Protest the Hero

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band formed in Whitby, Ontario, in 1999. Originally named Happy Go Lucky, the band changed their name to Protest the Hero and 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.

On January 23, 2006, the band signed with Vagrant Records for Kezia's American release on April 4, 2006. Their second album, Fortress was released by Underground Operations in Canada and by Vagrant Records worldwide on January 29, 2008. The band released their third studio album, Scurrilous, on March 22, 2011.

Expressing frustrations with record labels, in January 2013 the band announced that they would crowdfund their fourth album. The Indiegogo campaign was a runaway success, and the independently-released Volition debuted on October 29, 2013, distributed with the help of Razor & Tie. In October 2015, the band announced that their next release would take the form of an EP, distributed via subscription service Bandcamp, entitled Pacific Myth.

The band started the production process of their fifth studio album in January 2018. The process was delayed due to issues with vocalist Walker's voice, which arose during the Fortress X Tour in June 2018. The album, titled Palimpsest, would release two years later on June 18, 2020.

In early June 2026, the band started teasing new material. On June 5, they released the single "Mouthpiece" with an accompanying music video, and announced their sixth studio album, Within, which was released on July 17, 2026. Within is the first material that the band fully owns.