Archive for authoritarianism

On Tyranny: Burner Vocalist Scolds ‘Rage Bait’ Addicts for Using Misogyny, Charlie Kirk to Divide Us

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 10/10/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Roughly five years after their inception in London, post-metal unit Burner are quickly drawing the attention of fans of heavy music who have big hearts and big brains. Vocalist and lyricist Harry Nott recently checked in with The Bad Penny after last month’s release of Burner’s second full-length, No One Is Coming to Save Us (anyone else notice the Send Help reference?).

Nott’s prerogative could not be clear: to combat the cycles of violence and hate that all of us need to break in order to progress toward a more hopeful future across the world as authoritarianism continues to gain a foothold virtually everywhere. “We’re going through this horrible, horrible game where [social media] engagement is becoming this … end goal, and the means are just continuously being justified [to promote] rage bait and reactionary, racist content and stuff that is purposefully inciting hate of a certain people or harmful stereotypes,” the consummately articulate Nott says.

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On Tyranny: Absolute Darkness Leader Blasts Trump for Making Life More Difficult for Bands, Says ‘Fuck That Guy’

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 10/09/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“If you love metal … there’s a reason to care about politics,” Absolute Darkness guitarist/ lead vocalist Ron Dorn says, voicing dismay at the authoritarian takeover of the U.S., in a recent interview.

Not only does Dorn lead the aforementioned Bay Area death/thrash metal band, he also develops 70K Bands, an unofficial app used by passengers of the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise/festival. In the latest installment of On Tyranny, he discusses the effects of the Trump regime’s obliteration of international relations, pointing to a decline in the proportion of Canadian users in the app’s data.

“By the time we sail, we get about over 2,000 to 3,000 people on the ship,” Dorn says. “With all the stuff going on with Trump attacking Canada, calling it ‘the 51st state,’ the tariffs …. Canada went from 12 percent of the cruisers to 8 or 9. And I don’t blame them. Why should [they] spend my money in the U.S. when all this is going on? [There are] real world consequences [happening], and now the event is having a harder time selling out.”

(The Canadian percentages Dorn cites are based on users of his unofficial app, rather than official passenger figures from the cruise.)

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On Tyranny: Canada’s Art d-Ecco Says AI, Climate Change, Trump Creating ‘Anxiety-Producing Powder Keg’

Posted in Features, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 10/07/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“The only way you’re going to make up for it is [if you] vote in the fall and … make sure that this cancer doesn’t … metastasize any further in the American political system,” rock musician Art d’Ecco tells The Bad Penny in a recent interview. Doing his own part, the anti-war artist from Vancouver just released “How Real Is Real?,” the third single off his upcoming album Scheele’s Green, due Oct. 23 on Paper Bag Records.

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On Tyranny: Chasing Abbey Say Irish, Palestinians Have a ‘Shared History’; Blast Support for Colonizing as ‘Anti-Irish’

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , , , , on 09/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

In the most brutally honest and thus edifying installment yet of our 100-plus-installment On Tyranny series, brand-new Irish electro-Celtic trio Chasing Abbey hold nothing back in speaking out against authoritarianism, oppression and the Palestinian genocide.

We’re publishing this video today to celebrate the release of the trio’s debut record, Cyber Celt, which comes out today (Friday) courtesy of Remote Control Records.

Get a breath of fresh air as you listen to all three members of Chasing Abbey – multi-instrumentalists/producers/vocalists Ronan Bell, Jonathan Byrne and Ted Conway – bravely speak their mind and exercise free speech fearlessly and proudly … just like the Irish tradition calls for.

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On Tyranny: Hardcore-Meets-Metal SoCal Crew Throwlight Throw Shade on ICE, MAGA, Anti-Immigrant Hate in Incendiary Interview

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 09/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

As the 100th band we’ve interviewed for our On Tyranny series, which we launched in February 2025, we couldn’t have found a more fitting subject than Southern California hardcore/metal/rap enthusiasts Throwlight. The young band is tearing it up in conservative Orange County without any hesitation whatsoever, spitting in the face of the most frustrating aspects of the era in which are suffering through: compliance, willful ignorance and inaction.

While many artists are gratuitously tossing a remark or two into their live performances about how they disagree with the fascist takeover of America, Throwlight – consisting of vocalist Rocom, guitarist Chris Ellis, bassist Kevin Betz and playfully nicknamed keyboardist King of Somewhere – are putting their hearts totally into the fight. Their passion for resistance is as intense as the fury they unleash on their latest single, “No Kings,” which came out last month on limited-edition cassette.

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On Tyranny: The Format Channel Anger Into Action, Stage Free Shows Benefitting Immigrants and Sticking It to MAGA

Posted in Features, Interviews, News, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , , , , on 09/12/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

This Q&A with The Format – an influential indie-rock duo consisting of Nate Ruess and Sam Means that reunited last year – was conducted on Friday, September 11, as part of The Bad Penny‘s ongoing On Tyranny series. The feature focuses on how fascism damages artists artistically, emotionally and personally; provides them with space to discuss their fear, anxiety and anger toward the Trump administration; increases solidarity among like-minded artists; and lets them set an example for other musicians (young ones in particular) that it is legal and just to criticize and protest.

Of the 100-plus artists with whom I’ve spoken for this series, you guys are actually putting your money where your mouth is and doing a lot of good work. Please tell my readership what you’ve been up to and the catalyst for getting involved helping immigrants.

Nate Ruess: We’re focusing right now on direct organization and “Saturdays in the Park.” When we’re on tour and in a city on a Saturday, we find a park and set up our PA system and let everybody come and watch us play for free. We’ll invite about eight to 12 different organizations to come and set up tables at this free show, and in between us playing a few songs acoustically, we’ll invite them onstage for five minutes to explain what their organization is all about and why people might want to join or get more information. It gives everybody an opportunity, instead of just feeling good about themselves for donating, to take more direct action.

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On Tyranny: Fascist Resurgence Spurred Austrian Anti-Capitalist Anarcho-Punks Desolat’s Fiery Return

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 09/10/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“The last five years … had an emotional impact, which motivated me … to do a more political album again,” Desolat vocalist/guitarist Alfred Satani told The Bad Penny earlier today as part of our ongoing On Tyranny series.

Satani further noted that he found making the noise/hardcore/sludge trio’s upcoming October 16 release, People as Idiots & Idiots as Leaders (Reptilian Records), to be “cathartic” as he grapples with the grim reality and prepares for even more dire days ahead.

“I fear the future for my children, because of … environmental topics … and current politics and right wing politics, which totally ignore this thing. I can be even worried for myself, because I hope I live for a few years longer. “It can become pretty rough quite soon,” Satani reveals.

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On Tyranny: Queer NYC Pop Musician Danny Blu on Art as a Vehicle for Empathizing With Trans Community

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 09/09/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

A day after the release of his new single “Faithless,” and with his album “Type Volume I” on the horizon for an October 13 release, dark pop and industrial noise aficionado Danny Blu joins The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series for a candid conversation about the inextricability of his work fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and his unique musical creations.

The theatrical, New York City-based artist – who also works in the nonprofit world to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from the nonstop assault by MAGA and other malevolent forces that have latched onto American society like Alien face-huggers – is quickly making a name for himself as a prominent defender of marginalized individuals.

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On Tyranny: Frontman of Canada’s Elephant Stone Says ‘Being an Artist Already Makes You Political’

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , on 08/27/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“Canada feels more united than I’ve ever seen it.”

–Elephant Stone’s Rishi Dhir

When The Bad Penny caught wind that a band had released a song called “Fascists Killed Yer Rock ‘N’ Roll” as a single, we immediately invited them (Elephant Stone) to participate in our ongoing series On Tyranny, which focuses on how fascism affects artists artistically, emotionally and personally – and lets them set an example for other musicians that it is OK to criticize and protest the government.

Rishi Dhir, leader of the psych-pop squad from Montreal, graciously accepted our offer and answered some questions related to artists and the potential ways in which they interact with authoritarianism. We bring you the interview, which was conducted over email, on the eve of the 20-year-old group’s new album, ASHA, coming out tomorrow via Elephants on Parade in tandem with Little Cloud Records.

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On Tyranny: Calculus Was ‘Scared’ to Cover Politics; Now He’s Liberated With New LP (Exclusive)

Posted in Exclusives, Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , on 08/25/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

After many periods of reflection and deliberation, The Calculus went through a transformation resulting in him wanting to focus more on the world around him – and political matters in particular, as they now infiltrate every aspect of our lives.

“I came to realize that anything is right or left,” he continued. “It’s all division and distraction from looking at people that are hoarding money while everyone’s suffering. We have a guillotine, it’s time to start chopping heads. Things need to be changed from up top in order for things to start getting better.”

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