Seyðisfjörður bay in Iceland from up the mountains. Photo by Lode Van de Velde, who released the image under Public Domain license CC0 Public Domain.
The fight to preserve Iceland’s pristine wild fjords from industrial-scale salmon farming has gained the support of an unlikely ally, with the legendary Pearl Jam adding their voice to the growing fight against open-net salmon farming, a movement that is slowly gaining traction in the small island nation in the North Atlantic.
For several years, environmental groups and residents around Iceland have raised their concerns about the impact of open-net fish farming on the country’s marine ecosystems, which they claim are being polluted by the farms, causing disease in the country’s fish populations. Several cases of the farmed salmon escaping into the wild have also been documented, which can alter the genetic makeup of the country’s native salmon populations.
While the risk of damage to environments by farmed salmon that escape from fish farms, pollution, and parasites is a major cause of concern, new research also shows that large environmental impacts of farmed salmon in Iceland come not from the fish farms themselves, but from the global supply chain of ingredients used in fish feed.
This is not the first time that Pearl Jam has engaged in activism – the band has long been vocal about climate issues, including environmental activism, and has helped draw attention to issues that would otherwise not have been given much media coverage.
The addition of Pearl Jam’s voice to this list of celebrity supporters of fish farming abolition is likely to bring this movement against fish farming in Iceland into greater focus worldwide. To the activists on the ground, gaining international support is of great importance.
The country’s fjords, considered some of Europe’s last remaining wild marine environments, are now on the frontline of this debate over how we can sustainably produce fish without sacrificing biodiversity.
According to a 2023 research paper, Iceland urgently needs better marine planning to battle both climate change and increased aquaculture. However, the current Marine Spatial Planning system (MSP) in the Westfjords is limited by weak public participation, a lack of transparency, and power imbalances that favor influential actors. To succeed, the system must become more inclusive, transparent, and proactive while addressing broader governance issues related to aquaculture regulation.
Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam. Photo by vazzz – published under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Those who have followed Pearl Jam throughout their career know that they’ve always used their music and their collective voice to help others. And while Icelandic people were perhaps not expecting help to come from this direction, it is definitely greatly appreciated.
On their website, Pearl Jam write:
“We stand with the people of Iceland to end open net salmon farming and protect Iceland’s biodiversity and coastal ecosystems for future generations.
Sign the petition at LetsUndoThis.com to stand with the 63% of Icelanders who oppose sea cages and urge Parliament to strengthen the bill by adding three guardrails:
✔️ Phase out sea cages
✔️ Stop new sea‑cage licenses
✔️ Transition to closed or land‑based systems
Every signature and share helps secure a stronger future for Iceland and wild Atlantic salmon.”
Maria Dunn has built her career around the kind of storytelling that sits at the heart of protest folk: songs about workers, marginalized communities, and the quiet resilience of ordinary people. Her latest album, Hardscrabble Hope, continues that tradition with a collection of deeply empathetic songs that blend political awareness with human-centered narratives.
Rather than delivering overt slogans, Hardscrabble Hope approaches protest through storytelling. Dunn focuses on individuals caught within larger systems—workers in extractive industries, people struggling with mental health, and communities facing social isolation. The album’s title itself reflects this balance: it’s a hardscrabble path towards a better world – but we must remain hopeful.
One of the record’s most direct social commentaries appears in “Coal Is a Thirsty Business,” which examines the human and environmental costs of resource extraction. In 2020, the Alberta government repealed the 1976 Coal Policy that had long protected the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains from coal exploration and mining. The move sparked widespread opposition from citizens concerned about the environmental threats to the region, which supplies much of the province’s drinking water. With southwestern Alberta also facing severe drought in recent years, critics argue that coal mining could further strain already scarce water resources—summed up by rancher Laura Laing’s warning that “coal is a thirsty business.”
Another track, “Reach Out,” addresses the growing crisis of mental health and suicide with deep compassion:
“Why is there money for our jails, countless legal wars But when it comes to healing minds, endless waits in corridors? When will we realize our greatest measure’s how we treat Someone asking for our help in their deepest need?” – from Reach Out
Another song that captures Dunn’s beautiful storytelling is “A Pill for a Broken Heart”, which highlights the experiences of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton, Canada, inspired by Eric Rice’s video This is Where We Live. One participant recalls a psychiatrist explaining that many unhoused people are dealing with “broken hearts,” reflecting deep emotional trauma rather than something that can be fixed with medication. The text also notes that research shows people are more likely to experience homelessness if they faced childhood adversity such as neglect, abuse, domestic violence, parental addiction, or time in foster care.
“Pekiwewin,” which uses a Cree word meaning “coming home,” tells the story of an Indigenous‑led relief camp in Edmonton that provides safety, care, and a sense of home for people experiencing homelessness.
Meanwhile, pieces like “Mister Potter” cover whistleblowing within the health care industry, and “Accordiona/Over the Hills” is a playful tribute to the patience and support of family, friends, and roommates who live with—and encourage—someone learning to play a noisy new instrument during lockdown.
Musically, Hardscrabble Hope expands Dunn’s acoustic folk foundation with brass, Celtic-influenced melodies, and warm ensemble arrangements produced by Shannon Johnson of The McDades. There’s a sense of communal spirit to the album – these songs sound like they’re meant to be sung as a group, as a community, and on the streets.
Ultimately, Hardscrabble Hope stands as a reminder that protest music does not always need to be loud. Dunn’s songs work through empathy, observation, and storytelling, illuminating the lived experiences behind political debates. By focusing on the dignity and resilience of everyday people, the album reinforces one of folk music’s oldest traditions: giving voice to those whose stories too often go unheard.
What an awful year. A genocide continued to unfold in Gaza, over 20 million people are in desperate need of food and medical aid in the DRC, and the war in Sudan, now in its third year, is showing the rest of the world how truly horrific the human species can be – with systematic rape used as a weapon of war and over half a million people on the brink of starvation.
As the rest of the world watches these horrors unfold, the powerful don’t take even the slightest break. While breaking international rule of law, the president of the USA started the year off with a literal bang by doing what that government does best: dropping bombs and kidnapping a head of state. With no rest for the wicked, Trump then threatened to colonise Greenland. And in Iran, two weeks into 2026, thousands of people have been killed, largely by authorities, after protests erupted in the country in December.
The year is off to a rough start.
However, we can’t give up, and we can’t give in. While global media often focuses on the negative, we can’t forget that there are so many people dedicating every ounce of their being to protecting our environment, helping people in need, fighting poachers, reporting the truth under a rain of bombs – the list goes on.
Governments around the world are threatening artists with long, harsh prison sentences – yet they continue to sing; corporations are pressing criminal charges against people for rescuing animals from being murdered – yet they continue to save animals; people are being oppressed for their sexual orientation, colour of their skin, or religious beliefs – yet they continue to march in protest.
From Bulgaria to Nepal to Morocco, young people stood up to old powers and demanded immediate action – calling for better healthcare, more funding towards education, an end to corruption and impunity, and real environmental action.
We should all do what we can. Everything matters, and a thousand small actions amount to a big ball of kindness. In 2025, artists did what they do best: they analysed what was unfolding in front of their empathetic eyes, and they created music. Music that brings awareness, music that fights fascism, music that unifies.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it. Protest music never died. There is a plethora of protest musicians out there and plenty of independentmediacovering their work. And for further proof, check out our recently published list of top 40 protest songs of 2025 (a list DJ General Strike narrowed down from over 1,000 songs) and our Selected Protest Music of 2025 Playlist, which holds over 7 hours worth of revolutionary music.
We must stand in solidarity with everyone who is oppressed – whether that be our fellow humans, the animals, or Mother Earth herself. And we’ve got the music to go along with the resistance.
Below are ten examples, a few favourite albums of the friends and collaborators of Shouts.
This is music from the rooftops.
Contributing to this list were Salma Ahmed, Kevin Gosztola, Santiago Campodónico, Mat Ward, and Riley Rowe.
Armageddon In A Summer Dress by Sunny War
Sunny War’s Armageddon in a Summer Dressis one of the beautiful tapestries that were woven this year. War’s album captured many genres through its songs, and these genres were accompanied by diverse stories narrated in every song. She gives you hope and then takes it away, only to give it back again. Her songs about loneliness and poverty feel fitting for the times one finds themselves in. The same can be found in the songs that tried to fight against fascism and the corruption suffocating America.
Armageddon in a Summer Dress is the kind of album that stays with you even if months have passed since you first listened to it. You might catch yourself singing “Bad times, stay away” without realising it. And when everything gets dark in the world around you, you start hoping that War’s words, when she sings “But you did it once before / I know you’ll do it once more,” will come true. Even if nothing changed, War’s masterpiece would be the speck of hope convincing you that it is never too late.
Words by Salma Ahmed, contributing writer for Shouts – Music from the Rooftops! Read her full review of the album here, and more of Salma’s articles can be found here.
Andrija Tokic did such a fabulous job producing, engineering, and mixing this record. It’s full-sounding, and without losing any edge, there’s an effervescence to Sunny War’s music as she provides a working-class soundtrack for late-stage capitalism. Standout track is “Walking Contradiction,” a collaboration with Crass co-founder Steve Ignorant.
The Viagra Boys’ newest album, viagr aboys, is an ironic, beautifully arranged, hilariously self-aware, crude, and profound meditation on contemporary life. Its power as a protest album lies in the band’s ability to point at the inherent absurdity and injustice of the systems that underpin everyday life, and either mock them, portray their consequences, or lament their effects.
Everything from the quick solutions often sold for coping with eating habits (with songs like Pyramid of Heath), to the unfocused and radical subgroups the precarious job market has created (Dirty Boyz), this album has something to say. Moreover, it says it concisely, backed by one of the most focused punk recordings of the decade. viagr aboys, like all great records, enters through the ears but sticks in the brain for what lies underneath the layers.
Words by Santiago Campodónico, contributing writer for Shouts – Music from the Rooftops! More of Santiago’s articles can be found here.
Ül by Mawiza
Since its British birth, metal music has been shaped, led, and seen as an art form of and for European and American crowds. And while artists from Brazil, Japan, or other cultural hubs have broken through the international veil, it’s often seen as a boundary-breaking statement to make metal music if you’re outside the norm of the aforementioned demographic. For example, Mawiza is a metal group based in the Mapuche Nation territory in Chile. They use their indigenous roots and musicalities to make very distinct and powerful music, chanting in their Mapuzungun dialect and riffing in earthy rhythms. With a guest feature by Gojira and praise from the likes of Slipknot to Mastodon, Ül by Mawiza is a stunning example of a protest album, not only for bringing awareness and legitimacy to metal music made by indigenous people, but also for the anti-logging and decolonization messages in certain songs. If your interest is piqued by folk-groove metal like The Hu or Sepultura, enjoy this album, mastered by Alan Douches (Converge, Chelsea Wolfe).
Samora Pinderhughes is a US composer, pianist, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist who, in collaboration with The Healing Project, a community-engaged arts initiative he leads, released a very special mixtape this year. Black Spring honours the 100 years since the birth of writer and activist James Baldwin, connecting Baldwin’s legacy to contemporary struggles. The work blends poetic piano, electronics, and neo-soul, bringing together musicians, vocalists, and poets from his New York community to create a collective artistic voice.
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
Social Cohesion by Mudrat
I listen to 30 protest albums a month for the monthly political albums round-up I write at greenleft.org.au. A standout for me this year was Social Cohesion, the debut album from Naarm/Melbourne-based punk-hip hop artist Mudrat, who is creating a real stir with his innovative and uncompromising music. This was solidified by seeing him electrify an audience of activists at Rising Tide, a blockade of the world’s biggest coal port in Muloobinba/Newcastle. Check out his earworm “I Hate Rich Cunts”, which has passed 1 million plays on Spotify alone.
Saba Alizadeh’s Temple of Hope is the kind of album that could be enough to carry an artist’s legacy on its shoulders with no backup. The music composition by the Iranian artist takes you to a different world. One that is filled with hope, dreams, loss, and even death. With the protests recently happening in Iran, Templeof Hopefeels like it predicted it ever since it was released. The song To Become a Martyr, One Has to Be Murdered could be played while you are on the edge of your seat, watching a nation rise up. It’s not just Alizadeh’s composition that makes the album one of 2025’s best, but the vocals, carefully chosen and placed in the right songs, are the missing piece of the puzzle. Maybe as the years passed, Iranians will find themselves walking into a new nation that they made become their own temple of hope.
Words by Salma Ahmed, contributing writer for Shouts – Music from the Rooftops! Read more of Salma’s articles can be found here.
They’re Burning the Boats by Bambu
One of my favourite albums of the year is They’re Burning the Boats, by Filipino-American rapper Bambu. The veteran musician has been in the rap game for a minute – and it shows. There’s a layer of maturity and understanding in his lyrics, something that comes with experience. Bambu is a father, and his hope for a more just world for his daughter shines through on this album. He wants to leave a legacy, and he makes sure he spits the truth in every song he makes or is part of. He gets straight to the point and tears down the fascist forces that are trying to divide us all. He takes hard shots with harder rhymes and makes it look easy. With sometimes carnival-sounding beats from Fatgums and each song holding its own, this is one piece I’ve been spinning again and again this year. It makes me want to go out and fight fascists and also stay at home and hold my daughter – all at once.
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
The Film by SUMAC and Moor Mother
The Film is a visceral jaw-dropping concept album constructed like an original motion picture soundtrack. The pairing of a sludge metal band with a bona fide artist like Moor Mother delivers on all fronts. The compositions pound away at you. Is this what it’s like to decolonize your mind? Standout track is “Scene 1,” but it doesn’t really have songs. Each “scene,” and the few tracks in between, have to be heard together to appreciate this statement of artistic freedom.
In the same vein of anti-war films like ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ or ‘Warfare,’ 1914 shines a light on the pain and loss of war to demonstrate an anti-war message through blackened death metal. On the surface, their new album – Viribus Unitis – may appear to glorify the violent battles of WWI, however, the sheer terror and death tolls that are lyrically showcased become a clear warning against continued wars in modern day, and therefore, the perfect protest album, especially considering the band’s Ukrainian origin. Mastered by Tony Lindgren (Enslaved, Leprous), be sure to give this album a listen if you’re into Rotting Christ, Kanonenfieber, or even Type O Negative.
Grit and soul is what you get on Kirby’s new album, Miss Black. After years of working deep inside the music industry, living in New York, the Memphis-born, Mississippi-raised artist went back to her homeland to create her newest work. She describes it as a record “about growing up in Mississippi and understanding how the fight of your ancestors, the love of your family, the blood on the land and the joy of the Sunday choir shaped how you see the world.” And it simply sounds amazing.
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
