January 2020 Feature Release - The Revolution Edition

The start of the New Year is upon us which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. Ben & I will certainly be contributing & we look forward to hearing your thoughts too.    

This month's feature release for The Revolution is the 2006 debut album from Canadian melodic metalcore outfit Protest The Hero entitled "Kezia". I know we have a few fans of the more melodic sounds here at Metal Academy so we thought we'd see what you think of this one.

I've always enjoyed Protest the Hero, so going back to their debut was a nice reminder of just how creative these guys were and still are. There's no one that sounds quite like them in the way each one of their songs is super fast, super technical, but still catchy and melodic at a base level. There's absolutely a method to the madness with these guys even though it wears on me pretty fast. They're just so tight and confident with how they transition seemingly at random to different rhythms and ideas that, although there is never really a cohesive flow to their music, it all somehow makes sense in the end. 

This debut is still some of the best stuff they've ever made, especially since they're already cramming so much into each song due to their style it's very hard for them to evolve past what they started with. I still really enjoyed their later albums like Pacific Myth and Volition, but Kezia just has that edge and confidence that certain debuts have that can never really be recaptured. I couldn't listen to this all the time as it does wear me down pretty fast, and there are certainly some goofy and unnecessary parts, but Protest the Hero is easily one of the few bands I genuinely like that falls into The Revolution. 

I got to see these guys live way back in the day when Kezia was brand spanking new and I was very pleased with what I heard. Later that week, I bought a copy of this album from my local HMV and spun it nonstop for weeks. This is metalcore with a ton of technical prowess from the entire ensemble, but not in the tech death or mathcore sense. These virtuoso's use their instrumental competence as a integral part of the music itself; that is to say, these songs have some genuine grooves and melodies, as well as some crushing metalcore parts.

In hindsight, this album still sounds great, but now stands in the shadows of the almighty Fortress, an album that pushed the boundaries as to what progressive hardcore could sound like. But this is certainly no slouch. Kezia stands out even today as one of the most unique sounding metalcore albums that I've heard. And, of course, Canadian content. We have a lot more than just Nickleback up here.

8/10

So I finally got around to giving "Kezia" a few spins last week & I have so say that I was very impressed. The melodic metalcore genre-tagging has certainly seen me steering clear of releases like this one over the years but perhaps it's time that I opened myself up to the subgenre a bit more because this is a quality release. In fairness, the predominant genre is progressive metal as far as I'm concerned & the musicianship & arrangements are nothing short of spectacular. I agree that the impact does wane a little as you progress through the tracklisting however there are no weak tracks on offer & Protest The Hero always keep things interesting by constantly changing things up. The clean vocal style is appealing & I really enjoy the use of vocal harmonies which remind me of progressive artists like Fates Warning even though Rody Walker's tone is more similar to Cedric Bixler-Zavala's from The Mars Volta. In fact, I have no doubt that The Mars Volta were a influence here along with your more clinical progressive metal artists like Dream Theater. You can probably draw comparisons with Between The Buried & Me only with a stronger melodic component & a bit more of a punk feel to the up-tempo drumming & some of the singalong choruses. The performances & execution are next level & fans of Jinjer, ERRA & Mutiny Within should be all over this.

4/5

Wow, I totally forgot about this album being the January 2020 Feature Release. Well it's been a long time like 6 months, and I've only starting listen to this band in April. Anyway, here's my review summary:

When making a debut studio album, there are some things you need to think about deciding; the feel for the album, the central themes, and each song's style. Give them all some time so you can let the album grow and glow without forcing the beauty. That's exactly what Protest the Hero did! After playing some Happy Go Lucky punk rock, they decided to brainstorm an album and story to compose that's far different, and that took them 2 years. 2 YEARS!! A long time for a 10-song album! However, that's what makes some albums the best, by taking the longest time. Alongside that and their more progressive sound, Kezia is not just an album but also a story, which is what concept albums are, right? It has everything you need for a story; interesting characters, plot twists, and poetic language. There are 3 parts of the story, and each part is in the perspective of a different character with their view in the story. We barely know anything about those characters when we start the story, but as the twisted tale goes on, we learn much more about them song after song. As the story goes on, you get some of the greatest progressive metalcore ranging from chaotic to melodic, and each act is more epic than the last. With all that said, I can absolutely declare that Kezia is one of the greatest progressive metalcore albums I've ever heard. Protest The Hero are some of both the most talented musicians and the most amazing storytellers, greater than most other albums I've heard and stories I've read. I would recommend this album to any music listener and story reader out there. Thank you, Protest the Hero, for this grand-masterpiece. Not to sound like I'm in love with someone, but... I love you, Kezia!

5/5