Every now and then a band comes along that becomes a musical touchstone in their own time. Winnipeg’s Propagandhi is one such band. Since the band formed in 1986 and, more importantly, since they released their debut in 1992, the quartet (a trio until two-and-a-half years ago) has been one of the most effective and influential punk bands in the history of the genre. While their brand of punk has evolved over four albums, their dedication to politically charged lyricism and their willingness to challenge everything that surrounds them has never wavered. They have been and continue to be adored by musicians and fans alike.

The band, however, have never concerned themselves with this adoration. Their independent nature and socialist rhetoric come first, turning their punk, at times, into makeshift car-park poetry. Propagandhi have never changed their tone, whether it’s ranting about the benefits of veganism, the plight of the unemployed, women’s rights or the political ineptitude of our leaders — they speak their minds regardless of what their audience or the outside world thinks. This was admirable when they started, and it remains admirable now. Very few bands can be so confrontational and so enjoyable at the same time.

The band’s fifth full-length, the brilliant, relevant, punchy and affecting Supporting Caste, was recently released in Canada on Smallman Records. For a band that habitually takes four years between recordings, the actual sessions in Winnipeg and Colorado Springs came quickly.

“We did it in three weeks total, which seems like a lot for us, but sure doesn't feel like it when you're in the middle of it,” bassist and founding member Chris Hannah says of the recording process. “Plus, the lyrics were recorded before we even pushed a button, and we were on a tight budget, so we did what we could in that time period.”

Despite the band’s maturity, Supporting Caste is refreshing and almost youthful at times. It’s harder, punchier and more pop-laced than their past releases, as the emphasis is on the songs, their smack-you-in-the-face lyrics and the rhythm, departing slightly from the heavy metal esthetic that laced 2005’s Potemkin City Lights.

“Generally, when we record, we're searching for moments that recall the vibe of our favourite records of our youth,” says Hannah. “Still, we don't have any exaggerated sense of what we do, but everything everyone does — or doesn't do — has political consequences on a crowded planet of competing doctrines. On this record, as on all of them, we believe in the adage, ‘if you have a progressive voice, use it.’”

While Supporting Caste calls on the same subject matter that has dominated all of the band’s albums, sticking to any punk dogma aside from “question everything” has never held much interest for the band. Both the music and the atmosphere surrounding the recording and release of Supporting Caste differs greatly from where the band was in 1992. Back then, they were signed to Fat Wreck Chords, one of the most influential punk labels of all time. While their music still had traces of thrash, the metal edge that would dominate their later albums was for the most part absent.

Even with the label move, there’s no doubting the band’s continued relevance, whether they’re railing against human apathy on ‘Without Love” or ripping through the furiously paced title track. They’re still making political, buoyant music that will influence new bands in the decades to come whether or not people can remember what punk is.

“To be honest, I guess I'm not sure what punk means to people these days,” adds Hannah. “When we were kids, bands like Millions of Dead Cops, Corrosion of Conformity and Christ on a Crutch were considered punk bands, and they were very important to us personally in terms of political transformation. I’m not sure what the modern equivalents of those would be, even if there are any modern equivalents.”