Casavir
User

Reviews 5
Approval 100%

Soundoffs 10
Album Ratings 2344
Objectivity 78%

Last Active 09-15-21 4:33 am
Joined 01-31-18

Review Comments 5,645

 Lists
01.10.19 Road to 150010.12.18 Obscure Prog Metal Recommendations
06.26.18 Protest the Hero Ranked ♦05.05.18 The Mars Volta Ranked
04.20.18 Deathspell Omega Ranked04.12.18 Megadeth Ranked
04.10.18 Pantera Ranked04.01.18 Albums from Childhood
03.04.18 Essential Japanese Metal Bands02.19.18 Dark Moor Ranked
02.07.18 Iron Maiden Ranked02.02.18 Best Metal Albums of 1988

Protest the Hero Ranked

After being put off by Fortress when I was much younger, I decided to come back to this band's discography with a new perspective and see what has changed. A lot has and I'm actually kind of glad I gave them another chance.
1Protest the Hero
Scurrilous

This album came as a rather massive surprise to me considering how many I've heard consider it the band's weakest release. In contrast to the much more lauded Fortress, the songwriting is a lot tighter with an increased focus on writing better riffs with more tightly intricate rhythm patterns which is signified by Arif's now much clearer bass playing throughout due to the improved production. The lead playing is also far better integrated and less contrived while featuring the same (if not an increased) level of complexity as the preceding albums with some genuinely impressive and well-composed sections on the latter half of the album that shine due to the greater consistency, handling tempo changes and inclusion of multiple ideas on individual tracks with far more grace and intelligence than before. Moe's drumming isn't quite as frantic on this but the band makes up for it by featuring an astonishing improvement in Rody's vocals. Not a conceptual album but their best still.
2Protest the Hero
Kezia

This also came as a surprise and pretty much matches Scurrilous tit for tat in many areas which puts both of them at a 4. Awesome debut.
3Protest the Hero
Fortress

So, I listened to both the instrumental and vocal versions of this thing and neither impress me as much as the one above. I get that this is meant to be a concept album but in comparison to Kezia, it's nowhere near as engaging with the instrumentation feeling comparatively scattershot with less in the way of memorable composition. This is really exacerbated by the amount of work in progressive metal that was also released in 2007 that are really leagues ahead of Fortress when it comes to the integration of varying integration, compelling composition and lyrical concepts. In short, it's good enough but not so impressive that it can be considered a standout release when it often lacks direction and languishes in aimlessness. I'd give it a 3 overall.
4Protest the Hero
Volition

Protest the Hero on autopilot. It's a pretty average release that just fails to stand out much and doesn't even possess some of the qualities that I found interesting and worthwhile on albums like Fortress.
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