Matt Fox from Shai Hulud talks Propagandhi

For the current issue of The Uniter, I spoke with Matt Fox, guitarist for New York metalcore four-piece Shai Hulud. During our interview, he spoke candidly about his love of Winnipeg thrash metal punks Propagandhi.

“Supporting Caste was my number one favourite album of last year, no question,” Fox said of Propagandhi’s 2009 release.

“When anyone asks me what my favourite Propagandhi album is, I think most of us in the band right now would say Supporting Caste. Everything that they release, there’s so much new stuff to sink your teeth into, and you’re never going to be let down. It’s not even a question - you know that you’re not going to be let down, and that’s exactly what I felt with Supporting Caste.

“As soon as the first song kicked in, to the last, every song was exactly what I wanted, but (also) something a little different, something a little more unique and something more than I expected.

“If all my favourite bands could be as consistent as Propagandhi, then I’d be a happy little guy.”

Just hours prior to our interview, Fox had been running errands with Shai Hulud’s vocalist. They listened to Supporting Caste and 1996’s Less Talk, More Rock back to back and discussed which album they each like better.

“I think their earlier stuff - which is so catchy and really easy to get into - every song is awesome. But with the new stuff, where sometimes it might be a little less catchy - which is not something that I think is a bad thing, it doesn’t bother me at all - for me at least on Supporting Caste, if there’s something I really relate to, as corny as it sounds, it could make me cry.

“And that’s how I feel about newer Propagandhi stuff. Their older stuff is catchy and fun and I love it all - I love everything they’ve ever done - but their newer stuff, from Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes on, when a song or a lyric or a part - just anything on any of those albums - when it really hits me, it hits me deeper than anything on their earlier records.

“That’s not an easy thing for a band to accomplish - for their later stuff to have even more of an emotional impact than their earlier records did. That’s just for me. That’s why Supporting Caste is currently my favourite, and Propagandhi is one of my all-time favourite bands.

“And (that goes for) everybody in Shai Hulud. Everybody in Shai Hulud is a massive, massive Propagandhi fan.”

See Shai Hulud live tomorrow - Tuesday, Nov. 30 - at the Royal Albert with Lionheart, Withdrawal, Counterparts and Hundredth. Visit www.hulud.com.

Propagandhi have a new split 7” coming out with Sacrifice on Friday, Dec. 10.