Pop punk and progressive metal should, in theory, never be mixed. Some bands form to change things though, and that is exactly the case with Protest The Hero. This Canadian band has never shone away from pushing musical boundaries, and on Within, their first fully independent release, this could not be more obvious. Most importantly, this mixing of music styles and sounds makes for a fun and intriguing listen, albeit one which can at times feel a tad bit stale.
‘Mouthpiece’ kicks the album off, and right from the get-go, the energy is infectious as the song is incredibly fast-paced. The first verse builds to the harsh-vocal led pre-chorus, before the cinematic chorus steals the show. The second verse is when the pop-punk influences of this band truly comes out, as it is slightly slower paced, with the vocals leading the charge in terms of energy. This time, the pre-chorus is guitar led which leads to a more satisfying result this time around. After the second chorus, there is a long build to what ends up being a progressive metal breakdown, one which is not overly heavy or impactful, as when the song ends, more is desired seeing how technically gifted the three-piece are.
‘Fishhook’ is the second track on this record, and just like the opener, the song kicks off instantly with another pop-punk sounding chorus. This time though, the first verse has more of a catchier, pop vibe. The pre-chorus here is a slow builder which works once more as when the chorus finally returns, it is incredibly satisfying to hear. The short instrumental section in the middle of the song is almost another breakdown, but it leads into the epic pre-chorus, before another instrumental section arrives. Once this part is over, a short almost musical theatre like part arrives, and this ultimately leads into a variation of the chorus for the last time which finishes the song.
‘The Orchard’ is the fifth song on Within and is one of the catchiest progressive metal songs you will hear this year. Just like with the other tracks, this song begins with in-your-face vocals and instrumentals, but the chorus is easily the best part of the track. It is slower, and doomier which works well because it gives the chorus this anthemic sound which the others do not have. Nevertheless, after this second chorus, the song once more changes drastically, as after two bridges, a rare guitar solo steals the spotlight, before the softest sung vocals finish the track.
An album closer is perhaps the second most important song of any record and Protest The Hero clearly believe so as well, because ‘The Mariner’ is the longest track by far on Within. As opposed to vocals, this song begins with an atmospheric instrumental before the first verse arrives. Once more, the chorus is slower, to give it more room to shine. At times, this track is incredibly heavy which contrasts the chorus, which is a dynamic the band need to explore much more of, as there are glimpses of this throughout the record, but this is the heaviest they sound, not only vocally, but instrumentally too. The bridge section here is a progressive metal masterclass, as the music gradually builds in a truly grandiose fashion, before stripping back down to segue into the final chorus of the album.
The beauty of progressive rock and metal is that usually, you have no idea where each song is going to go, but with this album, it is as pop-punk as it is progressive, so the songwriting formula is mostly predictable throughout. With that being said though, the choruses are still huge sounding, and a lot of fun to put on repeat.
It is no wonder that Protest The Hero are this popular so deep into their career. Doing what no other band dares to pull off, yet still sounding electrifying is a monstrous feat, and Within proves that, and proves that this Canadian outfit are still one of the most unique prog bands out there, two decades in.
Protest The Hero: Within – Released 17 July 2026
the Hero – Mouthpiece (Official Music Video)
