Interview with vocalist Rody Walker | By Bill Jones
When it comes to progressive metal, it can sometimes be difficult to separate one spastic guitar riff from the next. But Canada’s Protest the Hero has found a way to carve out a name for itself, in large part thanks to the unique style of vocalist Rody Walker, as well as the band’s willingness to try some truly different things.
After three albums, the band decided to branch out (mostly) on its own, asking fans to help fund Volition — Protest’s fourth full-length — through an Indiegogo campaign. The campaign was immensely successful, and the guys delivered Tuesday, Oct. 29, on what may be their best album to date, despite losing their original drummer to another profession along the way.
Walker got on the phone with New Noise Magazine to discuss writing the new album, what it was like to crowd-source the album and getting a new drummer.
Progressive metal is a genre known predominantly for the guitar work. So how do you approach things as a vocalist? Is that a conscious effort on your part to do something that sets Protest the Hero apart from others?
It’s not terribly conscious. When it comes to progressive metal, I’m not very fond of the bulk. I like good, catchy, hooky melodies. I like soulful rock ‘n’ roll singers. There’s not too much of that going on. There certainly is some of it, but for the most part in progressive metal, you get these singers that sing long, uninteresting melodies that really don’t ever capture it. When I think of writing vocals, I think of it more from, I suppose, a pop mentality, but it’s not really pop, as I’m sure you know. I think of creating hooking and catching melodies. I want to take these parts that are occasionally almost unlistenable and make them a little more accessible to your average listener. We’ve always said that progressive and technical music doesn’t always have to be difficult to listen to, and that’s sort of what I try to do with the vocals. Also, it comes down to my lack of comprehension of some of the music theory. I’m not as well-versed in some of the music theory as the rest of the guys. They write something in whatever timing; I basically just go, “I’m going to try to make it sound like 4/4.” [Laughs]
What can fans expect from Volition in comparison to what you’ve done in the past?
As with most of our records, it is going to be different from the last record. We have been saying in interviews it is our heaviest work, and then when we released the song, kids are like, “What the fuck are they talking about? This isn’t heavy at all.” And that’s true. It is our heaviest work — some of it is the heaviest stuff we’ve ever written. But some of it is also the most melodic music that we’ve ever written, and upbeat. There’s a duality, I think, on the record. It’s some of the heavier stuff; it’s some of the lighter stuff — certainly a more structured attempt at songwriting.
The first time I listened to a stream of the album, what struck me most is the ending of “Mist,” how after all this thrash, aggression and operatic vocals, it simply ends on a quiet note with piano. How did that come about?
We’d always tried to include interludes in our records. When we wrote Scurrilous, which is the album before Volition, we didn’t really have a lot of time to consider it. We missed it, and I think the fans of the band missed it. So when it came time to write this, we thought to include an interlude that’s piano and guitar. I just think it’s important to have the variance. It’s punishing music that’s fast and aggressive and technical, but it also lends itself very well to other mediums. For instance, the interlude that’s piano and guitar, it’s the chorus of one of the songs; it’s just been sort of stripped down. So it is that very same music, just done in a different medium. I don’t know. We’re getting older. We just want to have some light listening now and again [laughs].
“Clarity” was the first single released for the album. But if you had to pick any other track as most representative of what you guys are doing on this release, which one would it be?
I think the last track on the record, “Skies,” is my favorite. It’s really in a direction I would like to move more towards. I think it’s one of the most musical pieces that we’ve ever written — not to say that the rest isn’t music, because generally, music is just kind of organized noise. [Laughs] It moves and it breathes in a way that I would love to venture further into and start writing more like that in the future — each song being more of a musical story that takes you on this little adventure with ups and downs and peaks and valleys.
To that end, as far as lyrics go, is there any sort of concept, or story, to Volition?
No, not really. When it comes to the lyric writing, the lyrics that Arif Mirabdolbaghi had written in the past, specifically in relation to Kezia — such an intricate concept — and I honestly don’t think I am capable of doing something like that [laughs]. Time may prove me wrong, but I’m just not as strong a writer as he, and it’s too much work. I just want to have a couple beers at the end of the day. It gets in the way [laughs]. I’m a lazy motherfucker, man. I want to do as little work as possible [laughs]. That sounds horrible, but it’s true.
Earlier this year, the band lost its drummer, Moe Carlson. Were you surprised when he decided to leave for another profession, or was it something that had been building for awhile?
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had sort of been dropping hints for quite some time that he had been dissatisfied with this lifestyle, and I can certainly understand that, ‘cause it’s not incredibly glorious. But no, I was surprised; I was very shocked. He just pulled me aside one day. And first he said, “I’m going back to school.” And I said, ‘Congratulations!” [Laughs] And then was like, “I’m thinking about not touring again.” I was like, “Ah, OK. I see what direction you’re going.” But after the conversation, I sat down and said, “What the fuck just happened? Did he just quit the band?” And yeah. So it was a surprise, but it shouldn’t have been. He had said in the past on tour that he hated it. He hated being on tour, and he hinted that he wanted to make money somewhere in his life. He made the right choice. As much as I’m really sorry to see him go, I have to be happy for him, because he seems really happy. He’s always been very technologically skilled, and I think that’s going to play a big part in his new career in tools and dyes that he’s selected for himself.
One the flip side, how did you get involved with Chris Adler and what was it like recording with him?
That was pretty neat. Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for Lamb of God, they were going through a murder trial in the Czech Republic [the charge was actually manslaughter, for which Randy Blythe was ultimately found not guilty]. So they weren’t touring or in the studio or anything like that. So that sucked for them, but it opened up an opportunity for us that we knew Chris would be available. Also, it’s who you know, right? Our manager is also Lamb of God’s manager, so we just reached out to him and said, “Larry [Mazer], do you think Chris would be willing to do this?” He shot it over to Chris, and he was thrilled to do it. We were thrilled to have him as part of the project. His drumming is fantastic. We’ve always been fans of Lamb of God. Getting to know him and getting to work with him was an amazing experience, because he is a consummate professional. We’ve only ever worked with the same five guys for the past 13 years, so getting to sing over a different drummer for the first time in my life was a peculiar and somewhat unnerving experience. But ultimately, I think it turned out the best it possibly could. I’m thrilled with the way Chris performed on this record.
Protest the Hero decided to go the crowd-sourced funding route this time around. Why do that after already having released three successful albums?
At the end of every record cycle, we found ourselves in the same position — no money, still in debt to the labels, these records that have sold decently well for a band of our size and nothing to really show for it except for a pat on the back. So we thought we had to change something. Our record contracts were up, for the most part, except for one lingering in the background. That’s with Spinefarm. We wanted to do something different. We could easily go out and sign to a record label for whatever; they give you a cash advance and they’ve got you in their pocket for the rest of your goddamned life. That’s just not the route that we wanted to take. I know there was some negative backlash regarding the Indiegogo campaign, most of it coming from bands, which is kind of peculiar to me. I understand the perspective of, “You’re begging your fans.” But at the end of the day, if something doesn’t change soon, we’re all fucked — every single band. Unless you’re Lady Gaga, there’s no way to make a sustainable career in the music industry based on the model record labels have presented us. If it were not to change, all music that has any kind of integrity goes out the window, and we’re left with just the trash they play on the radio. It’s an important time for music. I’m not saying we’re revolutionary; I’m just saying we all need to start thinking of different ways to produce music and mix the commerce side with the art side that sends the labels a message, because they’ve been fucking us forever, and it’s time we kicked back, I think.
Were you surprised at all that it not only succeeded but surpassed the goal by so much and so quickly?
No [laughs]. Yes, of course. We had a meeting the day we launched it and were like, “We’ve got to be realistic here. We might get $2,000. No matter what happens, we have to figure out a way to make this record on the money that we get.” We launched it, and we watched the number, and it just went up and up and up. We just kept refreshing and being like, “What the fuck is going on here?” I went out to a bar with a friend that night, and we were drinking and carrying on and he didn’t know what was going on. I just kept checking my phone, and he said, “What the fuck are you doing?” I said, “Making money.” [Laughs] When I showed him the number, we were both flabberghasted. We went back to his apartment and went on his computer and just watched the number grow. It was incredible. It was an incredible experience. I don’t know that I’ll get to experience something like that in my lifetime again. I’m very grateful to the people who donated and helped us continue doing this shit.
Purchase Volition here:
http://protestthehero.merchnow.com/
www.protestthehero.ca | www.facebook.com/protestthehero | twitter.com/protestthehero
