Protest The Hero - 'Kezia' (Vagrant) Released 29/05/06

Protest The Hero's first album offering looks to be functioning on the theory that if it worked for Green Day, then by heck it will work for us too. Just like 'American Idiot', 'Kezia' is a concept album telling the story of a young woman who has been executed from the prospective of three characters; the woman herself, the prison priest and the prison guard with each being assigned three songs and the final contribution forming a sole retrospective of it all.  All sounds nice and simple doesn't it - wrong.  Factor some thrashing riffs, drum beats that are trying to break the speed boundary and guitars that wail and rage against angry angst driven vocals and you start to get the real concept for 'Kezia'. Yes, the Canadian quintet are Bill and Ted's wet dream.

Oblivious to the concept of slow and steady, Protest The Hero unleash a juggernaut of thrash metal which relentlessly charges through the entire album without pausing for breath.  Mixing metal with a healthy helping of thrash and just a hint of emo, Protest The Hero perfectly blend screamo with melodic harmonies and just the right amount of hardcore.

Protest The Hero are in many ways technically beyond their 19 years. Bravely creating a concept album as their debut, 'Kezia' contains the musical craftsmanship of a seasoned player.  Intricate guitar riffs ad harmonic vocals aside, Protest The Hero offer up surprise nuggets also. The inclusion of a piano solo on ‘Divinity Within’ is added almost as an after thought that is either an act of genius or naivety – the jury is still out.  Meanwhile, ‘A Plateful Of Our Dead’ goes entirely against the ethos of the album by gently winding it down, offering a fitting ending.  With the near on impossible task of trying to stand out amongst a crowd of similar sounding metal bands, Protest The Hero have managed to create an album that is unique, that does offer something no one else is putting forward and should definitely get them noticed.