Hero Worship
Ontario Quintet inspired by Winnipeg's Propagandhi
John Kendle

These days it seems every third 14-year-old boy grows up listening to Slayer and ends up in some kind of metal outfit — but no one really expects these ‘bands’ to take off.

The members of Protest the Hero were once those 14-year-olds, and a mere five years later the punk-metal band has a full-length concept album and half a North American tour under its belt. The Whitby, Ont., quintet is on the road in support of Kezia, which made its Stateside debut on punk label Vagrant earlier this month.

“We’ve been in the States for the past 11 weeks, so it’s been a whole lot of going through the same (promotion) procedures,” bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi says from Arizona. “We’re legitimate in another country.”

Getting cred abroad takes work, but Mirabdolbaghi says the U.S. of A has been good to him, drummer Moe Carlson, guitarists Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin, and singer Rody Walker.

“Touring in the States is nothing like Canada. In Canada, your audience is cooler — it’s all fans and well-wishers. In the States, we didn’t really know what to expect. We thought that maybe American kids were cut from a different cloth, but we learned that the same things that intrigue and motivate Canadian kids are the same everywhere.”

Having a solid album helps to motivate kids in both countries. Kezia, produced by famed Alexisonfire wizard Julius (Juice) Butty, is an anthemic blend of metal and punk, emo-inflected vocals and politically charged lyrics. It’s also a full-length concept album about an imprisoned girl, Kezia, who is to be executed.

“We got to record in the middle of a cornfield in Southern Ontario, and we got two months to do it,” Mirabdolbaghi says. “We actually had the time to bring the songs out the way we heard them in our heads, and that was really rewarding. We’ve never had that much time before.”

Protest the Hero is known for being politically fierce, but its latest is notably more subdued than their EP, A Calculated Use of Sound. Feeling a bit like they were preaching to a choir of politically like-minded kids, the band decided to go the less obvious route.

“We realized that if you’re a politically conscious person, that subversive attitude will present itself naturally,” Mirabdolbaghi says

Protest the Hero’s interest in punk rock and politics began early, and a Winnipeg legend served as inspiration.

“We just wanted to get together and play our instruments,” the bassist explains. “Then we started emulating bands we’ve heard and were tremendously motivated and inspired by Propagandhi.”

Along with its rep for making thinking-person’s metal, Protest the Hero is also known for its lively stage presence. But, like the lyrics, the group’s show has also evolved.

“We used to think that the key to a live show was to rock out and act like a fool for half an hour,” Mirabdolbaghi says. “But its better for an audience to go away thinking, ‘Wow, they’ve got their shit together’ as opposed to ‘Wow, they’re really crazy.’

“You have to play your songs — but you have to play them well.”