Protest The Hero

Precocious prog-metal architects Protest the Hero showcase astounding dexterity and sharpened skills on the follow-up to their notable 2006 debut, Kezia. Featuring strong, polished vocals, sharp screams, dizzying guitars and bludgeoning drums indifferent to any sort of normal time signature, Fortress is vigorously complex. Explosive tracks like "Sequoia Throne," "Bloodmeat" and "Limb From Limb" harness remarkable talent and ambition, though they need more than one listen to be fully taken in.