Prepare for an onslaught of technical musical arrangements and soaring pop hooks on the latest from Protest the Hero, called Scurrilous. Though perhaps not as brilliant as 2008's Fortress or as agressive as their 2006 debut Kezia, Scurrilous is still a strong entry in the PTH cannon.
Not much in the way of extreme metal on this one, save for perhaps the rampaging savagery of "Tapestry", but if it's blazing, technical progressive metal you crave, with melodic, high pitched vocals that border on pop, opera, & emo at times, you've come to the right place. Rody Walker's vocals are all over the place, but in a good way. When he's doing his upper register thing, you almost might think you are hearing a Coheed & Cambria release, but then he throws in his patented metal-pop-meets-Freddie Mercury delivery and it's easily recognizable as Protest the Hero. The guitar duo of Tim Miller & Luke Hoskin though are really the stars here, as these two deliver blazing runs, complex riffs, and stunning solos throughout songs like "C'est La Vie", "The Reign of Unending Terror", "Hair Trigger", "Tandem", "Termites", and the jaw-dropping complexity of "Tongue-Splitter". Basically, these guys are outdoing Dillinger Escape Plan with their brand of musical lunacy. For all out insanity, there's the dizzying "Sex Tape", a wild mix of intricate riffs, sizzling leads, operatic vocals, and frantic rhythms.
Hard to find fault with anything on Scurrilous. Most tracks are catchy & memorable, and you are instantly amazed by the musical fireworks going on throughout the entire CD. I'm going to give this a very solid 4 stars here, which in time will probably move up a notch after it sinks in a bit more. I don't think it's quite up to par with their excellent Fortress, but it's damn close. Fans of Dream Theater, Between the Buried and Me, and The Dillinger Escape Plan would be wise to look into this one.
Track Listing
1.C'est La Vie
2.Hair-Trigger
3.Tandem
4.Moonlight
5.Tapestry
6.Dunsel
7.The Reign of Unending Terror
8.Termites
9.Tongue-Splitter
10.Sex Tape
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