Volition can essentially be thought of as a "best of" album for Protest the Hero album. The grand scope of Keizia, the relentless chaos and brutality of Fortress and the beautiful melodies of Scurrilous are combined into one glorious package on Volition. These elements come together so organically and in typical Protest the Hero fashion, change drastically on a whim with spectacular results. One of the many examples of these different sides converging into one is the second track of the album "Drumhead Trial". "Drumhead Trial" starts off with a fast-paced yet melodic verse before descending into a crushing metalcore section at the halfway point before shifting gears again to an acoustic outro with Rody Walker switching off vocals with little-known singer Kayla Howran (I don't know what is it with this band but between Howran and frequent collaborator Jadea Kelly, the Protest guys always find amazing female singers to work with.) I'm not knocking Scurrilous because it's an excellent record, but there is a lot more diversity on Volition. Scurrilous had more of an enhanced focus on melody, here the band has a reawakening of their metal side with the return of the heavier riffing and screaming of their earlier material to the fold. The return of the metal elements is more than welcome as Rody Walker's devastatingly badass screams and groove-oriented riffing are two of the major things that initially drew me to Protest the Hero. The best part about the return of the heaviness is the fact that none of the other elements suffer because of it. The band still bangs out top-notch melodies and memorable choruses in spades, they are now just broken up a bit with bursts of hair-raising intensity.
However, the record isn't just a trip down memory lane, the band brings plenty of fresh ideas to the table to complement the returning elements. Songs like "Mist" and "Skies" sound like they nothing they've ever done before. "Mist" is one of the most emotional tracks they've ever made with passionate vocals from Walker, layered riffing that ranges from punk to post-rock and an almost classical outro featuring violins, acoustic guitar and a haunting piano section. "Skies" closes out the album with another successful trek into the previously uncharted waters for the band. "Skies" is easily the most progressive territory they've entered as a band with gorgeous riffing in the beginning and end of the song and an almost bluesy mid-section that took me completely by surprise. They've always been an act that likes to change things up and Volition sees them expanding their sound further than ever before.
Of course it wouldn't be Protest the Hero album without the mind-blowing instrumentation. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but it seems like the band has gotten even more technical on this record. Lead guitarist Luke Hoskin just annihilates the fretboards on every track and manages to leave the listener in awe with his abilities. Portions of "Yellow Teeth", "Without Prejudice" and "Animal Bones" in particular are so fast that I almost found it hard to believe that a human being was playing them. Hoskin doesn't just play fast, he's a very well-round guitarist with a knack for mammoth groove-riffing (the aforementioned "Yellow Teeth" has the meatiest riff he's ever penned) and beautiful progressive sections. Hoskin is far from alone in the impressive instrumentation. The drumming on this album from Lamb of God's Chris Adler is absolutely immense. Adler doesn't normally play this style of chaotic, progressive metal but he does a great job adapting to the style. Playing material like this allows him to explore the punk side of his drumming, which is an awesome contrast from the stuff that he does with Lamb of God. The fills on "Without Prejudice" and "Underbite" are easily some of the craziest and most inventive I've ever heard him play. Adler is one of the best drummers in metal right now and it was a great decision by the guys in Protest the Hero to bring him in a session drummer for this record.
The instrumentation may be incredibly impressive but the biggest reason Protest the Hero's music resonates with me so much is the vocal work from Rody Walker. He is just such a powerful singer with a boundless range that never ceases to impress the hell out of me. Considering how much he ramped up his vocals on Scurrilous, I wasn't expecting him to top that effort here but he did just by a considerable margin. He pushes himself to the brink throughout the album and nails every note no matter high or low it is with a poignancy that you hardly ever see in this type of music. It really is amazing to see how much he's improved as a vocalist on an album-to-album basis. He continues to set the bar high on each record they release then proceeds to shatter it with each new release put out. You never hear Walker's name tossed around in the discussion of best modern metal vocalist, but as far as I'm concerned, he should be at least near, if not at the very top of the list.
Volition is pure metal bliss for 55 minutes. The record grips you right away and doesn't let go till it's over. Protest the Hero has never written something that is this catchy, powerful, technical or crushing before. This is a band with a clear vision who consistently makes records that are innovative without sacrificing the things that made them special in the first place. Really the only thing bad I can say about Volition is that I personally didn't support the funding of it. Volition is an album that will stay embedded in my head not only for this year, but for years to come.
4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Yellow Teeth
2.Without Prejudice
3.Skies
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