FORTRESS

I knew absolutely nothing about Protest The Hero before I bought this album. The only thing I had heard was that they were really good and 'progressive'. Well, in some ways, I suppose they are. The vocals aren't rough or growly nearly as often as I expected (not that I mind growling anyway, because I certainly don't, if it's done well). The clean vocals that are present remind me a lot of The Mars Volta, actually (that is, the Mars Volta mateiral where Cedric actually sings well!), and they are pleasant enough, and the screaming (provided by more than one band member) is hit-and-miss, but for the most part, the vocal department is well-done.

The playing ability of the musicians stands out quite obviously, and of course they are fantastic at what they do, but i wonder . . . is this really that progressive of an album? Yes, there are experimental moments, here, but overall, it sounds a lot like typical Post- Hardcore that all the mall-goth kids rave about with their friends, and aside from a few specific moments, nothing else makes me find this all that original. Sure it's great for what it is, but I don't consider it anywhere near the caliber of bands like Cynic, Opeth, Death, Voivod or Meshuggah. It doesn't mean this isn't worth listening to. If you're a fan of all the different types of extreme Metal out there, I'm sure you'll enjoy Fortress, but not for its originality.

Perhaps I've just missed the point, but I have owned this album for a while now without giving my thoughts on it, because I was expecting it to grow on me a little more over time. It simply hasn't. It's fairly enjoyable, but only at certain moments does it really impress me. Of specific note are the two tracks ''Limb From Limb'' and ''Spoils'', which admittedly have some very interesting and creative musical moments buried within them. But these bouts of (dare I say) genius aren't frequent or recurring enough for me to believe this is an album worth holding up with same high esteem I hold its peers in this specific sub-genre. If you're into more modern-sounding Post-Hardcore metal music, you'll most likely have fun listening to this, but if you're expecting the next great masterpiece of Extreme Prog Metal, you may just be a little bit disappointed.

2.5 stars.

Share this PROTEST THE HERO review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to JLocke
• Report this review (#270896)
• Buy PROTEST THE HERO music online with PA partners
• Show all PROTEST THE HERO MP3/Stream
• Go to PROTEST THE HERO page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Fortress page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for PROTEST THE HERO related discussions