Wagon Burner is the third album from American punk band Dead Pioneers, fronted by Native American artist and activist Gregg Deal. While Joyzine Deputy Editor Paul Cook has been championing this band since the beginning, I only properly discovered them earlier this year when I caught them live at The Underworld in March. Their performance completely blew me away, leaving me feeling fired up, inspired and determined, which, in my opinion, is exactly how you should feel walking away from a punk gig.
I don’t know if I can add much to what I wrote in my live review, or be as articulate as Paul has been in his reviews of their previous albums, but I can say that Wagon Burner gave me exactly the same feeling that their live show did.
This is an intelligent, uncompromising album that combines spoken word with hardcore political punk to challenge racism, colonialism and elitism. Gregg Deal’s Indigenous identity isn’t simply referenced throughout the record; it’s woven into its very fabric. On ‘Animals Roam the Earth’, the album title is even repeated in the Numu (Northern Paiute) language as “Hemma U Poone Teepugoobakwaetu Modu”, making Indigenous language and culture central to the album rather than an afterthought.
My favourite track is ‘Seeing Red’, which begins almost entirely stripped back, allowing Gregg’s words to take centre stage before the music slowly builds alongside his anger. As he speaks about having his justified rage questioned, the intensity steadily rises until he declares, “My only sin here is being Indigenous in the 21st century… my anger is a lot safer than your mass shootings.” It’s one of the album’s most powerful moments, finally exploding before ending with the simple but devastating response to the repeated question “Am I angry?” — “To which I say, yes I am.”
While anger fuels much of Wagon Burner, it never feels directionless. Instead, it’s channelled into solidarity, resistance and hope. Collaboration is a huge part of that message, with several guest appearances throughout the record. ‘Nazi Teeth’, featuring Cheap Perfume, is a furious anti-racist anthem that absolutely kicked ass when I saw it performed live, while ‘The Worst Amongst Us’ teams up with Sleaford Mods to confront the erasure of Indigenous histories and the violence of colonialism with brutal honesty.
Community becomes the album’s emotional heart on ‘Never Alone’, featuring The Interrupters. Built around the refrain “We’re gonna fight as one… we’ll never stand alone,” it’s a reminder that meaningful change rarely happens in isolation. In contrast, ‘Circle Jerk’, featuring The Wagons, is pure hardcore chaos, seemingly designed to soundtrack a circle pit while still carrying Dead Pioneers’ trademark political bite.
Elsewhere, ‘No Kings’ delivers one of the album’s most direct rallying cries with its repeated chant of “No kings, no masters,” kicking against fascism while reminding us that surviving within systems designed to exhaust and divide people is itself an act of resistance. ‘Nobody’ cleverly dismantles racist stereotypes with wit and irony, demonstrating that Gregg is just as capable of making political points through humour as outright confrontation.
Closing track ‘LFG’ — standing for “Let’s Fucking Go” — feels like the perfect conclusion. It’s another song seemingly built for the mosh pit, but beneath the adrenaline is a genuine call to action: “We can slam, we can rage, break down the barricades… change the state of mind that divides the human kind.” Rather than ending on despair, Wagon Burner finishes by inviting everyone into the fight.
That’s ultimately what makes this album so effective. Yes, it’s angry, and rightly so, but it never becomes cynical. Gregg Deal transforms frustration into something constructive, using punk as both protest and invitation. Wagon Burner asks difficult questions, refuses easy answers and reminds us that music can still be a powerful vehicle for truth, community and resistance. It isn’t always an easy listen, but it’s an essential one.
Wagon Burner is out now and you can buy it on Bandcamp
Dead Pioneers socials: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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