All killer no filler, that is the simplest way to describe the ear splitting, face melting, mind blowing musical genius that is Protest The Hero and their album Fortress.
This Canadian mathcore group, it's a genre look it up, formed in 1999 when the members were only 14 years old. This might explain why the group is as amazing live as they are on their albums and why every one of their songs is intricate in its own complicated way. The group released Fortress in 2008 through Vagrant records.
First off, if you get this album listen to it all the way through. The songs meld almost flawlessly together. It also helps the listener to catch the little interludes that are hard to pick up on if you are skipping around. The random piano interlude before Sequoia Throne makes the song so much more colossal but it is found on the tail end of the song before. This can be said about the majority of the songs on the album, each having an intro in the song prior.
Because I know some people will want to skip around I will give you a quick highlight reel.
First up, Bloodmeat. This is the album opener and for good reason. The song, drawing upon the fury of Genghis Khan, sends the listener into a frenzy. The syncopated guitar drum hits meld excellently with the vocals, neither taking attention from the other. The vocals are excellent, a mixture of screaming and vocals that are both melodious and percussive in nature. In the bridge listen for the bassist double tapping. Also, be ready for the end, it will take you and shake you to your bones.
Second one has to be Sequoia Throne. I already mentioned the piano intro hidden in the track before it, this leads to an all out shred session by the guitarists. The song jumps seamlessly from hard hitting to melodious in a second. Pay attention to the vocals in the middle session, and listen for the bluesy guitar right before a huge build that takes you up then drops you into a melodious paradise.
Third on the list is Limb for Limb. This song is a four and a half minute shred fest. The song just never lets up. When you think it is going to ease up it continues to hammer harder. Though they hit hard the whole song the band does so in excellent fashion. The song never gets repetitive or boring. Oh and did I mention the solo, think Mega Man.
Fourth is the longest track on the album, Bone Marrow. This song is the longest one on the album, coming in at just over five and a half minutes. This song stands out for one amazing reason and that is the blues section. It occurs near the end of the song and does not last very long, but it comes out of no where and makes the song unique. This is the song with the piano interlude at the end to allow your ears a chance to rest.
There is something about every song on this album that makes it amazing. Needless to say you should go out right now and buy it. Everyone needs that amazingly complex metal record and this is that record. To say I'm excited to see what this band does next is an understatement.
Always Listening,
Nick
