Protest the Hero - Fortress

[Tom Good]

Protest The Hero – Fortress
Release Date: January 29th 2008
Record Label: Vagrant Records

When you base your successful debut full length on a hyper ambitious concept told from different viewpoints, expectations are naturally high for the dreaded sophomore release. A band can either head in a totally different direction or follow the success garnered from their original formula. Canada’s finest shred powerhouse Protest The Hero opted to take the second path for their follow up to Kezia, not fixing what was clearly not broken, but at the same time trimming the fat and honing the sound that worked the first time around. Fortress is here and will not disappoint those who were fans of Kezia. Unfortunately, it’s definitely not going to convert those who didn’t like Protest The Hero from the start.

This album is Protest The Hero magnified. The vocals are higher and more outrageous in their grandiosity, the guitars are peppered with more light speed hammer ons and pull offs, and even the bass is more prominent in the mix. It’s at this point that you can probably decide whether this album is for you or not. If the high-pitched vocals grated on your ears before, they will really be unbearable to you this time. On the other end, if you loved the rapid-fire time changes and complex song structures, you will be more than satisfied with Fortress. “Bloodmeat” is a great opener and an excellent taste of what’s to follow. The syncopated intro is what you might come to expect from tech-core acts before the song morphs into a decidedly more straightforward rock verse before once again switching directions to a slower breakdown section. With the amount of transitions the band goes through in this one song, it’s pretty impressive that the song is coherent at all. Such is Protest The Hero and their knack for making completely different bits and pieces somehow fit together into an interesting bigger picture. Another great example of this is the stand out track on the album, “Limb From Limb”. Utilizing the vocal acrobatics of Rody Walker and the pounding drums of Moe Carlson, the track is an onslaught of every facet of aggressive music. There are sections of the song that emote the proggy keyboard leads of Dream Theater while others take the steady double bass beats of heavier 80’s power metal, but all these different aspects melt into one coherent song; fast and hard as hell. It’s great to see such technical aspects of music being brought back to the forefront. Sweep picked guitar lines and bass tapping are abound throughout the disc displaying just how scary it is that these guys all have a median age group that doesn’t surpass the early 20’s.

The vocals will be the deciding factor of this album for you if you are a fan of the harder side of music. Some can find it nasally while others will find it jaw dropping. This is pretty much the story every time a high-pitched singer is involved, so this argument is not necessarily new, but it is important. That being said, for fans of this sound, Rody Walker puts in his best performance to date with Fortress. It’s apparent that he experimented more with different vocal methods when recording this album and for the most part it works. On Kezia, he really only let loose and screamed on one song while other members handled the screaming. On Fortress, his screams are all over the place. Considering the fact that not only can the guy sing and he’s got a pretty unique scream as well, this is a good thing. It only adds to the interest in seeing a band this fast and aggressive using a front man that actually sings as opposed to growling every line. This vocal clarity also makes Protest The Hero’s weakest aspect more apparent, the lyrics. The topics on this album walk a thin line between being taken seriously and being over the top tributes to 80’s metal cheese. Luckily, they balance it pretty well (as well as you can balance it) and having read interviews with the band, I knew that it was a conscious choice to go all out with the fantastical references, so it does not affect the overall product. The music in the background will make you forget all about it. I spent a lot of time with Fortress and I’m glad that I did because at first I was kind of let down. The music all sounded the same and the riffs, although fast and technical, had no feeling. After a month of listening to it, I can say that, yes, the riffs sound incredibly similar sometimes and some melodies sound like they were already heard on Kezia. It’s not perfect nor is it going to change your opinion of the band, but what it is is a solid follow up and a hell of a fun listen for people who just want some fast and technical music during the January drought.


On Conquest And Capture
1. Bloodmeat
2. The Dissentience
3. Bone Marrow
---
4. Sequoia Throne
5. Palms Read
6. Limb From Limb
Isoceles
7. Spoils
8. Wretch
9. Goddess Bound
10. Goddess Gagged AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=2378&catid=2&ltr=P&page=2) | Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/protestthehero) | Purevolume (http://www.purevolume.com/protestthehero) | Vagrant Site (http://www.vagrant.com)

[shaysexpanther]

good album

[LongDistanceDrunk]

Great Review. I heard the stream on myspace. I was blown away, not having heard their first album. It reminded me of the new mastodon stuff alot with the guitars. I can't wait to see this live.

[mr chainsaw]

This album is almost the perfect follow-up to Kezia. I am waiting to get the lyric book to see if they can live up to the amazing lyrics from Kezia.

[Vismund_Cygnus]

There are parts of the review I definitely agree with. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to listen to the record as a whole. It is truly a solid record. Plus the fact that these kids are only in their early 20's makes me wonder what they can do in the future. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

[Tom Good]

Great Review. I heard the stream on myspace. I was blown away, not having heard their first album. It reminded me of the new mastodon stuff alot with the guitars. I can't wait to see this live.I don't see the Mastodon in them at all...BUT Mastodon is one of my favorite bands out there right now so lots of props to you:wave:

[huckleberry]

i listened to the stream on myspace, and enjoyed it thoroughly. i never got to listen to the entire first album, ill have to get around to that.

[jdlcmco]

can't wait for my copy to show up in the mail !!

[TheFury]

Looking forward to getting this album. Very good review.

[MikeyEdge FL]

amazing album.

[iAMhollyood315]

guitars are defeintetly amped up from keiza, its insane. yes some of it sounds similar but they definetly took this record up a notch or two. i cant wait to see them on feb 20th

[genericmadness]

fantastic review

[pacemaker]

I'll probably have to give this a better chance, because as of now, I've felt that these guys - while amazing in their own right - are just Vagrant's attempt at prog-metal-shred-fantasy-screamy-stuff.

But Tom's description of the music (as with almost all of his reviews) really make me want to explore bands that I've kind of passed up because he (Tom) makes them sound so damn cool. Perhaps I shall go and stream this baby today. Great review, brother.

[lew_1987]

i find the vocals less annoying on this album than other stuff of theirs that i have heard.

[flash_gorton]

I love the album, just as much as Kezia, It's an awesome follow-up but I don't believe it's revolutionary what-so-ever.

And it's number 1 on my top ten for 2008 so far, followed by To-Mera and the Mars Volta.

[LikeACat]

I'll probably have to give this a better chance, because as of now, I've felt that these guys - while amazing in their own right - are just Vagrant's attempt at prog-metal-shred-fantasy-screamy-stuff.

But Tom's description of the music (as with almost all of his reviews) really make me want to explore bands that I've kind of passed up because he (Tom) makes them sound so damn cool. Perhaps I shall go and stream this baby today. Great review, brother.

Who gives a shit about Vagrant, they just press their releases for the States.
Also PTH isn't prog-metal.

[FRoGGyFo0]

Great bunch of guys I've talked to tons of times. Ridiculously talented people.

[Scott Weber]

The vocals make this band unbearable for me to listen to.

[Prufrocker]

I feel like they channeled into Dream Theater alot, which is a really good thing.

I love this album, great review too.

[aoftbsten]

definently a solid way to start off 2008.

[BulleTheory]

looooooove this album, amazing guitarists and drummer

[Quinzackattack]

i listened to this album on their myspace. i was blown away. they remind me of between the buried and me a little. just with more melodic vocals.

[Web250]

Fair review. Good album.

[ArmaniMassacre]

i listened to this album on their myspace. i was blown away. they remind me of between the buried and me a little. just with more melodic vocals.

I respect that you like, Protest the Hero, I'm also a fan. However....I don't think you could be any more far off course with the BTBAM comparison.

These guys thrive off of being spastic, at times it's controlled, but very spontaneous.
BTBAM on the other hand...quite, quite controlled.

then again...you're young...you'll develop a keen ear if you keep at it...

on a completely related note.....

I listened to this album today, Tom, you did a great job in your review. It sums up the album to a "t", I think it's a great listen and could definitely stand out for the majority of the year as one of the best albums.

[llmp]

I cannot stand high-pitched vocals.

[ilovesofie]

beautiful album!

[2 fly and shy]

I was really surprised with this album. Good review

[konvalbr]

The vocals make this band unbearable for me to listen to.

and yet you have Rush as your avator picture, that makes sense.

[Scott Weber]

and yet you have Rush as your avator picture, that makes sense.
don't compare great prog-rock to mediocre metalcore ever again, thank you.

[kaityangst]

this album is so incredible.

[Keagan Ilvonen]

Amazing album. I got it today. I typed up the lyrics, here they are.

Bloodmeat

Enemies of the khanate strung on hooks like pigs to slaughter.
Head will roll and throats will be slit and blood will flow like springs of water - to the rivers red, across the ochre steppe.
A thousand fathers killed, a thousand virgin daughters spread with swords still wet with the blood of their dead.
Nurjan is upon us, he kills in silence after prayers.
Ghengis Khan is upon us and he slays his betrayers.
Thus now the fools of god will guard the city of our birth, hold an ear to the ground to hear the sound of clamoring, and horses stammering as their gallop meets the earth.
Tomorrow they will find us, hide the children free of sin.
We will meet their blades by morning protected only by our skin.
Tomorrow we will find them, seek the youngest of their kin.
We will meet them with our fury.
We will crush them all like vermin.

The Dissentience

Down the street half a block away, in a familiar place regular people agree with each other in smoke signals.
Brought together to burn the thing that brings them together, each in turn interprets the law as aging with its eyesight failing.
Sitting across tables spending nights talking about other nights, our eyes unclose like books we’ve read twice.
On Shelves lined with spines, the dust collects as scattered ash from an urn unturned, spilling over with somebody regular.
And other such regulars cry ghost and boast of the friend of a friend who saw a strange sight, or heard a strange sound, who now whispers tall tales of murder most foul.
The scene hit’s the moon with a rise from the shelves, alive on the myths of ordinary people past: somebody’s little girl dreaming of the things she reads, or the monsters in her bed who hacked her into blood-meat.


Bone Marrow

Thus now he knelt before the ruins, cold of sweat and heat of flame, to vow the severed heads of those who brought the village to its shame.
Those who plundered, pillaged, pilfered lives would now accept the blame. He would find them all with a mighty vengeance paid for in their pain.
Shah - Jan, the king of kings, wore seven rings and sixty feathers plucked from sparrow’s wings.
Growing fat on the throne where he sat like a stone as a man who has known no hunger or shown no mercy in promises broke like a bone.
Dispersed about his people, rostam calls out for his equals in thirst to rise and cast curse, exact the worst revenge on enemies to hang from trees.
The royalty must die like common beggars and petty thieves.
Those who rule against us will murdered where they stand.
Let our arrows rain from the sky to drain the blood into the land.
If mortal stands before us, strike him down with sleight of hand.
And if heaven rides against us, god himself then must be damned.

Sequoia Throne

Did you come here to kill or did you come here to die?
Did we really think that spaceships would descend from the sky, bending light and beaming forth across space-time to see us scared in the reflection of their oil black eyes?
And stalk us as a predator like our movies imply?
They’re not the ones who hate us, who create our common dread. They’re not the ones who mutilate our animals, or travel through the stars.
They’re not the ones to cause us harm - we are!
We are still-life in cold blood and we feel nothing, hell-bent on heaven while our righteous men are stuffing corpses full of shit and faith.
They bloviate about a future life and beat our war-drum to its tune.
Unless our prayers will be answered and our end is coming soon.


Palms Read

As often as always evolution is crawling from the sea, alive with urgency like suicide, convinced the grass is greener on dry earth; the march of serrated utterance like a soft cough muffled murmur sneaking through the lecture hall.
The crawl across the island, the sound of waves’ embodied water sprouting legs as loud as a gallop, cuffing down on ground against the cries of gravity.
All the young people who took a leap without faith into a riverbed that drowns about as much as it saves.
All the young cowards acting out for the brave forever hurled into the waters of their indifferent graves.
Belly-up, half buried in the sand, extend a hand to the smallness of death.
Understand that only dying is this colossal, creation shedding skin to find a perfect equilibrium like fossils.
For a million years, raise your glass in cheers - we will never answer where we came from only how we got her.

Limb From Limb

Split the sky asunder noble huntress of the clan - in your left hand raise the sword and in your right hand cast the spear.
Summon all the slaves and bastards hiding in the woodland -
crack their skulls into the cauldron for invading our frontiers -
the shadows fall, the hammer falls, the stone is placed above us all, forge our weapons in the furnace, soar to heights like oak trees tall -
Do not beg for me, I will not heed your appeals -
With your final words be grateful that you died by Irish steel -
Do not crawl before us for your fate has been revealed -
The heavens will not desecrate their gates with your admittance -
Son of flesh I cast you out into exile forever hence -
Flidais rides again, she is the forest and the rain, she is the huntress and the prey, she is the duck, she is the dawn, she is the moon, she is the sun, see her bellow out in anger, see her raise the infant fawn -
She is drawn by a cart of cervidae, she is here and she is gone.


Spoils

Endowed with the art of casting names upon its being, the humans claimed dominion over every living thing.
Proud as a purpose they became to walk the earth as they arraigned the common creatures caught within the corpus, cursed, conscious human brain. Every word that’s ever written will fall short of its intent, even spoke or sung or screamed it will betray what it has meant.
Language is the heart’s lament, a weak attempt to circumvent the loneliness inherent in the search for permanence (like all the future ghosts who scratch their names in wet cement).
Demeaning meaning as they shout out at the emptiness, abstraction is the stake between the anima and animus.
Deflesh the word as scourge of human destiny.
Behold the world in other people, life is charity.


Wretch

Chews the fat with his creator over breakfast in the sunlight through when he says grace, when he says grace, he feels enveloped like a shadow -
There are evenings when this decimated world of movement, colour, form, is thin and getting thinner -
When lights are dim and getting dimmer (when nights are grim and getting grimmer) -
As they barter their boulders and martyr their soldiers, teach a man to tear her fucking head from her shoulders -
Held into the sun by threads of her hair as they impart a secret hatred from their fathers to their heirs -
Suppressed and unaddressed the simple fact remains unspoken, in silence left unbroken, on a bed bound and gagged with culture, language, myth and law: our goddess gave birth to your god -
From a wounded womb where her flesh scarred and raw -
Our goddess gave birth to your god.

Goddess Bound

Take everything your parents taught you, throw it to the dogs.
It’s forgotten flesh of something dead it’s blood drips from your jaw.
Take everything your school has taught you, throw it to the dogs.
It’s meat that dries in the summer heat and reeks now of its rot,
It speaks now of the fate that we await, to be forgot.
Just as mountains live outside of rocks and time itself outside of clocks.
We hope that life exists beyond our lonely bones in the pine box.
From the bottom of my heart, at the top of my lungs anywhere, it’s anything, it’s anyone: the neighbour saving face by saving grace today for yesterday’s behaviour, bound to tethers, girls in leather unveil the true face of his saviour.
Live to fuck and fuck ‘til death, drink to sorrow and regrets.
Remember that which love begets irony that whose clasp their chests are lives as yet unfinished as they gasp their final breath.


Goddess Gagged

Oh god!
What they must have heard in the distance: a wilderness of sound and movement repeating itself across the narrows of mountainsides, the cries of creatures crashing against cold rock, human voices heralding the hillside, their bellows bounding ripe with resonance, from here unimportant call received the all important answer.
Oh goddess who bore us what we must have done to have buried your daughters and prayed for a son.
The wind and the rain spoke a language of wonder to a species rising thickly to a dialogue with a thunder.
In empty place between better and worse language unravels and irony hurts.
In the common place between hunger and thirst, the words that define us a blessing and curse.
The words that confine the ideas traversed the ear to hear the song without verse, the sound of the sound of the sound utter first, the burst into nothing so sudden and soft, the silence inside you when the music has stopped.

[whothehellispat]

it would be impossible to expect anyone to reproduce a work like kezia, thats a once in a lifetime kinda of masterpiece for a musician.

[SuNDaYSTaR]

I just can't fucking wait to listen to it.

[TyroneShoolaces]

i've listened to the album all the way through like 5 times now, and it gets better each time. I'm really digging it now.

[vincentbiz]

excellent

can not wait for the third cd by these guys

Bands like this make me proud to be a Canadian

[Ruggiero2oo8]

I really enjoy this CD.

[Tom Good]

don't compare great prog-rock to mediocre metalcore ever again, thank you.<3. I think we might be the only two people on this site that like Rush haha. Neil Peart is one of my heroes (along with Stewart Copeland, Billy Cobham and Steve Gadd)

[newfoundmichael]

This album is just as good as Kezia in my opinion. I can't wait to pick up a had copy of it tomorrow.

[wesgemm08]

After listening to The Mars Volta and Mastodon too much recently.. the drumming on this album seems really weak.

[Tom Good]

After listening to The Mars Volta and Mastodon too much recently.. the drumming on this album seems really weak.Yeah, I wasn't that impressed by the drumming. Brann Dailor blows me away though. So did Jon Theodore (I haven't listened to the new Mars Volta yet, I'm holding out! So I don't know about the new guy). The drumming on this album is good...just not very original. Listen to any metal band or death metal band and you can get guys just as fast and just as creative.

[Boywithacoin]

don't compare great prog-rock to mediocre metalcore ever again, thank you.
I love Rush, but don't use the words "mediocre", "Protest the Hero", and "metalcore" in the same sentence ever again, thank you.

Great album

EDIT: I was a huge fan of Theodore, but the new drummer blows him out of the water this time around. Bedlam is incredible

[Stephen Chamberlain]

Their name should be written "Protest the Hero."

Also, album title should be in italics to distinguish it from the rest of the text.

[Thethricer]

This album may not be revolutionary, but it is definatley a rebirth! The guitar work that is on this album is by no means ordinary. I personally think this album will not effect the masses, but for those who are musicians and up to date, this will bring in a new type of player for the 2000's.

[farfromsafe]

yess i love this disc. i've been playing guitar for 13 years and i love to hear crazyness like these guys have spread throughout the record!

[AdamTheGreat]

Album is SO good

[bjumpsnota]

fantastic disc. well worth the wait

[liveloud4life]

don't compare great prog-rock to mediocre metalcore ever again, thank you.

Don't ever say that Protest is mediocre ever again. I love Rush alot, and I thoroughly believe that they would completely support PTH's direction. Besides he was just makin the connection of the high vocals. Don't even say that Geddy Lee's voice isn't a little high and annoying.

[liveloud4life]

excellent

can not wait for the third cd by these guys

Bands like this make me proud to be a Canadian

Canada sux. Jk. It does seem like alot of really good musicians come out of Canada.

[Scott Weber]

Don't ever say that Protest is mediocre ever again. I love Rush alot, and I thoroughly believe that they would completely support PTH's direction. Besides he was just makin the connection of the high vocals. Don't even say that Geddy Lee's voice isn't a little high and annoying.
Geddy's voice is great. It fits the music and it has character. PTH is just generic metalcore to begin with, topped with vocals that don't fit, it's a bad combo. There is nothing special about this band in the least.

[rammie]

I cannot wait to see them this tuesday. I never really payed attention to them before, but I decided to check them out a couple months ago and was impressed. But this cd deffinitly converted me into a fan. So many great bands are coming from Canada these days...yup I'm happy to be a Canadian.

[mikado]

The vocals make this band unbearable for me to listen to.laugh

<3. I think we might be the only two people on this site that like Rush haha. Neil Peart is one of my heroes (along with Stewart Copeland, Billy Cobham and Steve Gadd)and laugh.


the only two people on this entire site that like Rush huh? yea okay.

[SwallowMyWords]

Great Review. I heard the stream on myspace. I was blown away, not having heard their first album. It reminded me of the new mastodon stuff alot with the guitars. I can't wait to see this live.

hahaha are u kidding me? Mastadon? They don't even compare. Protest shits on mastadon

[liveloud4life]

Geddy's voice is great. It fits the music and it has character. PTH is just generic metalcore to begin with, topped with vocals that don't fit, it's a bad combo. There is nothing special about this band in the least.

I'm not gonna get into a debate with you about it but whether or not it fits seems to be an opinion. Personally the music seems spastic and incessant just like his vocals to me.

[rivaldi22]

Rush and PTH are both awesome. Jesus.

[total brodown]

i think the biggest improvement to Protest The Hero as a whole is how much Moe, the drummer, has improved.

the only thing that got annoying to me on Kezia is he played the same 1&, 2&, 3&, 4& beat in like 80% of each song.

[guirock]

this album is great

[RosinatheRocket]

"Bloodmeat" was the first song I heard from Protest and I was instantly hooked. Downloaded Fortress and was impressed. The way their songs go from slow to fast, slow again only to go back to fast was amazing. Never seen them live so I'm definitely psyched to see them in Warped Tour this year.

[Clark]

God (goddess?), this album is phenomenal. Can't wait to see what they do next.

[RadiantEyes]

Only a couple of songs I remember....Everything else is bland to me.... But it is nonetheless a very mature record for these guys.

[cubine]

Geddy's voice is great. It fits the music and it has character. PTH is just generic metalcore to begin with, topped with vocals that don't fit, it's a bad combo. There is nothing special about this band in the least.
Fuckyouverymuch.

Protest isn't a generic metalcore band. They're not generic and they're not metalcore. Show me another band that sounds just like PTH, and show me where there's any hardcore influence in their sound.

No? Yeah, like I said, fuckyouverymuch.