Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 5.5
Production: 6.5
Originality: 3.0
Tracklisting
2. Heretics & Killers
3. Divinity Within
4. Bury the Hatchet
5. Nautical
6. Blindfolds Aside
7. She Who Mars the Skin of Gods
8. Turn Soonest to the Sea
9. The Divine Suicide of K.
10. A Plateful of Our Dead
Just when you thought the hardcore scene was dying, you realized that thought was right. It is a dying scene, or already dead scene, with a bunch of bands recycling other bands' sounds, who recycled other bands' sounds, and so on and so on. It seems that every new band that steps in to the emo/hardcore arena is just pulling out not-so-fresh punches to deliver to the audience. So, what does a band like Protest the Hero offer to the table? Nothing new really, since they thrive heavily on their metal riffs and screams. But what makes me not bow my head in shame at a band like Protest the Hero is their ability to write decent lyrics and have an interesting concept for the album. It seems to be about a young woman named Kezia who is executed for reasons unknown and her story is told in a 'Rashomon' sort of fashion by three different people. It is this concept, and this concept alone which BARELY keeps them afloat in an ocean of heavy metal sounds, piercing screams, and sweat.
The album begins with "No Stars Over Bethlehem" which sounds like a b-side cut by either Avenged Sevenfold or The Bled, but does offer up some rather interesting lyrics, "Cut the sinner, bleed redemption through the city streets that resonate in prayers of this never should be, someone plunged a dagger deep into God's chest and when he groaned it laid our entire civilization to rest".
"Heretics and Killers" offers up a bouncy metal tune that, surprise, doesn't discern itself from any of the other tracks on the album. Same goes for "Divinity Within", but this one offers up a chorus that'll have the crowds at a Protest the Hero show belting out, "Textbook! Of a crying, lieing, dieing history!" It makes me cringe.
Now I did lie when I said all of the songs sound the same because once you've heard similar metal riffs ring through your head like a church bell in your speakers, you tend to forget the most interesting track on the entire album. "Turn Soonest to the Sea" really sneaks up on you with its all acoustic track that throws in a melody that you might find on any British folk album of the 60's and 70's; but that is most certainly welcome and shows that the listener isn't dealing with your ordinary bunch of metalheads.
Even though "Kezia" is the perfect example of a dried up creekbed, it should still keep the average emocore listener content for at least a month. But me personally, I hope the next hardcore/emo album I hear actually impresses me with its freshness and originality, because Protest the Hero sure didn't have that happen for me. Although, the day this happens will be also be the day George Bush can correctly pronounce nuclear.