Wake up, I must be dreaming, because Protest The Hero have returned.

It’s been seven years since Palimpsest. For many Protest The Hero fans, the wait went from unbearable to a point of hoping in vain for something new. Life moved on, but so did Protest The Hero. As a result, we get the introspective look at life from the Canadian prog-rockers in Within.

This album is the first in many years where Rody Walker writes about his own life as opposed to a a fictional story or timepiece. The journey covers years of reflection to endless vocal hooks and guitar riffs that cross back and forth between short solos over 36 minutes.

The opening track and single “Mouthpiece” is the only high-level track looking at the overall experience before jumping headfirst into specific instances in life. Endless fusion of styles and speed changes within the same song. “Fishhook” includes a Rush style bridge soaring into the sky. “Grandfather’s Axe” drives the post-hardcore fury singing about missing the old days. “The Orchard” featuring Jadea Kelly and Chris Cresswell is the full speed roller coaster twisting in as many different curves and hooks as possible. 

Within is a lot to take in. This is not an album you can digest in one sitting (or even recall everything you’ve heard after initial listen). This is also an album that rewards repeat visits as you will undoubtedly reconnect with many moments and hear new segments to roll with.  

Protest The Hero may have taken some time to give another entry in a long career, but the delivery continues to pay off from Ontario.

Overall: 8/10

Within is another impressive explosion of prog rock
and post-hardcore that is anything but a tired old cliché.