both past and present.
But there are moments on Wagon Burner where Dead Pioneers explore other territories, such as in «Animals That Roam The Earth», with a sound that might recall Queens of the Stone Age’s Rated R more than their usual register, which is closer to a mix between Rage Against The Machine and Idles.
Ultimately, Wagon Burner is a raw, direct album (don’t expect complex metaphors; Dead Pioneers always strikes head-on, without hesitation) that successfully delivers a punch to the injustices of American society.