REVIEW: Dead Pioneers - Wagon Burner

“We write a song, a year later it's more relevant than the day we wrote it. That keeps happening, and to be honest, it fills me with dismay.” This is the emotional devastation prevalent in DEAD PIONEERS’ third album Wagon Burner, an incredibly moving, politically charged, and rage-inducing album made up of defiant punk-rock carnage and evocative spoken word from vocalist Gregg Deal. Its core message is unshakable in its fierce sound and lyrics “No kings, no masters / Kick against fascist bastards”.

The swift follow-up to 2025’s album PO$T AMERICAN, many bad things can happen in the short span of a year. Inspired by the real-time rise of fascism as well as bringing a voice to the experience of minorities, particularly of Native Americans, Wagon Burner is an absolute sucker-punch of an album that rightfully calls everyone to arms, whether by screaming the album’s lyrics at the top of their lungs or marching in protests. It’s a necessary weapon in its ethos braced behind a shield of furiously cathartic punk.

Opening with a disconcerting, reverb sound that gradually builds, Deal begins the album with spoken word in Dead Presidents, saying he gives “no thought” to American presidents, instead paying homage to Indigenous people and the power of “presence and existence” they gave to their descendants. From here, Nazi Teeth brings the ruthless heat of Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan’s guitar riffs and menacing fret slides over Shane Zweygardt’s bold drumbeats that build into rampaging cymbals and rolls, while feminist punk band CHEAP PERFUME’s lead vocalist Stephanie Byrne yells harmoniously of punching out Nazi teeth.

Brief at 18-seconds yet carrying a hefty weight to its spoken word is A Message From Mr Bell, delivering a scathing account of how the system is built on Indigenous genocide and American slave trade and maintained by “oligarchs…greedy white pedophiles”, declaring that “none of us are free until all of us are free”. No Kings jumps straight into a galloping drumbeat and fuzzed riffs, Lee Tesche’s bass rumbling under the instruments and keeping us grounded throughout the heavy post-punk rhythms, Deal singing matter-of-factly until the bridge where his rage spills over into powerful shouts of how the systems are designed to benefit fascists, subtly ending on “fuck you and your golden toilet”.

Animals That Roam The Planet begins with a voice speaking in English “have you spoken your language today” over a Native American translation (we’re unable to confirm which Indigenous dialect is used and may potentially be Paiute, given Deal’s heritage), before the band launch into cutting rhythms with alt-rock elements and a deliciously slick guitar solo. Guaranteed as the sing-along anthem, Never Alone ramps up the pace and combines alt-rock with punk-rock features in its riotous riffs, featured vocalist Aimee Interrupter of THE INTERRUPTERS taking the lead on the chorus over harmonised backing vocals, her husky voice strong and resolute as she sings “you’ll never (never) stand alone”.

The Worst Among Us starts with an alarm-esque sound before breaking into a rock melody with hazy guitar notes reverberating under Deal’s spoken song based on his real-life experience, vocalist Jason Williamson from post-punk SLEAFORD MODS giving an edge to the lyrics as he builds to an ending yell of “colonise!”. Seeing Red begins with Deal’s spoken word surrounded by an imposing silence, before Rivera and Brennan’s riffs flank him, Zweygardt bringing a marching beat and Tesche gradually joining the ranks with a shuddering bass line, the entire band building in speed, volume, and righteous anger as Deal yells “am I angry?” for the simple sin of being “Indigenous in the 21st century”.

Circle Jerk The Wagons brings more post-punk with an undercurrent of post-hardcore, a lightning fast rhythm and beat that refuses to let up and will incite frenzied mosh and circle pits to the acidic breakdown of all the types of fascists in charge. Fascists aren’t the only ones ripped to shreds on Wagon Burner, as Zealots takes aim at the virtue-signallers, the bootlickers, and the devil’s advocates, over steadily rising punk riffs and an unwavering beat - you can’t be punk and agree with oppression.

Nobody has a dangerously dark feel to it, Tesche prevalent in his relentless and consistent bass line, Rivera and Brennan piercing through jarringly with distorted notes, Zweygardt also beginning in a stop-start fashion before becoming a consistent presence, Deal giving an almost philosophical spoken narrative about the generalisation of “Indians” and how they’re reduced to nobody individuals. DEAD PIONEERS closes out their explosive album with LFG, weaving from punk to alt-rock that races along like a freight train on the choruses and gives a spark in the current darkness of there still being hope, if we can only stand up as a community - we’ll follow Deal’s “let’s fucking go!” into battle.

Score: 9/10

Wagon Burner will be released on 26th June 2026 via Hassle Records.

Words: Julia Stark

Photos: Derek Bremner