Protest the Hero started out when the guys were in high school. They burst on the scene with Kezia, a shockingly excellent “situational requiem”—fancy words for “concept album.” That album told the story of a female prisoner’s execution from the perspective of the guard, the priest and the deathrow inmate herself.

The release of their latest record Fortress took the band to the next level artistically and commercially, legitimizing Protest the Hero as a force in the progressive metal scene. And Rody Walker, their lead singer, is quite happy the band is no longer seen as a cute teens-do-good ‘novelty act like the Moffats.’

When I sat down to talk with Rody, his trademark caustic wit and self-deprecating humour were still very much present with quips about chlamydia and his proposal to a certain MuchMusic personality. However, Walker also showed a more serious side, talking about the pressures to conform to genre and market expectations, and about the other metal bands that have done it right.

Yeah, yeah. Protest the Hero are pretty much a MuchMusic band these days, but they are always a blast to hang around. And they do a decent job of blending together different metal genres, making accessible and enjoyable tracks.

For some reason bloggers tend to stay away from heavier bands. I am not sure why this is, but this week and next I will feature some cool heavier bands, before we get back to the indie hipster bands that make us all swoon.

Protest the Hero on the interview show

Protest the Hero – Bloodmeat

Protest the Hero – Sequoia Throne