KEZIA

Protest the Hero was a band I had heard about mostly through word of mouth and on several music forums, especially some metal ones. Metalcore isn't something that's really my cup of tea most of the time, but I heard so many good things about them that I decided to check them out. The songs "Bury the Hatchet" from this, their debut album, and Sequoia Throne off of Fortress are both on their PA page (I was surprised to find them here to begin with). I listened to both songs several times in a row, and each time they were equally jaw-dropping. PTH sounded like so much more than technical metalcore to me. They manage to blend several other genres, including hardcore punk and progressive metal, into their ridiculously complex music. Although I suppose one of the main reasons I was turned on was because the metalcore influence was only a small part of the whole sound.

The music is mostly technical/progressive metalcore, and all the band members have serious chops to back this up. Some of the riffs and solos in their music are absolutely mind-blowing, and I would be surprised if I ever managed to pull any of this stuff off as a musician. Although what amazes me about this band so much is the age of all the members. If I remember correctly, every member of the band was no older twenty-one when work on the album began. So these guys might have been or were becoming musical virtuosos before they were legally able to drink in my country. That really says something in my opinion. The one thing that is most likely to tune off most progressive rock/metal fans is the sound of Rody Walker's voice. It's not traditional prog metal. In fact, it's not progressive-sounding in any way. It is however a very long and high range of notes in the singing, shouting, and growling department, but the singing and shouting are the most prominent vocals used. Walker sounds much more like a vocalist for a post-hardcore or punk band than a progressive metal band. Some people on this site might be turned off by such a voice, but when you get past the non-progressive part of it, he really is talented at what he does.

The album is apparently a concept album about a woman named Kezia who is to be executed by firing squad, but understanding the concept isn't too important for enjoying the album. This isn't quite a masterpiece, so I'll give it 4 stars instead. Some of the hooks and melodies give it a somewhat poppier edge, but it's still an enjoyable album. Fortress however tops this for me, and I except many great things in the future from this Canadian group. I'd recommend this to fans of technical/progressive metal that either don't mind or enjoy a mesh of hardcore punk and metalcore.