Protest The Hero - Fortress
by Adrian Huggins
published: 30 / 1 / 2008
Label:
Vagrant Records
Format: CD
intro
Essential hardcore on excellent second album from youthful Canadian quintet, Protest the Hero
This is the second album from Canadian youngsters, Protest the Hero. After making huge waves with their debut offering ‘Kezia’ the thrashers have wasted no time in getting more stuff ready and out in order to terrorize the public once again. ‘Fortress’ makes you feel like you’re in a hurricane. It is a tiring listen. It picks you up from the moment the first stupidly fast guitar lick kicks in on ‘Bloodmeat’ and it does not let you breathe again until the very last chords of ‘Goddess Gagged’. It is fantastic. You feel shattered after listening to this album, but it really is superb. I have no idea how one band manages to cram so much energy, passion, great ideas and mind blowing time changes into one album, even into one song as they do on the likes of ‘Bone Marrow’ and ‘Sequoia Throne’. One track which particularly stuck out for me was ‘Palms Read’. At about three minutes you think its slowing down and you’ve heard enough guitar widdling and cheeky bass solos for one life time then BOOM! Protest the Hero kick back in with an absolutely earth shattering riff that seems to come out of nowhere. These guys are phenomenal. They make you excited to listen to what is ahead because you really cannot tell what is going to be thrown at you next. ‘Kezia’ was a concept album of sorts, weaving a complex tale throughout. On 'Fortress' they have attempted to make an album where all the songs mingle together, and, like some of the greatest albums of all time, you feel the need to hear them all together for it all to make sense. Vocalist Rody Walker has a stunning voice with a lot of character and which really drives the music and the feel of the band's songs. Like Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, he has a very high and powerful singing voice that really grabs your attention. All the band, bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi, guitarists Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin and drummer Moe Carlson, lend skills beyond their years. With enough off kilter timing and riffs to make your head twirl, but not too complex as to baffle you, all of which is held together by pummeling drumming, this is as tight as a band get. If you’re a fan of Dillinger Escape Plan, Thrice, Finch, Biffy Clyro or anyone who pushes what they do to its absolute limit then Protest the Hero are essential.
Track Listing:-
1 Bloodmeat2 The Dissentience
3 Bone Marrow
4 Sequoia Throne
5 Palms Read
6 Limb From Limb
7 Spoils
8 Wretch
9 Goddess Bound
10 Goddess Gagged
reviews |
Kezia (2006) |
Intensely ferocious and exciting hard rock on debut album from young American speed metal group, Protest the Hero |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewRod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Marika Hackman - Big Sigh
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart