Protest The Hero!

[surfreak]

Again I've culpably "discovered" another great band too late!

For some unknown reason I had never heard of Protest The Hero until a few months ago, when I walked into a guitar store, heard this amazingly technical metal music in the background and asked the zombie at the counter who the band was...

I think what sets them apart from other tech bands is their vocals, the singer can actually sing and has a great range, sort of everything James LaBrie wanted to be but couldn't.

OK, forget the Shorthills Mall lyrics, I guess NJ members know what I mean, pretentious yet still tacky, but the songwriting and musicianship are excellent.

Anyway, what do you think?

[toejam]

I like them, what little I've heard on the radio (WSOU). Though, the singer's voice is what bugs me a little. I'll take James LaBrie over him any day.

[horns666]

there's a difference between technical metal, ..and mathcore.

[Twitch]

Mathcore, tech metal, baroque metal, its all the same shit, it just gets rebranded every decade. Its still fuckin amazing to listen to and impossible to do unless youve forsaken your entire childhood and a lot of you early adulthood to practice. I love hearing people play shit on the guitar thats more suited for an orchestra or piano. Fuckin takes talent I dont have.

[Hellbat]

So many shredders spent so much time trying to play a scale 5bpm faster when they should have spent twice that time practicing using their vibrato as a feature of expression instead of just "Shake my finger on the string."

[horns666]

Twitch..yes there is a difference. My kid's friends worship PTTH and play just like them on their baritone / dropped 7 strings. I can ANY lick from their catalog with zero problem. Being technicle for technicle sake is getting old with me..it really is. Remember where you came from..keep it real.

The integrity of metal is upheld by new bands such as this for ex. For the prog/metal genre anywhoo..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRDa-xTfwg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aUU8oevTVI

BTW yes..I was teaching my kid and his freind the art of FEEL..vibrato..pitch!! Without that ..being technical (which they both are) don't mean shit.

[horns666]

That video was SHIT! I had to stop. Many bands covered that shit 1000 times better. Nobody will come close to ULI, Jason Becker, Gilbert with that shit man. That is a great example of what I'm talking about. Sure the kid has chops..no doubt. But he has the feel and sound of a wounded bee trapped in a Foldgers coffee can. He's TONE DEAF. They can shit tapping, sweeps and rythm chops all day...but their actual "solos" are absolutely painful to listen to.

But I'm glad kids are playing guitars and shit these days. When I joined the board nobody gave a shit. Kids wanted to scratch records instead of making them. The kids posted above should be encouraged..and showed what to do. Like I do with my kid and his band. My kid's bro posted a song on youtube The rythm is cool..played by both of them BUT the solo he recorded..awwwwwwww...man. Not good.

[TKEblue]

PTH is probably my favorite group tbh. Ive learned more of there songs then any other group. I like they're strange transitions and tempo. They're new album isn't my favorite but there's a few songs on it that im half ass working on learning.

[horns666]

Oh to the original PTH. Ummm they're OK. I don't hate them. All the kids around here love 'em. There is alot of bands that are doing that same kind of thing. It's too treandy for me.

I'm old school..or "true"..and elitist. If I want technical metal with harsh or varied vox. There is countless faves of mine including Symbosis, Aithiest, Cynic, Gory Blister, Nocturnus, Farmakon, Arsis, Sadus, Sadist, Biomechanical, Byzantine, Theory in Practice, and bands such as Hieronymus Bosch's '94 masterpiece "The Human Abstract".http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T1fv...eature=related.

I bands like HB came right out of the 80's and are not recognized nor acknowledged. Look at their hits ..and look at PTH hits. That says it all. Popularity equals credibility. NOT!

Sorry, you are what you eat. Life's too short to live on Big Macs..even tho they can be tasty from time to time. I live on METAL!

[horns666]

The REAL deal...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vh7K...reaL9wajOg2n_9

Mathcore wouldn't exist..and well can't hold a candle to the real thing. Its cool to love HTP..but don't invite them in my family. That party is closed...

Many remember me arguing with members here about "NU metal" being metal. NOPE, NOT, NEVER ..the song remains the same!

Trends have expiration dates...metal doesn't. Don't play what is popular. Being a responsible guitarist/musician is playing from your heart. Keep pushing your limits. If we don't, things will stay mundane.

If you want to discover the best technical music never heard before..start with King Crimson.

[TKEblue]

I wouldn't call them trendy. They weren't popular at all until one of their songs got on guitar hero, then they were still not that big even now they aren't that big. The first cd was my favorite, metal with some punk and a little 80s influence. What's trendy right now with kids is bands like for today who mix a lot of chugging with a few sweeps and then there's hundreds of "covers" of kids playing it on youtube thinking they're the shit.

Also, a lot of their songs are more technical then you might think and I remember an interview with Luke hoskins and timba saying they got a lot of their influence from Paul gilbert in racer x

[horns666]

Martians were influenced by Paul Gilbert. So, I'll listen to Racer X, and bands of that caliber.

Life is short. All filler ..no killer...or visa vera.

I posted those links on purpose. Check the thumbnails to your future favorite bands. Just click, stumble and get a surprise. The more you check..the more bands you will find.

But I talked to my son Vinny. He said PTH isn't that "trendy" amoung his click. Bands such as Emmure is the bottom of the barrel for him. Never heard of 'em..I'll just take his word, because I'm his daddy. I made him with my sperm.

[atomic charvel guy]

i got through 19 seconds, where is the song? i'm too old for this shit.

[Endrik]

The REAL deal...

...is a gentleman who did it all in the late 70's, just simplify the rhythms and add high gain guitars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYUWrE5DD0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyLxDlgKcKM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQR3xydPqw

[Endrik]

The REAL deal...

...is a gentleman who did it all in the late 70's, just simplify the rhythms and add high gain guitars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYUWrE5DD0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyLxDlgKcKM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQR3xydPqw