Fortress (Protest the Hero album)

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Fortress
Studio album by Protest the Hero
Released	January 29, 2008
Recorded	Summer 2007 Hamilton, Ontario
Genre	Progressive metal[1][2][3], Metalcore[2][4]
Length	41:10
Label	Canada: Underground Operations USA: Vagrant Records
Producer	Julius "Juice" Butty
Professional reviews
AbsolutePunk.net (82%) link All Music Guide link Alternative Press link Metacritic (86%) link NOW Magazine link The Onion (A) link
Protest the Hero chronology
Kezia (2005) Fortress (2008)
Singles from Fortress
"Bloodmeat" Released: December 12, 2007 (Canadian release only) "Sequoia Throne" Released: April 25, 2008

Fortress is the sophomore studio album by Canadian band Protest the Hero that was released on January 29, 2008 on Vagrant Records in the US and Underground Operations in Canada.

[edit] Details

Fortress was recorded at Silo Studios in Hamilton, Ontario during the summer of 2007.^[5] The album contains 10 tracks broken into three movements, and is approximately 41 minutes in length. The band has stated that the sound is similar to Kezia but with a "less poppy and more technical metal" influence. Fortress does not revolve around a single concept, unlike their previous album. Instead, it is more akin to "goddess worship in the tradition of Robert Graves," according to their bassist and lyricist Arif Mirabdolbaghi ^[6]:

"It has to do with goddess worship, and how there has been this degendering of the Lord and Savior, and the suppressed feminine. A lot of it is based in Genghis Khan and old Irish Mythology, about the rise and fall of the Goddess of the forest. [The theme] can be more appreciated by more people. If I had to reduce it to its simplest form, the concept is about the re-emerging of goddess worship and the erosion of faith in scientific process." ^[7]

Also, states lead singer Rody Walker:

"This album is nothing to be intellectualized. All talk of wonder, pathos and optimism (blindfolded) aside (hink). I feel it’s a very natural progression for us. A natural progression into further obscurity. I am of the belief a lot of the people who work for us were hoping for a stab at a more commercially viable album, however we wrote what we wanted without linear boundaries and created something less commercial than ever. Some fans of the band will hate it. And some people who hate the band will love it. All others can rot."^[8]

[edit] Singles

In January, a music video was shot for the song "Bloodmeat" ^[9], which is available at MuchMusic. As of December 11, "Bloodmeat" is available for download on the Canadian iTunes Music Store. Additionally, the band released the song "Sequoia Throne" on their MySpace page audio player, but was later replaced with "Bloodmeat".

A music video for the song "Sequoia Throne" was filmed and released in April, and is also available on the MuchMusic website.

[edit] Track listing

On Conquest and Capture

1. "Bloodmeat" - 3:54
2. "The Dissentience" - 4:23
3. "Bone Marrow" - 5:30

(Untitled)

4. "Sequoia Throne" - 3:11
5. "Palms Read" - 5:06
6. "Limb from Limb" - 4:22
7. "Spoils" - 3:43

Isosceles

8. "Wretch" - 4:12
9. "Goddess Bound" - 3:35
10. "Goddess Gagged" - 3:14

[edit] iTunes Store track listing

• When purchased in Deluxe Edition, it comes with the entire album as instrumental songs.

1. "Bloodmeat" - 3:55
2. "The Dissentience" - 4:23
3. "Bone Marrow" - 4:35
4. "(On Conquest and Capture)" - 0:55
5. "Sequoia Throne" - 3:11
6. "Palms Read" - 3:44
7. "(Limb From Limb, Part 1)" - 1:22
8. "Limb From Limb" - 4:22
9. "Spoils" - 2:59
10. "(Isosceles)" - 0:44
11. "Wretch" - 4:11
12. "Goddess Bound" - 3:36
13. "Goddess Gagged" - 3:14

Note: Tracks 4,7 and 10 are not exclusive songs to the itunes track listing, they are simply parts of the songs cut into different tracks, those being "Bone Marrow", "Palms Read" and "Spoils", respectively.

[edit] Trivia

• The keyboard solo on the track "Limb From Limb" is provided by Vadim Pruzhanov of DragonForce.^[2]
• A hidden track consisting of a piano instrumental played by guitarist Luke Hoskin, based on a chord progression of the track "Bone Marrow", can be found by rewinding the CD from the first track "Bloodmeat".
• A short audio sample from the end of "Sequoia Throne" features the line I went into the woods and I cried. This is from musician Tom T. Hall's song "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died". Another audio clip can be heard after "Palms Read", where a voice says Two minutes, and then the lads are in for a surprise. There is another after "Wretch", where one hears You wanna see the Galaxy?, which is a quote from the movie Starship Troopers.
• The album cover was designed by Sons of Nero, a graphic design and illustration company that creates artwork for many music albums. The cover is a depiction of the Irish goddess Flidais (who is mentioned in the track "Limb from Limb").^[10]
• This is the first album by the band that includes bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi playing 5-string bass.
• In the acknowledgements section of the lyrics booklet, listed are Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Eric Matthews, who are characters in the Saw series of films.

[edit] Personnel

• Rody Walker - vocals
• Luke Hoskin - guitar, piano
• Tim Millar - guitar
• Arif Mirabdolbaghi - bass, vocals
• Moe Carlson - drums
• Vadim Pruzhanov (Dragonforce) - keyboard solo on "Limb From Limb"
• Dan Fila - Additional percussion
• Julius "Juice" Butty - Producer
• Mark Spicoluk - Executive producer

[edit] Charts

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fortress at Metacritic