Scurrilous (album)

Untitled

Scurrilous is the third studio album by Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero. It was released on March 22, 2011 on Vagrant Records in the US and Underground Operations in Canada. The word Scurrilous is defined as "vulgar verbal abuse; foul-mouthed; coarse, vulgar, abusive, or slanderous."

Overview

Recording for Scurrilous began on August 30, 2010. Walker stated on his Twitter page on that day: "it has begun" and also on his Facebook page on the 31st that "It is underway", both in reference to the band's next full length album recording. During the recording process, Protest the Hero posted three studio updates showcasing bass, drums, guitar and vocals. The band has stated that the album will contain a more "progressive" sound compared to their last two albums.

In support of the album, Protest the Hero will embark on a North American tour, with a large number of dates in their native Canada, from March to May 2011.

The band released the first single "C'est La Vie" on February 3, 2011.

Cover art

The album cover is a 60-year-old painting by bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi's grandfather, Jafar Petgar, titled "Scurrilous". The painting was inspired by a disagreement between Petgar and his wife that stemmed from "conjecture and scurrilous lies" being spread by a neighbor. The painting is meant to represent the world fleeing from the lies originating from the human tongue. According to Mirabdolbaghi, the piece was selected by Protest the Hero as the cover art for Scurrilous because they, "thought the wide and varied use of color in the piece reflected the contrasting sonic landscapes of the music on the album."

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Decibel	(5/10)
Sputnikmusic	(4/5)
Voice Of Rock	(7/10)

Critical reception for Scurrilous has generally been positive, with the album receiving four out of five stars from Allmusic, who lauded the band for its shift towards more personal lyrics. Adam Thomas of Sputnikmusic found the album to be "a lot less jarring when compared to their past work, with the transitions between the light speed arpeggio runs, tight modern metal riffing, and mathy stop start sections seamlessly binding it all together." Lisa Burnell of Voice Of Rock thought that the album "strays away from the concept writing that has been most prevalent in their previous albums." However, Decibel magazine gave the album a five out of ten.

Track listing

All music written by Protest the Hero, all lyrics written by Rody Walker except where noted.

1. "C'est La Vie" (Arif Mirabdolbaghi) – 3:33
2. "Hair-Trigger" – 4:48
3. "Tandem" – 5:12
4. "Moonlight" (Mirabdolbaghi) – 4:48
5. "Tapestry" – 4:29
6. "Dunsel" – 4:52
7. "The Reign of Unending Terror" – 3:25
8. "Termites" – 3:56
9. "Tongue-Splitter" – 4:34
10. "Sex Tapes" (Mirabdolbaghi) – 4:41

Personnel

Protest the Hero

• Moe Carlson – drums
• Luke Hoskin – guitars
• Tim Millar – guitars, keys
• Arif Mirabdolbaghi – bass
• Rody Walker – vocals

Guest musicians

• Julius Butty – vocals
• Chris Hannah – vocals
• Porter Hoskin – vocals
• Jadea Kelly – vocals

Artwork and packaging

• Ben Goetting – design, layout
• Jafar Petgar – artwork

Production and recording

• Nick Blagona – engineering
• Marco Bressette – editing
• Julius "The Juice" Butty – engineering, production
• João Carvalho – mastering
• George Hadji-Christou – pre-production
• Jonny Harris – assistant engineering
• Andy Mack – guitar technician
• Darren "Jeter" Magierowski – assistant engineering
• Larry Mazer – management
• Cameron McLellan – pre-production
• Greg Pavlica – guitar technician
• Jeff Zurba – drum technician

External links

• Scurrilous album stream at Myspace Music
• Track-by-track from Rody Walker