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'''Protest the Hero''' (abbreviated as '''PTH''' or simply '''Protest''') is a [[Canadian]] band from [[Whitby, Ontario|Whitby]], [[Ontario]].<ref name="Punktv.ca Interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.punktv.ca/?c=105&a=1149|title=Protest the Hero Talks about their new album, Kezia!|author=Dixon Christie|date=2006-10-30|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> Formed in 1999 under the name Happy Go Lucky, their first release as Protest The Hero became ''[[A Calculated Use of Sound]]'' [[Extended play|EP]] (2003) and later released their first full length ''[[Kezia]]'' (2005) on the [[Independent record label|indie]] label [[Underground Operations]]. On January 23, 2006 the band officially signed with [[Vagrant Records]] for ''[[Kezia]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s United States release. ''Kezia'' was released in the US on April 4, 2006. Their second full length, ''[[Fortress (Protest the Hero album)|Fortress]]'' leaked online January 22, 2008. and is scheduled to be officially released on January 29, 2008.<ref name="Sputnik music Fortress">{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=4090|title=Protest the Hero's Fortress|author=|date=2007-08-13|accessdate=2008-01-16}}</ref>
'''Protest the Hero''' (almost never abbreviated as '''PTH''' or simply '''Protest''') is a [[Canadian]] band from [[Whitby, Ontario|Whitby]], [[Ontario]].<ref name="Punktv.ca Interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.punktv.ca/?c=105&a=1149|title=Protest the Hero Talks about their new album, Kezia!|author=Dixon Christie|date=2006-10-30|accessdate=2007-05-09}}</ref> Formed in 1999 under the name Happy Go Lucky, their first release as Protest The Hero became ''[[A Calculated Use of Sound]]'' [[Extended play|EP]] (2003) and later released their first full length ''[[Kezia]]'' (2005) on the [[Independent record label|indie]] label [[Underground Operations]]. On January 23, 2006 the band officially signed with [[Vagrant Records]] for ''[[Kezia]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s United States release. ''Kezia'' was released in the US on April 4, 2006. Their second full length, ''[[Fortress (Protest the Hero album)|Fortress]]'' leaked online January 22, 2008. and is scheduled to be officially released on January 29, 2008.<ref name="Sputnik music Fortress">{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=4090|title=Protest the Hero's Fortress|author=|date=2007-08-13|accessdate=2008-01-16}}</ref>


== Overview ==
== Overview ==

Revision as of 03:14, 28 January 2008

Protest the Hero

Protest the Hero (almost never abbreviated as PTH or simply Protest) is a Canadian band from Whitby, Ontario.[1] Formed in 1999 under the name Happy Go Lucky, their first release as Protest The Hero became A Calculated Use of Sound EP (2003) and later released their first full length Kezia (2005) on the indie label Underground Operations. On January 23, 2006 the band officially signed with Vagrant Records for Kezia's United States release. Kezia was released in the US on April 4, 2006. Their second full length, Fortress leaked online January 22, 2008. and is scheduled to be officially released on January 29, 2008.[2]

Overview

Biography

The band is comprised of five members: Rody Walker (lead vocals), Tim Millar (guitar, live backup vocals), Luke Hoskin (lead guitar, live backup vocals, piano), Morgan "Moe" Carlson (drums) and Arif Mirabdolbaghi (bass guitar, live backup screaming/clean vocals).

The day that the band members finished their senior final exams, they left on a three-week tour from Toronto to Halifax called "Cock the Vote" in order to gain recognition, as well as raise awareness for the upcoming Canadian election.[3] Protest the Hero's popularity is slowly expanding outside of metal scenes in and around the cities and towns they have performed in. Now teamed up with Universal Music Canada for distributional services, Protest the Hero hopes to become popular over most of Canada and, with their recent signing to Vagrant Records, the United States as well. In 2004 they won the Canadian Independent Music Award for Favourite Metal Artist/Group, beating out much more known Alexisonfire. They were nominated for the 2006 Canadian Music Week Indie Awards' Favourite Metal Artist/Group, which Kataklysm won in March of that year. Also in 2006, the band was also nominated for the CASBY Award.[1] In addition, members of the band appeared in a televised commercial for the instrument store, Long & Mcquade. Bassist Arif was also featured in the Closet Monster music video "Mamma Anti-Facisto (Never Surrender)"; he can be seen to the left of London Spicoluk during the main group scenes.

File:Protestold.jpg
A younger Rody Walker performing in January 2004

A music video for their song "These Colours Don't Run" from the album A Calculated Use of Sound was released in 2003. The video begins with the band discussing the meaning of the song and features the band playing the song live at numerous locations in Toronto, Ontario, with the album music dubbed overtop of the actual live music. At each location, the band would hand out lyrics to passers-by and encourage them to listen or sing along. The band has also released videos for the songs "The Divine Suicide of K", "Blindfolds Aside", and "Heretics and Killers" from Kezia, and for "Bloodmeat" from Fortress. In addition, the song "Divinity Within" is featured on the NHL 07 videogame soundtrack, and "Bury the Hatchet" is featured in a download pack for Guitar Hero II on the Xbox 360.

Protest The Hero started officially writing music for their new album in January, 2007. They finished recording it on August 10th, as said by Rody during the 2007 Vans Warped Tour in Barrie. The new album will be called "Fortress". The album has since been completed, and was set to be released by Vagrant Records on November 12th, however the band has decided to push the release back to January 29, 2008.

Genre

Beginning as a punk-rock group with prominent pop tendencies, influences from bands such as Propagandhi were apparent. Their EP A Calculated Use of Sound defined them as hardcore punk; the album was filled with moderate song structures and advanced soloing and guitar riffing work. Their current sound (from Kezia) is more difficult to classify, incorporating elements of mathcore and metal, as well as more unconventional song structures. Vocalist Rody has mentioned "we don't consider genres, they're irrelevant".

Protest the Hero has stopped selling copies of their old album A Calculated Use Of Sound at shows. Usually, the only song from their first CD that they play live is "I Am Dmitri Karamazov And The World Is My Father" because they feel that they have moved past that stage in music, and find that that album is too bland and does not properly reflect the type of music they stand for anymore. They have also added a new technical part to the song during the slow outro to have it fit in with the style of their other songs.

Protest the Hero Live

Protest the Hero has performed and toured with many well-known acts. They have played with Alexisonfire, Bullet For My Valentine, Against Me!, Straight Reads the Line, Between the Buried and Me, fellow label-mates Hostage Life, I Hate Sally, Machete Avenue, The Holly Springs Disaster, These Silhouettes, Tyler Madarasz, Bombs Over Providence and Closet Monster, and fellow Whitbians, Arms To Illustrate.

File:Protestliveshot.jpg
Protest the Hero performing live

From September 2005 until the beginning of June, 2006, Protest the Hero toured over Canada, the United States, and Great Britain in support of Kezia with bands such as Death by Stereo, Bad Religion, Anti-Flag, The Fall of Troy, The Bled, and DragonForce. The band took part in the Vans Warped Tour during the Summer of 2006. Following this, Protest the Hero toured with Avenged Sevenfold and 3 Inches of Blood until October 2006 when they began "The Crusade" tour with Trivium, The Sword, and Cellador, taking them across Canada and the United States. In November 2006, Protest the Hero toured with Welsh metal band Bullet for My Valentine and As I Lay Dying. Beginning in the middle of December 2006, Protest The Hero embarked on a cross-Ontario tour, named the Bring Out Your Shred tour, with I Hate Sally and The Human Abstract. This tour was the first in which Kezia was played in its entirety. In late May/early June they co-headlined the Tour and Loathing 2007 Tour with co-headliners All That Remains, Blessthefall, Threat Signal and The Holly Springs Disaster.

In September 2006, guitarist Luke Hoskin was detained at the Vancouver-US border for possessing a bag with less than 0.2 grams of marijuana, preventing him from continuing on their tour with Trivium and The Sword.[4] In his place the band got Mike aka "Sparco" from the Canadian rock band Hypodust from September til November 2007, in the band he was referred to as "Xerxes".

On January 28, 2008 the band will begin a tour through Canada with Silverstein, The Devil Wears Prada, and Ill Scarlett. They will continue the tour into the U.S. in late February with the same bands, and in addition, A Day To Remember.

Protest the Hero are known for playing with a large stage-presence, largely due to frontman Rody's energetic persona, and the band's constant motion. In early days of A Calculated Use of Sound EP, it led some to comment that their music degenerated from its recorded quality.

Releases

Full Length

EP

Compilation

  • (Coles) Notes from the Underground (various artist compilation) (2002)
    • Features songs "Break the Chain" and "Asperity of Sin"
  • Greetings from the Underground (various artist compilation sampler) (2004)
    • Features the song "Soft Targets Dig Softer Graves"
  • The Power of Music (2-CD various artist compilation) (2005)
    • Features the song "An Apathetic New World"

Videography

  • "These Colours Don't Run" music video from A Calculated Use of Sound (2003) streaming video from Bedlam Society
  • Orange and Grey DVD (2005)
    • Compilation DVD featuring live footage of Protest playing the songs "Silent Genocide", "These Colours Don’t Run", "Red Stars Over the Battle of the Cowshed", and "Fear and Loathing In Laramie"
  • "Blindfolds Aside" music video from Kezia (released Nov. 2005).
  • "Heretics and Killers" music video from Kezia (released Apr. 2006).
  • "The Divine Suicide of K." music video from Kezia (released July 2007)
  • "Bloodmeat" music video from Fortress (released Dec. 2007)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Dixon Christie (2006-10-30). "Protest the Hero Talks about their new album, Kezia!". Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  2. ^ "Protest the Hero's Fortress". 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  3. ^ "Protest the Hero at Purevolume". Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  4. ^ "Protest the Hero: Detained!". 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
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