Pete
08-23-2004, 03:14 PM
Protest the Hero - A Calculated Use of Sound
Underground Operations
2003-06-06
Review:
Never has an album had a more fitting title than Protest the Hero's sophomore release - this is a calculated use of sound, music and words. This Canadian quintet gives us a collection of six songs, all packed with political agitation and intricate sound textures in the best of mathcore tradition. But don't be mistaken - this, while taking influence from the genre, isn't a mathcore band. It's an eclectic blend of melodic hardcore, progressive metal and pop-punk. Imagine taking parts of Circle Takes the Square, Converge or the Blood Brothers. Mix this with equal parts Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere or Thought Riot. Top this off with some Choke or Belvedere. This results in the oddly excellent groups that is Protest the Hero - kinda like an agitated Coheed and Cambria on steroids.
Everything from cover art to song titles to website conjures images of anarchist riots, black and red flags and fists swung in the air. The protest is clearly put in the first room for these guys. They've clearly done their homework, and are extremely opinionated. Unlike a lot of faux-political bands, they often bring up actual issues and occurrences in their lyrics, rather than just shouting stagnated catchphrases about the fascism of government. Not that they're above a good catchphrase ("we are the workers, the majority, and this system fears solidarity" from "Red Stars Over the Battle", and "bombings won’t justify bombings, death will not justify death - death its self justifies nothing and nothing will come of it" from "These Colors Don't Run" instantly springs to mind), but they tend to go deeper than that. Which is really commendable in these times when everyone's an anarchist.
While diving deep into subjects like blue collar unity, anti-militarism and gay liberation, it'd be an easy mistake to think that PtH maybe haven't put that much effort into the music. This would be a grossly false assumption - over the 21 minutes this CD run, there are an abundance of riffs and arpeggios, vocal hooks and harmonies; this is one of the few punk bands ever who even has drum solos! And I'm talking good drum solos, too. The guitars are astonishing both on paper and in execution, and any metal band should be in awe of some of the things Luke and Tim accomplish; perfectly timed hammer-on/pull-off runs, speedy riffs and great muting patterns, sometimes interrupted by acoustic parts. Any drummer listening will also have a field day; drummer Moe does so much for the songs, aside from his awesome solos, that you'd have a hard time finding in any other melodicore/punk-metal band. Even bassist Arif has gets room to shine, laying some excellent lines to mirror the rest of the band.
Except for the drummer, everyone in the band shares the vocal duties - lead vocalist Rody pulling the heaviest load. Now, he's not your run of the mill vocalist either - in fact, I could imagine people being instantly turned off by his rather high-pitched voice and gutturally quirky screams. But for me, that's just another factor that adds to the unique sound Protest the Hero can claim as their very own. The exemplary backing vocal distribution deserves an honorable mention as well - the screaming choirs hit just where they're supposed to.
As always when I fall in love with an album, I find myself going on and on about how great and flawless it is. In most cases, the album isn't flawless at all, and I feel it's my job as a reviewer to shine a light on the less perfect parts as well. I touched on the subject before; Rody's voice might be an issue to people, as it is quite it's own. Also, the technicality of the songs can at times make them seem disorganized or straight up messy. And, finally, some of the lyrics seems forced - especially on "These Colors Don't Run" - while others seem stolen - again, same song (the line "the rockets red glare (red like the blood you have spilled), the bombs bursting in air" seems oddly familiar from Propagandhi's "Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes" - although it may just be a homage paid to fellow canucks).
I still say that this is political prog-punk at it's very, very best. In between the great melodies and aggressive outbursts, there should be something for everyone who enjoys angry music.
Rating:
4.5/5
Best Song:
An Apathetic New World
Track list:
1. Red Stars Over the Battle (2:51)
2. An Apathetic New World (3:07)
3. These Colors Don't Run (3:13)
4. Fear and Loathing in Laramie (3:28)
5. Led Astray (4:33)
6. I Am Dimitri Karamazov (3:35)
Links:
Official website (http://www.protestthehero.com)
Record Label (Underground Operations) (http://www.undergroundoperations.com)
/Fat Pete 2004-08-23
Underground Operations
2003-06-06
Review:
Never has an album had a more fitting title than Protest the Hero's sophomore release - this is a calculated use of sound, music and words. This Canadian quintet gives us a collection of six songs, all packed with political agitation and intricate sound textures in the best of mathcore tradition. But don't be mistaken - this, while taking influence from the genre, isn't a mathcore band. It's an eclectic blend of melodic hardcore, progressive metal and pop-punk. Imagine taking parts of Circle Takes the Square, Converge or the Blood Brothers. Mix this with equal parts Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere or Thought Riot. Top this off with some Choke or Belvedere. This results in the oddly excellent groups that is Protest the Hero - kinda like an agitated Coheed and Cambria on steroids.
Everything from cover art to song titles to website conjures images of anarchist riots, black and red flags and fists swung in the air. The protest is clearly put in the first room for these guys. They've clearly done their homework, and are extremely opinionated. Unlike a lot of faux-political bands, they often bring up actual issues and occurrences in their lyrics, rather than just shouting stagnated catchphrases about the fascism of government. Not that they're above a good catchphrase ("we are the workers, the majority, and this system fears solidarity" from "Red Stars Over the Battle", and "bombings won’t justify bombings, death will not justify death - death its self justifies nothing and nothing will come of it" from "These Colors Don't Run" instantly springs to mind), but they tend to go deeper than that. Which is really commendable in these times when everyone's an anarchist.
While diving deep into subjects like blue collar unity, anti-militarism and gay liberation, it'd be an easy mistake to think that PtH maybe haven't put that much effort into the music. This would be a grossly false assumption - over the 21 minutes this CD run, there are an abundance of riffs and arpeggios, vocal hooks and harmonies; this is one of the few punk bands ever who even has drum solos! And I'm talking good drum solos, too. The guitars are astonishing both on paper and in execution, and any metal band should be in awe of some of the things Luke and Tim accomplish; perfectly timed hammer-on/pull-off runs, speedy riffs and great muting patterns, sometimes interrupted by acoustic parts. Any drummer listening will also have a field day; drummer Moe does so much for the songs, aside from his awesome solos, that you'd have a hard time finding in any other melodicore/punk-metal band. Even bassist Arif has gets room to shine, laying some excellent lines to mirror the rest of the band.
Except for the drummer, everyone in the band shares the vocal duties - lead vocalist Rody pulling the heaviest load. Now, he's not your run of the mill vocalist either - in fact, I could imagine people being instantly turned off by his rather high-pitched voice and gutturally quirky screams. But for me, that's just another factor that adds to the unique sound Protest the Hero can claim as their very own. The exemplary backing vocal distribution deserves an honorable mention as well - the screaming choirs hit just where they're supposed to.
As always when I fall in love with an album, I find myself going on and on about how great and flawless it is. In most cases, the album isn't flawless at all, and I feel it's my job as a reviewer to shine a light on the less perfect parts as well. I touched on the subject before; Rody's voice might be an issue to people, as it is quite it's own. Also, the technicality of the songs can at times make them seem disorganized or straight up messy. And, finally, some of the lyrics seems forced - especially on "These Colors Don't Run" - while others seem stolen - again, same song (the line "the rockets red glare (red like the blood you have spilled), the bombs bursting in air" seems oddly familiar from Propagandhi's "Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes" - although it may just be a homage paid to fellow canucks).
I still say that this is political prog-punk at it's very, very best. In between the great melodies and aggressive outbursts, there should be something for everyone who enjoys angry music.
Rating:
4.5/5
Best Song:
An Apathetic New World
Track list:
1. Red Stars Over the Battle (2:51)
2. An Apathetic New World (3:07)
3. These Colors Don't Run (3:13)
4. Fear and Loathing in Laramie (3:28)
5. Led Astray (4:33)
6. I Am Dimitri Karamazov (3:35)
Links:
Official website (http://www.protestthehero.com)
Record Label (Underground Operations) (http://www.undergroundoperations.com)
/Fat Pete 2004-08-23