Loading…
Loading…
Description
Released in 2014 on Hardly Art, *Under Color of Official Right* stands as Protomartyr's sophomore masterpiece-a post-punk statement piece forged in the industrial heart of Detroit and refined at Key Club Recording in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The album's title is deliberately provocative, drawing from a legal concept regarding extortion under official guise, a sardonic nod to the bureaucratic absurdities and moral compromises of contemporary life. Frontman Joe Casey's half-sung, half-shouted delivery delivers literate, biting, and often hilarious verse while Greg Ahee's Prophet 5 synthesizer, Scott Davidson's bass, and Alex Leonard's drums provide a wall of noise and rhythm. Produced and mixed by Bill Skibbe, the record is a tight, urgent collection of twelve songs in 34 minutes, with the band's fourth studio album, *The Agent Intellect*, arriving barely two years later.
Critically, the album was hailed as one of 2014's most vital post-punk records, scoring 83 on Metacritic and earning placement in year-end lists from The A.V. Club, Spin, and Pitchfork. "Maidenhead" and "Ain't So Simple" alone garnered high praise for their driving rhythms and Casey's incisive lyricism. Songs like "What the Wall Said" and "Scum, Rise!" were noted for their ability to blend menace with wit, while "Tarpeian Rock" and "Pagans" served as minimalist punchlines in a larger thematic arc. The group's songwriting prowess is evident, as is their ability to craft music that is both sonically dense and lyrically precise.
Influence and cover versions speak to the album's significance. The track "I'll Take That Applause" was later covered by The Dirty Nil as a b-side, while "Maidenhead" and "Ain't So Simple" served as musical inspiration for author David Means's novel *Hystopia*. *Under Color of Official Right* occupies a specific sonic and philosophical space: a post-punk album that balances humor and anger, industrial grit and human empathy. It remains a touchstone for fans of the genre, with its legacy cemented in the pantheon of essential post-punk of the 2010s.
Sources: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Color_of_Official_Right), [AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/under-color-of-official-right-mw0002613186).
Please log in to edit this record.