Protest the Hero - Fortress Album Review

Musical genres are always morphing, evolving and expanding. Whether a completely new form of music has emerged or music writers are merely looking for a new way to classify what already does exist in hopes of using words to better describe sound, we are now in the midst of a plethora of genre titles. We've seen rock turn into classic-rock, hard-rock, alternative, post-rock, etc., while even relatively newer genres like punk have added sub-genres like post-punk, dance-punk, and street-punk. I know the musical name game can seem ridiculous, and even sometimes exclusionary - as if the titles are a secret code only able to be deciphered by "true" music fans - but I am about to throw out a new brand of nomenclature in order to describe Protest the Hero. That term is prog-metalcore. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well here's the deal.

Metalcore, a genre that begin its development in the late '80s and early '90s when bands in the hardcore scene began to incorporate the complexities and manic riffing of metal, but still maintained the brutal, often growled aesthetics of hardcore. Recently this genre has exploded. The result of which has been a host of very-talented genre-blending bands and well, some bands that are more interested in the fashion culture of metal, and the often dude-promoting side of hardcore. Now enter Protest the Hero, a group who takes the tone of metalcore and multiplies its complexities to the level of prog-rock, thus prog-metalcore.

Still a little unclear? Okay, take a band like Dream Theater and add a nasty screaming edge to the over-the-top theatrics of that band. Or take a band like Dragonforce add more diversity in tempos and a singer that can not only belt out choruses like an operatic performer, but can also go down to those guttural low grunts that heavy music is so fond of these days. Are things getting clearer now?

Let's look at first single "Sequoia Throne" for a little more detail. The song opens with a blazing-fast guitar lead that recalls vintage speed-metal before some grind-core drums kick in and singer Rody Walker screams like a demon. Soon though Walker flips to a powerful singing voice and shows off some talented pipes while his band-mates continue to noodle underneath. Eventually Walker spits out some cookie-monster vocals before going into a dynamic falsetto. Walker's voice alone is incredible to listen to as it twists and turns into various successful manifestations, but the music here is also molting from crushing to melodic like some demonic caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly. It's a complex and intriguing sound that should both tech-heads and fans of solid songwriting.

Album opener "Bloodmeat" is another prime example of the prog-metalcore title. The song pounds jagged riffing into the ground at it's open recalling the discordant glee of Dillinger Escape Plan before going into a crunchy turned transcendent breakdown where Walker goes all out like he's auditioning for a Broadway musical. Of course these two elements alone would be too simple for this band, and hyper-speed staccato bridge full of rapid-fire spitting from Walker and a neo-classical passage full of mind-blowing guitar work also make their way into this song.

Okay, I guess you could still be a little hesitant to embrace yet another genre moniker, so here is one more example of why I have dished it out. It's the song "Spoils." On this track the band run through what sounds like a Nintendo soundtrack at the song's open. It is some of the most major-key ripping you will get on the album and while it sounds brilliant it is merely step one in a much more detailed movement. This time the band show off their ability to make dynamic shifts. With start/stops, time signature changes, and abrupt breakdowns Protest the Hero show that they are serious musicians. Meanwhile Walker crafts some of his best melodies which are backed by octave chord climbs and a crying organ to make for a grandiose gesture.

So that's it, my argument for introducing the term prog-metalcore. If you still doubt me go grab a copy of Fortress and see what you think.