Protest The Hero – Kezia

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Vagrant Records
Produced by Julius Butty

It’s probably not fair for five Canadian 19-year-olds to make an album this intelligent and this complex. This is the sort of thing that takes years to mature into, but Protest The Hero have spent two years making what is a essentially a concept album, and delivered it in a rather unique way.

To me, the mix of angsty teenage singing opposite a Max Cavalera style voice is sometimes jarring and often it seems that in an attempt to have a trendy and modern vocal approach that will appeal to the mini-moshers and metal posers of the World, Protest The Hero have unfortunately not made the most of some monstrously good metal riffs and equally good lead guitar playing. The lead breaks underpinning the vocals on Heretics & Killers, for example, before the solo are excellent. Again on Blindfolds Aside vocalist Rody Walker shows he has a good voice, but the delivery is far to fingers-to-the-temple-angst. You won’t hear a more exquisite solo all year, however.

If Shadows Fall or Lamb of God were teenage bands this is what you’d get. Some of the best lead guitar around in young bands at the moment, some of the most accomplished song structures and some of the most mature content, but they sound like they’re trying too hard to appeal to the young (HIM fans, and the like), who, let’s face it, probably won’t understand what’s going on anyway. This is a band with a huge future, once they leave the fair-weather fans behind and really start making some metal.

“ accomplished ”

Tracklist: No Stars Over Bethlehem / Heretics & Killers / Divinity Within / Bury The Hatchet / Nautical / Blindfolds Aside / She Who Mars The Skin of Gods / Turn Soonest To The Sea / The Divine Suicide of K. / A Plateful of Our Dead

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Alternative, Heavy Metal (Extreme Vocals), Protest The Hero