Palimpsest (album)

Last updated
Palimpsest
Protest the Hero - Palimpsest.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 18, 2020
Recorded2019
Genre Progressive metal [1]
Length53:29
Label Spinefarm Records
Producer
  • Derya Nagle
  • Milen Petzelt-Sorace
Protest the Hero chronology
Pacific Myth
(2016)
Palimpsest
(2020)
Singles from Palimpsest
  1. "The Canary"
    Released: 16 April 2020 [2]
  2. "From the Sky"
    Released: 14 May 2020 [3]

Palimpsest is the fifth studio album by Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero released on June 18, 2020 through Spinefarm Records. Palimpsest marks the band's first studio record since 2013's Volition , and their first new material since 2016's Pacific Myth EP. [2]

Contents

This is the first studio album (and second overall release) of the band to feature session member Cam McLellan on bass and full-time member Mike Ieradi on drums.

Background

Talking about the recording process of Palimpsest, Guitarist Luke Hoskin explained, "'Palimpsest' is by far the most challenging record we have worked on. The writing and recording process saw so many delays, it's honestly hard to keep them straight. We are very proud of how each hurdle was handled though, and the end result is a record that we believe is deserving of such an endeavor." [2]

Vocalist Rody Walker stated, "This record was extremely difficult for me personally. With my first child on the way, I built a studio in my basement to ensure I wasn't leaving my wife alone with a new child for weeks on end. I haven't left my house since." He blew his voice during touring in 2018 which caused him to take a break for a year to recover. Recording was completed in November 2019. [2]

Concept

Walker described the concept of the album in an interview with Loudwire , "Well, it was being written like three years ago. Trump had just taken office and all this stuff was happening; all the MAGA hats were out in full force and all sorts of stuff like that. And I started thinking about the definition of greatness. And I have a feeling people are going to view this as though it's talking negatively about the United States, and that is not entirely it, because the greatness that Donald Trump and all his cronies want to return to is only great for the old, white, male, rich elite".

"That is the greatness of America that the rest of the world views as its tragic flaw. And I wanted to discuss that aspect of things, but I also wanted to discuss the greatness that we actually view as America's greatness. Because there is greatness, there's beauty, there's all sorts of stuff. There's innovation, there’s an incredible history. And I wanted to discuss both the negative and the positive and identify what I personally find the greatness to be." [4]

This album uses various lyrical subjects including Amelia Earhart, Florence Owens Thompson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Peg Entwistle, John Dillinger, the Hindenburg disaster, the Lakota, the Great Depression, and the Great Molasses Flood. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Distorted Sound9/10 [6]
Metal Storm 8.3/10 [7]
Sputnikmusic4/5 [8]

At Sputnikmusic, Channing Freeman stated, "Though the title of Palimpsest is intended to describe the way Americans rewrite their history in favorable ways, it can be applied to the history of Protest the Hero as well. They have consistently reinvented themselves from seemingly blank slates on which the past is faintly visible. The breakneck leads and spastic riffing of Kezia and Fortress have been refined and molded to better suit an older, wiser band. Whatever comes next, traces of Palimpsest will hopefully remain." [8]

Reviewer Andy Synn of No Clean Singing said in an unrated review, "In simple terms, Palimpsest is the sound of a band renewed and reinvigorated, combining the epic vibe of Fortress (still, for many, the band's magnum opus), with the more lithe and limber, shoot-for-the-moon, approach of their debut album, Kezia". Synn concluded, "That being said, don't go thinking that this new record is simply a throwback to the group's early years (both musically and thematically nothing could be further from the truth), as it definitely incorporates all the lessons which they learned making Scurrilous and Volition too, as well as some unexpected new tricks and twists." [9]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Rody Walker.

No.TitleLength
1."The Migrant Mother"3:50
2."The Canary"4:27
3."From the Sky"6:14
4."Harborside"1:01
5."All Hands"4:40
6."The Fireside"5:03
7."Soliloquy"4:30
8."Reverie"5:26
9."Little Snakes"4:56
10."Mountainside"1:11
11."Gardenias"4:57
12."Hillside"0:39
13."Rivet"5:35
Total length:53:29

Personnel

Band members

Other personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sum 41</span> Canadian rock band

Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and most recently consisted of Deryck Whibley, Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, Jason "Cone" McCaslin, Tom Thacker, and Frank Zummo.

<i>The Sickness</i> 2000 studio album by Disturbed

The Sickness is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on March 7, 2000, by Giant and Reprise Records. The album peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200, and spent a total of 106 weeks on the chart. It was Disturbed's only album to not hit number one on the US Billboard 200 until their seventh album Evolution debuted at number 4 in 2018. In 2018, The Sickness was certified five times platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over five million copies in the US, making it the band's most successful album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demons & Wizards (band)</span> German-American power metal band

Demons & Wizards was a power metal band conceived as a side-project by Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch and Jon Schaffer, the guitarist for Iced Earth. Schaffer wrote the music and Kürsch wrote the lyrics. The band's line-up during the recording of their first album in 1999 featured Mark Prator, who was the drummer on a few Iced Earth albums, and Jim Morris, who has engineered for Iced Earth before, on lead guitar. The personnel for the second album, released in 2005, included Morris on lead guitar and Bobby Jarzombek on drums. The band released a third studio album, III, in 2020, and disbanded in early 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenged Sevenfold</span> American heavy metal band

Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman.

<i>Scurrilous</i> 2011 studio album by Protest the Hero

Scurrilous is the third studio album by Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero. It was released on March 22, 2011. The word scurrilous is defined as "vulgar verbal abuse; foul-mouthed; coarse, vulgar, abusive, or slanderous."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protest the Hero</span> Canadian progressive metal band

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario. Originally named Happy Go Lucky, the band changed their name to Protest the Hero, then released their debut EP, Search for the Truth, in 2002. In 2005, the band released their first album Kezia on Canadian indie label Underground Operations.

<i>Kezia</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Protest the Hero

Kezia is the debut full-length album by the Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero, first released in Canada on August 30, 2005, by Underground Operations. It is a concept album about a young girl (Kezia) sentenced to death, told from the perspectives of the various players involved in her sentencing and execution.

<i>Fortress</i> (Protest the Hero album) 2008 studio album by Protest the Hero

Fortress is the second studio album by Canadian band Protest the Hero which was released on January 29, 2008 on Vagrant Records in the US and Underground Operations in Canada.

"Sequoia Throne" is a song by Protest The Hero and is the second single released from their 2008 album Fortress. It was released exclusively through the iTunes online music store. In addition, a "Sequoia Throne" remix contest was announced; the three winning entries were featured on an album bundle from iTunes, and one would be included on a Metal Hammer compilation CD.

Jadea Kelly is a singer-songwriter from Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rushmore in popular culture</span>

Because of its fame as a monument, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota has appeared frequently in works of fiction. It has been discussed or depicted in dozens of popular works, such as the location of the climactic chase scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film North by Northwest, and in the 2007 film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Repeated themes using the mountain have been depictions of its destruction to imply a larger catastrophe, alterations or additions being made to the famous faces on the mountain, or use of the monument as a cover to hide a secret such as a treasure trove or military base.

<i>In the Unlikely Event</i> 2009 studio album by The Fall of Troy

In the Unlikely Event is the fourth studio album by American mathcore band The Fall of Troy, that was released on October 6, 2009. The album was recorded with producer Terry Date and is the only full-length album to feature bassist Frank Ene. It was recorded at Studio Lithio. The album featured a slightly less aggressive style compared to the band's earlier work, in turn facing mixed critical reception.

The Kindred is a Canadian progressive rock sextet formed in Ottawa, Ontario. Originally formed in the winter of 2006, the band released their debut EP Ms. Mary Mallon on July 4, 2008 and their debut full-length Lore on June 14, 2011, both independently. Following their name change and signing to Sumerian Records the band released Life in Lucidity in 2014. After three years and various member changes, the band released a new EP Weight, advertised as part one of their upcoming full-length to be released later in the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battlecross</span> American heavy metal band

Battlecross was an American extreme metal band from Canton, Michigan. The band has described their sound as "Blue Collar Thrash Metal". To date, they have released three albums through their label, Metal Blade Records.

<i>Notes from the Underground</i> (Hollywood Undead album) 2013 studio album by Hollywood Undead

Notes from the Underground is the third studio album by American rap rock band Hollywood Undead. Originally set to release in Summer 2012, Notes from the Underground was released on January 8, 2013 in the United States and Canada. The album charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with over 53,000 copies sold in its first week, making it their highest charting album to date, despite its predecessor American Tragedy selling around 67,000 copies in its first week. The album has spawned a generally positive reception.

<i>In the Minds of Evil</i> 2013 studio album by Deicide

In the Minds of Evil is the eleventh studio album by American death metal band Deicide. It was released on November 25, 2013, by Century Media Records. It was the first album to feature guitarist Kevin Quirion and the last to feature guitarist Jack Owen. The album has been described as moving away from the melodic inclinations of the previous few albums and towards an "old school" death metal sound reminiscent of Legion.

<i>Volition</i> (Protest the Hero album) 2013 studio album by Protest the Hero

Volition is the fourth studio album by Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero released on October 29, 2013 through Razor & Tie. It is the band's first album not to be released through Underground Operations or with any financial backing of label support. Instead, the entire album was funded by their fans via an Indiegogo campaign, where they met and exceeded their goal of $125,000 CAD.

<i>Seasons in the Abyss</i> 1990 studio album by Slayer

Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 9, 1990, through Def American Records. Recording sessions began in March 1990 at Hit City West and Hollywood Sound, and ended in June 1990 at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. It was the band's last album to feature their full original lineup with drummer Dave Lombardo until his return on the band's 2006 album Christ Illusion. Seasons in the Abyss' musical style has been compared by critics to the band's previous two albums, South of Heaven (1988) and Reign in Blood (1986).

<i>Incarnate</i> (Killswitch Engage album) 2016 studio album by Killswitch Engage

Incarnate is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage, released on March 11, 2016. The band released "Strength of the Mind" as a promotional single from the album on December 11, 2015 and revealed the title of the album six days later. The band toured to promote the album with Memphis May Fire and 36 Crazyfists. On January 26, 2016, the track listing was revealed. Three singles were released from the album: "Strength of the Mind" on December 11, "Hate by Design" on January 29 and "Cut Me Loose" on February 19. The album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful album on the chart, and reached No. 1 on both the Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts, with 33,000 copies sold on its first week of release.

<i>Pacific Myth</i> 2016 EP by Protest the Hero

Pacific Myth is a subscription-based serial album and the fifth major release by the Canadian progressive metal band Protest the Hero, distributed through the online music subscription service Bandcamp. Following the independent release of their crowdfunded 2013 album Volition, the band sought to explore alternative release methods and decided upon a subscription-like platform wherein subscribers could get access to the scheduled arrival of a new song every month. Each of the songs, including artwork, lyrics, liner notes, instrumental versions, and high-quality downloads, were released through Bandcamp each month starting on October 15, 2015 with the first track, "Ragged Tooth," and ending on March 15, 2016 with the final track, "Caravan." The six songs effectively make up the band's fifth EP, and 11th overall release, released to the public on November 18, 2016. It is the band's first release with session member Cam McLellan on bass and full-time member Mike Ieradi on drums.

References

  1. "Album Review: PROTEST THE HERO Palimpsest". MetalInjection.net. July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "PROTEST THE HERO Releases First Single/Video 'The Canary' From Forthcoming 'Palimpsest' Album". Blabbermouth.net. April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  3. "PROTEST THE HERO Releases New Single 'From The Sky'". Blabbermouth.net. May 14, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  4. Rolli, Bryan (16 June 2020). "Protest the Hero's Rody Walker: Trump's Vision of Greatness Is America's 'Tragic Flaw'". Loudwire.
  5. Slingerland, Calum (18 June 2020). "Protest the Hero Give American History a Scathing Rewrite on 'Palimpsest'". Exclaim!.
  6. Dan McHugh (2020-06-17). "ALBUM REVIEW: Palimpsest - Protest the Hero". Distorted Sound. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  7. "Protest The Hero - Palimpsest review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 Freeman, Channing (18 June 2020). "Review: Protest the Hero - Palimpsest". Loudwire.
  9. Synn, Andy (15 June 2020). "PROTEST THE HERO: "PALIMPSEST"". Loudwire.