HEAVY T.O. 2012: Protest The Hero

I was fortunate enough to hit up the 2011 edition of HEAVY T.O. and even purchased the tickets before the band were announced.  For some reason, I had a feeling it was going to be a good year :-)

Now, for these articles, I usually throw around some opinions and constructive criticisms.  I'm going to keep all feelings aside and just report on some need to know facts about these bands to make your experience at the festival a little more enjoyable.  If you know of someone going to the festival, pass the articles along and get them just as stoked as we are!  For today, AFGM brings you PROTEST THE HERO!

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I think their Facebook bio is probably one of the most amusing one's I have seen to date... 


"Hi, I'm Protest The Hero. I've been alive for 20 years now, and I finally have my own kitchen. I'm very excited about this, and generally excited by anything else that falls into the 'cute' or 'cozy' categories. I learned to play guitar when I was twelve from this guy named Ronnie who came over to fix my parents' computer. I like quilts. But that's probably because I'm always freezing cold. I LOVE Nashville. That's where I live, when I'm lucky enough to be there. I love the town so much, I sometimes feel like I should just roll the windows down in my car (nicknamed the Toyoat. Because it's a Toyota) and scream 'I LOVE THIS TOWN' loudly out the windows. That wouldn't be weird, right? Every time I try and wink at someone, I mess it up and end up scaring people. My lucky number always has been and always will be 13. It pops up in front of me in the most obvious and undeniable ways, but only when something good is about to happen. I'm a Sagittarius. I think that means I'm always looking for something new. It also means I have a Christmas-themed birthday party every year. I love bright colors and things that make reality seem more whimsical than it is. I have a collection of ribbons and headbands, and I love them all the same. I over-think and over-plan and over-organize. I've been like this since I was a baby, before I was gigantically tall and over-talkative.

(Photo taken by...)

Hailing from Whitby, Ontario (Canada), Protest the Hero consists of:

Moe Carlson – Drums | Luke Hoskin – Guitars | Tim Millar – Guitars, Keys | Arif Mirabdolbaghi – Bass | Rody Walker – Vocals

These days, I've been trying to classify my thoughts into two categories: 'Things I can change,' and 'Things I can't.' It seems to help me sort through what to really stress about. But there I go again, over-planning and over-organizing my over-thinking! I write songs about my adventures and misadventures, most of which concern love. Love is a tricky business. But if it wasn't, I wouldn't be so enthralled with it. Lately I've come to a wonderful realization that makes me even more fascinated by it: I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to love. No one does! There's no pattern to it, except that it happens to all of us, of course. I can't plan for it. I can't predict how it'll end up. Because love is unpredictable and it's frustrating and it's tragic and it's beautiful. And even though there's no way to feel like I'm an expert at it, it's worth writing songs about -- more than anything else I've ever experienced in my life. I've apparently been the victim of growing up, which apparently happens to all of us at one point or another. It's been going on for quite some time now, without me knowing it. I've found that growing up can mean a lot of things. For me, it doesn't mean I should become somebody completely new and stop loving the things I used to love. It means I've just added more things to my list. Like for example, I'm still beyond obsessed with the winter season and I still start putting up strings of lights in September. I still love sparkles and grocery shopping and really old cats that are only nice to you half the time. I still love writing in my journal and wearing dresses all the time and staring at chandeliers. But some new things I've fallen in love with -- mismatched everything. Mismatched chairs, mismatched colors, mismatched personalities. I love spraying perfumes I used to wear when I was in high school. It brings me back to the days of trying to get a close parking spot at school, trying to get noticed by soccer players, and trying to figure out how to avoid doing or saying anything uncool, and wishing every minute of every day that one day maybe I'd get a chance to win a Grammy. Or something crazy and out of reach like that. ;)

I love old buildings with the paint chipping off the walls and my dad's stories about college. I love the freedom of living alone, but I also love things that make me feel seven again. Back then naivety was the norm and skepticism was a foreign language, and I just think every once in a while you need fries and a chocolate milkshake and your mom. I love picking up a cookbook and closing my eyes and opening it to a random page, then attempting to make that recipe. I've loved my fans from the very first day, but they've said things and done things recently that make me feel like they're my friends -- more now than ever before. I'll never go a day without thinking about our memories together. For the last three years, I've been writing and recording an album yet to be titled. I only have the option of writing about things that happen in my life, so thankfully a LOT has happened in my life in the last two years. I know I don't always say the right thing at the right time or speak up when I should, but I write it all down. I get my guitar and a pen and all of a sudden, I have a chance to say exactly what I meant to say in real life. Some of the things I wrote about are things everyone saw me go through. Some of the things I wrote about are things nobody ever knew about. I'm beyond excited for you to hear these stories and confessions. I think it's important that you know that I will never change. But I'll never stay the same either. Must be a Sagittarius thing. I'm pretty stoked that you read this whole thing. I commend you for that. This was ridiculously long, and you probably have other stuff you could've done in the last four minutes. So to you, or anyone else who has spent four minutes on me in some way-- listening to just one song, or watching one of my videos….Thank you. I love you like I love sparkles and having the last word. And that's real love." -Protest The Hero

(Photo by Maru Tristán)

OK, now that we've had a good chuckle, let's take a look at some history on these guys (thanks Wiki!)...

The band started as Happy Go Lucky in 2001 and, shortly after, they recorded a 3-track demo (containing the songs 'I Detest', 'The 5th Commandment' and 'Just Defy'). In 2002 they changed their name to Protest the Hero and released their first EP, Search for the Truth 7" vinyl, which included only two songs. They were included too in the compilation (Coles) Notes from the Underground that same year. Luke Hoskin stated on his Formspring page that Search for the Truth was recorded when they were 13 years old. The day that the band members finished their senior finals, they went on a three-week 'Rock the Vote' tour from Toronto to Halifax to garner recognition and raise awareness for the upcoming Canadian election.

In 2004 the band won the Canadian Independent Music Award for Favourite Metal Artist/Group, beating out the better-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 nominated for the CASBY Award. In addition, members of the band appeared in a televised commercial for the musical 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.

(Photo taken by Jeffrey Chan for NXNE 2012)

A music video for their song 'These Colours Don't Run', from the EP '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, with the album music dubbed over the actual live recording. 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', 'Palms Read', 'Spoils', 'Sequoia Throne' and 'Limb from Limb' from Fortress. The video for 'Heretics and Killers' received airplay on MTV2 and FUSE, partially because of the interesting premise of the video: the band play the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz who work odd jobs after The Wicked Witch is killed. 




At the 2009 Golden God Awards, Protest the Hero won best Viral Video. The video features Rody, Luke, and Tim doing a dance on the side of a road when their van broke down.

Protest the Hero played Fortress from start to finish from November 20 to December 23. This stretch marked the last of the band's shows for a while as they took the first part of 2010 to work on a new album, which was to feature a more progressive sound. The band officially began recording on August 30, 2010. On December 15, 2010, Walker posted a video indicating the completion of work on the third album. The new album is titled 'Scurrilous' and was released March 22, 2011.

1. C'est la Vie
2. Hair-Trigger
3. Tandem
4. Moonlight
5. Tapestry
6. Dunsel
7. The Reign of Unending Terror
8. Termites
9. Tongue-Splitter
10. Sex Tapes



The reviews for their latest album "Scurrilous" have been well received by some notable review sites.  Even after composing this article I read the reviews and now want to take another listen to this album to see the progression as a band.  I think the last album I picked up from these guys was either "Kezia" or "Fortress" (can't remember, going to have to check the collection at home).  Needless to say those album mighty impressive so I can only assume that it has gotten better with age.  Anyways, on to some reviews from "Scurrilous":

"Vocalist Rody Walker's contributions to Scurrilous, on the other hand, completely embody the flippant nature of the band shown in their videos. While all the lyrics on past albums were penned by bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi, this time around they are mostly Rody's brain child, giving him the chance to not only take things in a new, more sarcastic, direction for the band, but also to explore his own sense of melody. For Scurrilous he has discarded his oft used scream in favor of his semi-operatic falsetto, a choice that may irk those that loved the vocal spazz outs like those found on 'Bloodmeat', but in using clean vocals it helps add to the cohesive feel of the album. Lyrically, there's nothing about jailed women or pagan worship here, instead it's a glimpse into the world through Rody's eyes. Think of it like the film Being John Malkovich but instead of being in the head of a mid level Hollywood actor, you're in the head of a quick witted, cynical, and sarcastic mid-20 something. 

All in all, Scurrilous succeeds at all levels. It takes the tediousness out of technicality, and injects more hooks than a tackle box into the Protest the Hero formula. Truth be told, it's getting a bit ridiculous how they're able to consistently be this damn good." -Sputnik Music

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"Canadian progressive/post-hardcore/punk/thrash metal outfit Protest the Hero's third studio album ditched the keyboards and strings that peppered 2008’s critically acclaimed Fortress. Stripped down, punishing, and more aloof than the two previous albums, the lack of any unifying theme makes Scurrilous a less inclusive outing, though the quintet’s penchant for crafting impossibly precise breakdowns, staccato leads, and unpredictable melodies is far from diminished. This shift from fantasy to the personal feels right for a band whose members are hitting their mid-twenties, and vocalist/lyricist Rody Walker, freed from any kind of conceptual framework, offers up some gems here, touching on everything from cancer ('Tandem') and mental illness ('Tongue Splitter') to cigarette addiction ('Hair-Trigger') and life on the road ('Moonlight'), but it’s Scurrilous' divisive closing track that feels the most evolved. 'Sex Tapes,' a fiery and ferocious cautionary tale of sex in the digital age, that manages to work in both the Jonas Brothers and a melody cribbed from Sergei Rachmaninoff, skillfully walks the line between emo parody and powerful social commentary, and while it may not be what fans looking for more Coheed and Cambria-meets-Iron Maiden mysticism were expecting (there is still some of that, specifically on the excellent 'Termites'), like the rest of Scurrilous, it’s hard to argue with its execution and conviction." -All Music

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(Photo taken by Andrew King)

"The album does deliver on an instrumental level, though. You can now breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone who has ever heard a Protest the Hero song will know the talent these guys have, and they certainly didn’t dumb down this aspect of the music. The guitar work is quite phenomenal as always, being technically proficient without turning the whole album into self-indulgent wank. There’s some interesting ideas going on, most memorably the use of bass harmonics in 'Dunsel' and a bigger reliance on guitar lines as hooks, making up for lost vocal delivery. 

Despite the harsh criticisms, Scurrilous is by no means a bad album. In fact, after repeated listens, the album is actually pretty damn good—but speaking as a Protest the Hero fan and knowing the level of quality that the band is capable of, Scurrilous is missing a bit of charm. It’s admittedly a bit unfair to hold Protest the Hero to some nearly impossible standard, and once it has had time to settle in, Scurrilous is a great album despite the shaky grounds that it’s standing on. Here’s hoping that we don’t start seeing a trend…" -Heavy Blog Is Heavy

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"Scurrilous is something new. It is the sound the band has slowly matured into over these last 6 years. Is it a drastic change from what they’ve done? No. Has it progressed? Definitely. And even though the sound has grown, this album sees some remnants of previous works. 'Tapestry' contains a 'Bloodmeat' (from Fortress) vocal delivery and 'Hair-Trigger' (my personal favorite song) contains fabulous guest vocals from Jadea Kelly who was the voice of Kezia in songs like 'The Divine Suicide Of K.' (on Kezia).

I highly recommend this album to everyone who like anything on the heavier side. If screaming is not your thing, then don’t be wary. The screamed vocals are few and far between on Scurrilous, which is truthfully my biggest complaint about the album. I always thought the balance between Walker’s growls and melodic singing was perfect. Regardless of this small complaint, I have fallen in love with Scurrilous and I cannot wait to see what Protest The Hero manages to construct next, because I firmly believe this band can do no wrong." -The Review Spider

*PROTEST THE HERO WILL BE PERFORMING ON SATURDAY (THE 11TH) THE JAGERMEISTER WEST STAGE FROM 13:40-14:15*