By Taylor Younani
March 18th 2014, House Of Blues, Anaheim CA: Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero made their way to Anaheim’s House of Blues located in the heart of Downtown Disney for what was sure to be an excellent night of metal. It was clear to me from the second that I arrived at the venue that everyone was in high spirits. Between being able to walk around Downtown Disney before the show or have a beer on the outdoor patio and listen to street musicians cover classic Otis Redding tunes; very few things could have ruined my excitement.
The first band I got to see was Intervals, a previously instrumental project that as of this past year added new members to the ranks thus making Intervals a full time touring band. Rather than maintaining a strictly instrumental project, the band recently recruited former HAARP Machine vocalist Mike Semensky to the group and just a few weeks ago released their first full-length album. Having been a fan of Intervals for some time now, I was eager to hear how well the vocals went over with the audience considering the fact that many people have expressed concerns that the vocals might take away from some of Aaron Marshall’s lead guitar work. As the band begun their performance, one thing became instantly clear to me and everyone else in the room: Aaron Marshall owns his guitar and demands your attention. His stage presence is energetic and refreshing, and with the help of the other members, including drum power house Anup Sastry, Intervals put on a really fantastic show. I’m not sure how keen I am on vocals being added to previously instrumental songs (the lyrics felt a bit forced or rushed), but their new material was performed extremely well and left me wanting more.
Visit Intervals on the web:
facebook.com/IntervalsMusic
twitter.com/IntervalsMusic
instagram.com/IntervalsMusic
The next band to take the stage came to us from across the pond. The Safety Fire, another prog-metal band that has quickly become a popular name, put on an excellent show when they opened for Between the Buried and Me last fall. With two full-length albums under their belts, it is clear that these British youngsters are chock full of raw talent. Each member of the group plays their instrument flawlessly, and considering the complexity of their songs, I would say that’s a pretty impressive feat. Beginning the set with their single “Red Hatchet” from their latest album “Mouth of Swords,” the crowd was immediately bobbing their heads to the grooves TSF was dishing out. There are very few vocalists from this latest wave of progressive metal that I hold in high esteem, and Sean McWeeney is one of them. His vocal range is absolutely phenomenal, and the soft breaks in the songs are the perfect forum for, as my girlfriend put it, his “silky smooth voice.” Their set included “Beware the Leopard,” a song that features Between the Buried and Me’s Tommy Rogers. Although Rogers was not present to do the cameo, the band had a track of his voice playing alongside and it sounded just as powerful as if he were in the room. With Tommy and Sean’s voices dueling, I have to say I was just blown away. The Safety Fire is definitely a band to keep on your radar; not only have they released two full-length albums in the past two years, but they are all relatively young guys who have plenty more creative ideas to bring to fruition.
Visit The Safety Fire on the web:
TheSafetyFire.com
facebook.com/TheSafetyFire
twitter.com/TheSafetyFire
instagram.com/TheSafetyFire
The mighty Battlecross took to the stage following a brief break, and when they were playing I am sure that all of Disneyland was able to hear it. Hailing all the way from Michigan, Battlecross performs thrash-inspired melodic death metal in a similar vein as Skeletonwitch. While I am not familiar with their music, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed their performance. For the first time that night, the standing-room floor opened up and massive circle pits ensued. The vocalist’s performance was out of this world; his highs were ear piercing and his gutturals were the perfect compliment. Although I don’t really listen to the type of metal Battlecross puts out anymore, I would definitely be down to check out more of their work and see them the next time they are in town. If you need your daily dose of shredding, speed, and pure metal, Battlecross is your band.
Visit Battlecross on the web:
BattlecrossMetal.com
facebook.com/BattlecrossMetal
twitter.com/Battlecross
instagram.com/BattlecrossMetal
Finally the moment had come when Protest the Hero made their way onto the stage. I started listening to this band in 2006, and the last time I had the pleasure of seeing them was when they headlined the Troubadour about 3 years ago with Tesseract opening for them. Their most recent album ‘Volition’ absolutely floored me when it was released, and I was so unbelievably stoked to have the opportunity to see their newest music come to life. The set was initiated by “Hair-Trigger”, a song from their previous album “Scurrilous,” which just so happens to be a personal favorite of mine. I immediately noticed that bass player Arif was missing, and the addition of their newest drummer behind the kit. Needless to say, the new drummer and touring bassist blended in seamlessly and performed just as flawlessly as the studio tracks. Lead guitarists Time and Luke have over a decade of experience playing with one another, and their cohesion is obvious in their live performance. Anyone that listens to Protest the Hero is aware of how complex their songs are, not just technically, but also structurally, and somehow the two of them manage to play each song without missing a note. Very few bands that I see live leave me speechless by their performance, but Protest the Hero manage to do just that. Lead vocalist Rody Walker absolutely slayed it. His vocal range is unparalleled and his energy really tells me that he loves doing what he does; not to mention the fact that the man is hilarious. Rody’s banter in between songs taught me a few things: ‘Mexican Bulldogs’ get you drunk, his name is pronounced roadie, and if you talk about video games enough, someone from the audience will give you their Game Boy (this actually happened). Although we only heard a few tracks off the latest album, their set list was incredibly well-rounded and covered all of the bands releases since their first album nearly 10 years ago. The crowd really seemed to enjoy themselves, and not a person in sight could stop themselves from singing along to the lyrics. This performance was such a refreshing reminder of why Protest the Hero is one of my favorite bands, and I think everyone in attendance would agree.
Visit Protest The Hero on the web:
ProtestTheHero.ca
facebook.com/ProtestTheHero
twitter.com/ProtestTheHero
instagram.com/ProtestTheHero
Visit House of Blues Anaheim on the web:
facebook.com/HOBAnaheim
twitter.com/HOBAnaheim
instagram.com/HOBAnaheim
Protest The Hero Remaining Tour Dates:
Fri/Mar 21 – Lubbock TX – Jakes Backroom *
Sat/Mar 22 – Austin TX – Red 7 *
Sun/Mar 23 – Little Rock AR – Juanitas *
Mon/Mar 24 – Baton Rouge LA – Varsity Theater *
Wed/Mar 26 – Tampa FL – State Theater *
Thu/Mar 27 – Ft. Lauderdale FL – Culture Room *
Fri/Mar 28 – Jacksonville FL – Jack Rabbits *
Sat/Mar 29 – Wilmington NC – Ziggys By The Sea *
Sun/Mar 30 – Raleigh NC – Lincoln Theater *
Tue/Apr 1 – Charlotte NC – Tremont Music Hall *
Wed/Apr 2 – Washington DC – Rock And Roll Hotel *
Thu/Apr 3 – Hartford CT – Webster Theater *
Fri/Apr 4 – Rochester NY – Montage Music Hall *
Sat/Apr 5 – Cambridge MA – The Middle East (Downstairs) *
Sun/Apr 6 – Amityville NY – Revolution *
Tues/Apr 8 – Moncton, NB – The OC Nightclub +
Wed/ Apr 9 – Halifax, NS – The Pavilion +
Thu/ Apr 10 – Halifax, NS – The Marquee +
Fri/ Apr 11 – Fredericton, NB – Lava Vodka Bar +
Sat/ Apr 12 – Quebec City, QC – Dagobert +
Mon/ Apr 14 – Laval, QC – Studio Theatre +
Tues/ Apr 15 – Cornwall, ON – Vu Night Spot +
Wed/ Apr 16 – St. Catharines, ON – Michun Nightclub +
Thurs/ Apr 17 – London, ON – London Music Hall +
Fri/ Apr 18 – Windsor, ON – The Dominion House +
Sat/ Apr 19 – Guelph, ON – Vinyl +
* = w/ Battlecross, The Safety Fire & Intervals
+ = w/ Intervals & Motorleague