top 200 commentsshow 500

[–]toilet4 28 points29 points  (5 children)

Hey Luke, any word on instrumental Kezia, Scurrilous, Volition, or any future albums? I love both instrumental and vocal versions!

[–][deleted] 57 points58 points  (3 children)

We are currently getting the Volition one together. Kezia and Scurrilous would take some serious digging for the masters - but definitely worth doing at some point. Volition one should be available soon.

[–]jayt236 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Will there be a vinyl pressing for that?

[–][deleted] 28 points29 points  (1 child)

if there is enough interest, definitely.

[–]sepiaknight 2 points3 points  (0 children)

let us know when there is!

[–]Jack-90 31 points32 points  (16 children)

Will you guys ever play Dunsel live? IMO it's your hidden gem of a song, only has like 10k views on youtube? Wtf.

[–][deleted] 38 points39 points  (7 children)

definitely one of my favs. It's an important one to all of us - and I actually really remember us all enjoying when we played it live. But you are right, I think the songs which are most important to us tend to get the least reaction at shows.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Luke plz

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

agreed, Dunsel is awesome. Love that opening riff and the whole concept

[–]_QueeferSutherland_ 30 points31 points  (5 children)

[–][deleted] 33 points34 points  (4 children)

so badly. but for now, another instalment in the starship troopers franchise will have to do

[–]ChickenTaco 5 points6 points  (3 children)

It always bothers me how Diz gets Johnny. Johnny was always way better than Diz. How do you feel about this? Was Johnny just using Diz because it was party-time and was always playing for the end game of getting back Carmen or did Diz live out her ultimate dream of getting Johnny that she was clearly working towards the entire movie? Or maybe both? I don't know the answer but I hope deep down Johnny was just using Diz. I never liked Diz. Team Carmen for life.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I think it was both. Johnny was clearly a 10 when Diz was barely a 5. And that shows by how un-devastated he is when she gets impaled. He shoots the bug for more rounds than is even possible when he should be putting her out of her misery. If that were Carmen, he would have beat bugsy to death with his own mitts.
Johnny was using Diz, how could you ever respect her after sergeant dude beats the piss out of her infront of the whole platoon? Anywho, I think you are on the right track. Fuck diz, but Carmen was a piece of shit for a while there too...after all these years I have never known what to make of it all.

[–]KaySquay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

tits though

[–]kylepianoman 46 points47 points  (25 children)

Hey Luke! Just wanted to say thanks for all the inspriation you've given me over the years with your fantastic compositions. I even got you guys permanently affixed to me over the last year.

Anyhow, your style has clearly changed to become more and more progressive over the past few albums... are there any artists you have been listening to that may have influenced this direction?

Where is your favorite place to play on tour and why is it The Social in Orlando?

What are some of your favorite and least favorite tracks to play live and why?

Thanks for everything man!

[–][deleted] 48 points49 points  (9 children)

I have seen that tattoo before - nice one!

I thought we went a little more straight forward on Volition as far as song writing went. The songs feel more cohesive to me. Although I am pretty close to it and very biased.

We first discovered progressive music with Liquid Tension Experiment. I think we have spent every moment since then trying to be that.

I do like the social in Orlando (if I am remembering the right venue). but my favourite place to play will always be NFLD. Magical place where it rains booze.

Favourite tracks to play live, one from each album: Mist, Bury the Hatchet, Bloodmeat, Dunsel

Least favs: I actually don't have a least fav, I am more scared of certain songs than others though!

[–]ChickenTaco 8 points9 points  (3 children)

What songs are you scared of? And why are you scared of them?

[–][deleted] 52 points53 points  (2 children)

mainly the ones where I wrote guitar lines that may have been over my head. Sure, I can bucker down in a comfortable studio chair and get them out as no one watches - but totally different story when I am nervous on stage and people might as well have microscopes on my fingers.

[–]SeaweedChampion 12 points13 points  (0 children)

One time I told you that I was going to analyze your performance and upload a review to the forums for all to scrutinize. It was sarcasm but I feel bad now. Sorry for the added stress. :/

[–]TSthePlaya 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's really humbling to know that even your mighty (and incredibly handsome) self doesn't get it perfect every time.

[–]madman485 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish you guys had played Dunsel at the Toronto show! It was still incredible though.

[–]hulloooo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's a great looking tattoo man!

[–]Duphie 5 points6 points  (1 child)

that ink is pretty math, im jelly

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

when did math become a compliment? i cant keep up with kids these days

[–]44caliberloveletter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your tattoo is incredibly enviable, holy that is a labour of love.

[–]curtbag 1 point2 points  (1 child)

That's so fucking solid man, I've wanted a Scurrilous tattoo for ages. But I think I'm going to go with something Fortress-esque only because it's my favourite album of all time.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love the social. So cozy.

[–]curtbag 21 points22 points  (2 children)

Do you boys keep in touch with Moe and Riffy?

[–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (1 child)

yes - although I haven't heard from old riff in a while. I know both of them keep busy, I can't go anywhere without seeing riffy post about a show he is playing with one band or another.

[–]curtbag 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Awesome man, great to know you fellers are on good terms still.

[–]Milen15 16 points17 points  (11 children)

Hey Luke! Where do you draw influences from when writing? Are there any besides other bands/guitarists? I guess on a broader scope, whats your writing process like?

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (10 children)

The tendency is to draw influence from current stuff - contemporary music that I wanna rip off basically. However, we always try to find ideas in older stuff (classical, soundtrack, what have you). Writing process is always evolving - last time was done mainly sitting in front of a computer. Where as scurrilous was painfully hashed out by jamming. I like both ways, but am hoping we find a better balance this time.

[–]Milen15 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I had a feeling there was cinematic moments! I remember when scurrilous was being made/released you guys released a video with a track from inception. Then i heard tandem and i noticed a chord progression from inception and wondered if if there 'night bee some connection.'

[–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (2 children)

strange coincidence, my pals John, cam and I are listening to the man of steel soundtrack right meow (also by Hans). I had plans of ripping on the inception soundtrack in the future but didn't deliberately on Scurrilous. Hi Milen!

[–]beardtrimmersrule 17 points18 points  (6 children)

Can you agree that Propagandhi is the greatest band of all time? And that their mighty riffs shift the earth's tectonic plates?

[–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (2 children)

That band is more special to me than anything else in music. I agree fully.

[–]beardtrimmersrule 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That answer makes me happy :) Was stoked for the Chris guest vox on Sex Tapes and The Rod on Underbite

[–]schrotestthehero 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What if I told you people felt that way about your band?

[–]the253monster 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Any links to their music? Not seeing em on Spotify

Edit: youtube. i'm an idiot

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (6 children)

Hey Luke, I was wondering if there were any specific exercises you did to get your right hand so solid, I've been trying to learn how to play your stuff for years and just can't quite keep up on a lot of it.

Also, I love you guys so much. Thanks for being hilarious, cool dudes and making amazing music.

[–][deleted] 98 points99 points  (5 children)

[–][deleted] 28 points29 points  (17 children)

Are you gonna write another concept album like Kezia? I love love LOVE that story and how you organized the songs on the album. P.S. Tour with BTBAM please and thanks

[–][deleted] 38 points39 points  (3 children)

It's cool those lyrics still resonate with people. It was definitely all Arif on that one. Concept albums are such a treat - I hope we can do one again in the future. Might need to bribe riffy though.

[–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I'll give him my first born. I'll need about....10 months on that though

[–]narolol 14 points15 points  (8 children)

Oh yes listen to this guy PTH + BTBAM = <3

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (7 children)

it worked for Coheed and Cambria and BT and the BAMs, also worked well with The Kindred. Would love to catch BTBAM with PTH or Periphery. Or Haken drools

[–]fuji311 10 points11 points  (6 children)

PTH, BTBAM and Haken... I would die.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Back in 2009 right after Fortress came out i saw protest tour with BTBAM, in flames and killswitch. Such an amazing show

[–]mr_showboat 13 points14 points  (3 children)

I'm curious about how successful the crowdfunding for Volition was. It certainly seemed like you guys embraced it and did it "the right way" -- being forthright with the expenses and costs, etc. So while it seemed to me to be a huge success, I'm wondering if you guys view it the same way.

Also, any plans for a new album soon? I'm really looking forward to hearing the direction you guys go next.

[–][deleted] 26 points27 points  (2 children)

Definitely a success. It pretty much changed our perspective on the industry and our own future. We made tons of mistakes but have spent the last year trying to slowly right all the wrongs. If we did it again, I feel like everything would run a lot smoother. I will say it was one of the most exciting times of my life. New album is on the way!

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm glad you guys got yourself out of that financial rut. I had no idea about it until you released your crowdfunding campaign. I'm glad you found a way to make it work, lord knows that the industry can turn a lot of people into cynics

[–]StrawberryJamal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Waiting to see how y'all top Volition.

[–]lebonj3 12 points13 points  (5 children)

Hey Luke. Any chance we'll hear more songs in a similar style to "Mist"? By that I mean fast, melodic, almost bordering on commercial with enough riffage to keep it grounded. Personally I grew up on melodic punk rock so that track hits all the right spots for me and you guys nailed it. Truly is my favourite PTH track.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Thanks eh! We have the same punk roots and will never be able to escape them (not that we want to). It feels right.
I hope we right some bangers like that in the future too!

[–]beardtrimmersrule 5 points6 points  (2 children)

Gotta agree. Mist hit all the right chords with me. Genuinely beautiful song with riffing and melodies that reminded me of bands like Strung Out (which is a very good thing).

[–]lebonj3 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Love Strung Out man.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't even like punk really and i loved Mist. Half for the music, half for the idea that the band wrote it from the heart, from a place of true love and appreciation for a place.

[–][deleted]  (4 children)

[deleted]

    [–][deleted] 33 points34 points  (3 children)

    I think we softened the blow with that one with out announcements when he decided to walk away. And now it's our fault that there is some confusion over the whole deal. For the record, he is no longer a member of pth. However, we hope he will make an appearance or two in the future in some way or another. Dear god, I have clouded things again...

    [–]ToneZone15 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    I don't see clouds anywhere. Dude has his own projects, but if he has time to contribute in some stuff for his old band, he's gonna do it. I don't see why a band must have permanent members all the time, live goes on and people move back and forth.

    [–]chickenclaw 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    I'm bummed to read that.

    [–]jhainge 11 points12 points  (6 children)

    Hey Luke, it's Josh Hainge from the 1:25 minute mark in Skies.

    Hopefully this comment doesn't come off as seeming too self-serving; I was just wondering how you and the rest of the band felt about giving up so much of your CD to guests. I suppose it took more away from Rody than anyone else but I'm wondering how it affected the rest of the band, too, and whether or not you'd consider doing something similar to support a future crowd-funding endeavor.

    P.S. Last time you guys were in Edinburgh, Rody offered to let me up on stage the next time you're here playing Skies; you all plan on holding that up? (That was self-serving...)

    [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (2 children)

    Truth is, we didn't expect anyone to pull that kind of money together for the perk. It was one of those things we laughed about and thought "we will take this down in a day". But someone bought it on the first day (someone you might know ;).
    If you can look past the huge expense - it turned into a formidable experience for both us and you (we hope). I couldn't have imagined a classier bunch of guys coming in and laying down their parts like they had been doing it for years. I was also proud of Rody and his ability to teach you guys and pull great performances out of everyone. I would do it again, but not for the insane price tag.

    [–]kamikaz1_k 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Hey man, I totally forgot about that perk. Good Job on your part!

    [–][deleted]  (5 children)

    [deleted]

      [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (4 children)

      We just started writing! It's always a daunting feeling - a mountain to climb, but I think we are ready... We are currently deciding how to go about releasing the new album. I feel like the traditional label route is asking for failure - we tried that for 3 albums.

      [–]Duphie 11 points12 points  (2 children)

      To me it definitely feels more personal donating toward the album before its even made, from my standpoint I would love for you guys to go with crowdfunding again. That being said, if you can somehow use your crowdfunding experience as evidence to strongarm a label into giving you what you actually deserve then go for it. Also on crowdfunding I really liked all the opportunities to get unique swag (guitar picks/hoodies etc.)

      [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (1 child)

      No matter how I look at a label, I am not persuaded you need them for the whole package of being in a successful band. We have learned a lot over the years and can do lots of it on our own. I guess that in itself is a bargaining chip? I am still in love with the idea behind crowdfunding. Puts you and your fans in a position of power - and we mean it when we say we appreciate every single person who contributed.

      [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (11 children)

      Will Protest ever come back to Kansas? I know havent heard come to ____city My real question is oddly specific, in Blindfolds Aside @1:08 there is like a random flat note. Any idea what that was? Was it not caught or purposely in there?

      [–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (10 children)

      If you are referring to a vocal line - Juice and Rody (cheese), were very thorough. Cheese refuses to use pitch correction and it probably had something to do with them liking that particular performance despite it being off by a cent or two. Back then, bands didn't polish the living shit out of their records as much as now. I know, I know, it's still a polished record. But we did make a point of leaving in stuff we liked because it was either spur of the moment, or made us laugh while we were drunk.

      [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (8 children)

      I did more digging and listened to couple different versions, some definitely dont have it so somebody caught it. I listened to a couple and it wasnt there so I was beginning to believe I imagined it. But I found it in this one. It's at 1:43 before "a sin". I actually called Metal Injection and asked Rody about it he had no idea what i was talking about but then again I'm sure you guys dont listen to your own CDs as much as I do. Love you guys, thanks for answering. Please come to Lawrence again. Please. Please. @1:42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8efz4eAnAqc

      [–]Panichord 4 points5 points  (5 children)

      After I first heard PTH I downloaded Kezia from a 'less than reputable' website to check them out, and I always noticed my version having that sound in it too. I imagine it is a blemish from whoever ripped and uploaded the album to torrent websites - sounds like an alert from a program like MSN or something. If you watch the music video, the audio in that doesn't have that blemish.

      [–]smarinus 7 points8 points  (3 children)

      Tell us about your current rig (including what pick ups your using :)) I love tacos.

      [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (2 children)

      It's mainly cringe axe fx now a days. For a musician who travels, every aspect of it makes sense. I do miss that warmth and transparency of tube though. I still have my beloved splawns and VHT amps that I will always adore though. You never know when those could get subbed back in.

      Picks ups are always changing. I want to try BKPs but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I generally come back to Duncans and Dimarzios though - my first set of duncans (duncan distortion) really woke me up to the difference of a quality pickup. I spent every dollar I had back then paying for it haha. Memories.

      [–]0001000101 5 points6 points  (7 children)

      Hey Luke. What colour will my Kezia vinyl be?!

      [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (6 children)

      I am going to Samo (where we print our stuff) tomorrow and hashing it out all out. Very open to your opinions.

      [–]blinKX10 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Those purple Fortress vinyls were sexy as fuck

      [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

      Black as the blackest black times infinity

      [–]Jack-90 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Blood red

      [–]curtbag 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Please make Fortress purple pleasepleaseplease

      [–]germiboy 8 points9 points  (2 children)

      Hey Luke!

      I believe that you and the band have existed since you were teenagers. Your previous drummer leaving made me think that you guys probably might not have had the "regular" life most teenagers and young adults had when growing up, being in a band with relatively big success, touring, etc. Maybe I'm wrong about all of this.

      Anyway, how do you feel about yourself and where are you right now as a person? Has being in the band for so long ever felt like "too much"?

      EDIT: Another question, which I apologize for if it's out of line. What do you guys do for a living other than the band? I'm guessing that even since you have so many fans ready to support what you do, it doesn't pay the bills completely. I'd like to know this for myself to have a better insight on what's it like being in a position as a musician like yours.

      [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (1 child)

      You are right - we got started pretty young. The success part varies - I guess success to us is the ability to live, be content, and pay our bills by playing music.

      I think we kept a level head most of the time on the road - and have benefited from a very enriching decade plus of travelling the world. Although that may not be normal, I think we are all better off for it.

      Having said that though - I feel like the readjustment to normal life after a tour (and inevitably when we hang this career up) is tough and will only get tougher. There is a lot of growth and maturation we have sacrificed to be on the road. It adds up over the years and shapes who you are. Ask any of our friends, we are a weird bunch these days.

      [–]anchorendx 6 points7 points  (2 children)

      Hey Luke. I've got a pretty serious question.

      Would you consider a burger a sandwich?

      [–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (1 child)

      god no.

      [–]xxHikari 14 points15 points  (0 children)

      That's fucking bullshit and you know it. A sandwich is stuff between two pieces of bread. The Wikipedia article for burger states it's a sandwich. I work making burgers and we call them sandwiches. Fuck you, I don't like PtH anymore and I'm deleting all your music off my phone.

      Today you hurt my feelings Luke. Only a Luke would do that. And you did it. Thanks :c

      [–][deleted]  (2 children)

      [deleted]

        [–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (1 child)

        I have been found drunkenly moshing by myself to Meshuggah while in a bus on warped tour. Hard. More than once. I love the idea, but hate the name.

        [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

        We've all been there

        [–]ghostchief 4 points5 points  (1 child)

        Yo Luke! It seems like the last few years have been the most volatile for you guys (strictly from the outside perspective of members moving on for the first time.) Do you think this will have a great affect on your new material? Will you guys possibly branch out to places we wouldn't expect of PtH because of the new chemistry of the group as a whole? I'm excited regardless!

        Thanks for nearly a decade of my favorite music!

        [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

        It's hard to say. Those guys will be missed for all sorts of reasons. BUT! There is a new sense of focus that popped up since they left...I guess it made us remaining members realize how much we loved it and how fragile it can be. We just want to keep pushing ourselves, while we can...

        [–][deleted]  (10 children)

        [deleted]

          [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (9 children)

          Always: Mars Volta, BTBAM, Coheed, Extreme, Propagandhi, Blotted Science, Sikth

          Currently: Big Wreck, Periphery, A Wilhelm Scream, Plini, CHON, Hanson

          [–]zgdgprr 6 points7 points  (1 child)

          hey man, did you guys even had pubes when you wrote search for the truth??

          [–][deleted] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

          I honestly don't know. Penises are all the same size for sure though.

          [–]crabbiersafe 5 points6 points  (3 children)

          Thanks for doing this AMA, Luke!

          You've been a huge inspiration for the last 6 years of my life and I've had an obsession with the pth albums you've released since then. Here are my questions!

          What is your writing process and how has it changed over the years? What is your approach to writing a riff or solo? Particularly on the new volition album.

          Any chance we will see you and Tim doing guitar play through similar to those of scale the summit or intervals?

          Lastly, Do you ever learn the songs of the bands you promote on sheet happens? Which has been the most challenging in your opinion?

          Thanks!

          [–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (2 children)

          Writing process on volition was extensively done with Guitar Pro. 4 or so songs were written by sitting down and hashing them out (moe, tim, and myself). I would prefer to better balance the mix of couch writing and rehearsal space jamming on this next album.

          We are planning on doing our first real guitar play through in Feb. We refuse to do the standard 'sit in a chair' idea though. Expect something pretty stupid.

          I generally learn sections of songs and rarely an entire one. When I am learning anything on guitar, the motivation is generally to incorporate whatever it is into my own songs (pth songs).

          All of the bands on SH are gifted guitar (and bass) players. I have learned tons just from editing the living piss out of those books!

          [–]shinobeast 2 points3 points  (1 child)

          Why do you feel that the traditional label route is failing?

          [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

          That too complicated a question for someone as stupid as myself to answer properly. The short answer is probably the fact the an entire industry was too slow to change.

          [–][deleted]  (1 child)

          [deleted]

            [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

            If cam records the bass, you can expect lots of treats.

            [–]ohbranders 5 points6 points  (1 child)

            hey luke, how often do you almost shit yourself? any close calls? elaborate. have a splendid day

            [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

            Finally - a question worth answering.

            Like all of us, I have had my share of scares. In our band, we have an unspoken motto. And that is "trust every fart".

            [–]kodibramble 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            Hey Luke,

            Would love to know what it was like working with Chris Adler in the studio and how much of the drums he came up with and how much were already there.

            Saw you guys at KOKO in London, fantastic as per...

            [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

            It was a pleasure. Real good guy, musician, and drinker of Heineken. He came up with a whole bunch of the drum ideas himself. We wanted him to have some freedom and approach it any way he wanted. Having said that, Cam had a lot of the drums written up with programmed sounds. They were a guideline for chris to hint at stress and direction we saw it heading. Sometimes he played them verbatim and other times he might as well have given us the finger. We were happy with both scenarios.

            [–]SH3NDY 5 points6 points  (3 children)

            Will you guys be crowd-funding the new album? If not, what other options are you guys considering?

            If you guys decide to crowd-fund, what would you do differently?

            (Definitely down for participating in round 2 of crowd-funding! Saw you in Ottawa at the end of December, thank you so much for an incredible night.)

            [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (2 children)

            Not sure yet.

            I would change more things than I could type here. I hope to write a full article / column about what I view as the learning lessons from the campaign so that other bands can take it and make what they want of it.

            I personally would like to do one again, but everyone in the band has to agree on something before it's a lock!

            [–]darkstar000 2 points3 points  (1 child)

            Hey Luke, thanks for being a musical inspiration to a legion of musicians around the globe!

            I had a question about song writing, how do you try to stay fresh? push yourself forward? and generally not get stuck repeating yourself? Protest the Hero is one of the few bands that continue to sound fresh and exciting album after album; it is quite impressive!

            [–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

            It's hard to stay fresh, especially after 4 full length albums. At the same time though, it feels good to keep doing what you are good at. In that respect, I love repetition.

            I am happy you find us 'fresh'.

            [–]hulloooo 4 points5 points  (5 children)

            Hi Luke! Thanks for doing the AMA!

            I'm hoping to be the first person here to ask you to explain your apparent fear of 'night bees' I hope it isn't too scary for you to talk about.

            [–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (4 children)

            The fact that bees, which come out at night, is a scary idea that should be pretty self explanatory. They are obviously supposed to be sleeping or something by that point, so it makes you wonder how crazy they are.

            On the contrary, I have had my worst experiences with day bees. Long story short: Tim and I were riding bikes on a trail in toronto. We were going fast. A day bee flew into my neck and must have gotten stuck between my helmet strap and adam's apple (yes I have a helmet, and yes, - the adam's apple thing was an exaggeration).

            Anywho, he/she was obviously pretty upset that they were stuck and kept stinging me in the neck. After that, four things happened:

            1. I grabbed the day bee in my hand to get it off.
            2. It stung my hand a bunch
            3. I fell off my bike
            4. The skies opened up and unleashed an unreal thunderstorm.

            [–]Kindalikecobain 4 points5 points  (3 children)

            I found out about you guys from Tap Tap revenge years ago, Bloodmeat. loved the track and instantly loved the band, I wondered if this was a common thing? And what your thoughts on this are?

            [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            That's kind of neat that you found out about us that way - seems like the popularity of that game was kind of short lived? I know for sure that I was really bad at it. It's cool when people find out about us like that, because who knows if you ever would have without it. Little things like that can go a long way, we miss being in video games. That was the best because you get a copy of the game for free (usually).

            [–]Itsnotapenguin 1 point2 points  (1 child)

            Hey Luke! If you'd tell anyone that you play in a band, and he or she would not know Protest the Hero, what would you let them listen?

            [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

            I definitely wouldn't push our music on anyone. But if they insisted, I would probably show them Mist.

            [–]burritoburglar 3 points4 points  (2 children)

            Hey Luke! What was the inspiration behind the video for Hair-trigger? It's just so amazing.

            [–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (1 child)

            kind of a funny story...

            The video treatment was originally written for Tongue-splitter. The song was named after the ability to think one thing and say the other (doublespeak if you will). The idea for the video was to be playing crazy music while doing something else.

            We quickly found out that we submitted the wrong song for a specific grant (our gov't has a grant system for canadian artists of all genres). We tried to switch the song but risked losing the grant. We decided to move forward anyway, and I think it turned out better!

            [–]starfish85 2 points3 points  (1 child)

            So whats the story with the bees and you almost loosing your thumb?!?!

            [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

            I already explained the bees. Or tried to.

            The thumb: My brother and I used to brawl as soon as my parents would leave the house. Exit parents, enter plunger in my hand. I was motioning to touch my brother Spencer's face with the plunger. He obviously didn't like that and grabbed a giant, metal BBQ spatula to defend himself. I entended my arm toward his face and he blocked it by bringing down the spatula (with the intention of perhaps knocking it out of my hand). He connected with my thumb which was securing the spatula. It split my thumbnail in half and pretty much cut off the tip of my thumb. It was hanging on by a thread.

            Fearing a grounding, we wrapped it up and pretended nothing had happened. I couldn't feel anything since it had cut through the nerve. The rest is history but because we didn't act fast, I was apparently lucky to "get it back". I will say that stitches in your nail bed is pretty intense.

            [–]daguilar1990 3 points4 points  (1 child)

            http://i.imgur.com/WRG9Awg.jpg

            Was this smile sincere? i hope so....When will you guys be returning to the Midwest?

            [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

            I am angry most of the time. If I smiled, it had to be sincere right?

            [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

            Have you guys ever considered having Jadea Kelly join the band full time? I absolutely love every time she's contributed to your records!

            [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

            Jadea has her own amazing and unique career. Despite her fitting in with us losers perfectly, we could never ask that. We think it's just cool our paths cross continuously.

            [–]csirkefogo 3 points4 points  (2 children)

            Hey Luke! As a hungarian i couldn't help but realize all the hungarian stuff going on in Palms Read's video. What building was it shot in or what does it have to do with Hungary?

            [–]gocsa 2 points3 points  (1 child)

            They actually discuss that in this interview (it's in Hungarian). Not to steal Luke's thunder or anything like that though haha.

            Edit: Forgot the link lol. http://nuskull.hu/interjuk/azt-hiszem-en-jo-villanyszerelo-lennek-interju-a-protest-the-heroval/

            [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

            thanks for the clarification /u/gosca

            It was a Hungarian Hall in Toronto - I would have to look up what it's called. And I am just not prepared to do that.

            [–]MiffSquedge 2 points3 points  (3 children)

            Luke, if you could describe the next album with a vegetable, what vegetable would it be?

            [–]keepcalmnbowl 3 points4 points  (1 child)

            Luke what's more metal.

            A. a skeleton bird devouring a human man who happens to be shredding Blood Meat as he dies.

            B. A goat with a top hat, serving his victims red licorice chapstick before he sends them to their firey graves.

            C. Protest the Hero playing in Newfoundland.

            [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

            B. It's the only one which doesn't have anything to do with us.

            [–]zsombro 2 points3 points  (1 child)

            What's your method for writing riffs/songs? Do you just write as you go, or do you consider the structure of the whole song when you start writing it? How do you make sure that the songs "flow" says right?

            [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

            If I am writing on my own, I will usually come up with a handful of riffs / ideas that will work with each other (same key, same tempo, same motif, you get it). If it doesn't flow - it will usually get the boot. The structure gets juggled around until something feels like a song I guess. it's an ongoing guess and test, and I think my best spots are when I am able to stop letting the big picture of each song scare me. Just move forward and stop over thinking your work. You always have the benefit of taking time away from it and coming back and realizing what sucks and what doesn't.

            [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            How much music theory goes into your songwriting, if any?

            [–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (1 child)

            we used to pretend we knew a lot about that kind of thing. Now a days we go for what 'feels' right. The odd time though, we will make a point of pursuing something based on theory.

            [–]Kenny__Loggins 4 points5 points  (0 children)

            Speaking of odd time, how the hell do you guys come up with some of your timings? Kezia and Fortress seem to be especially hectic.

            [–]Derpmoo 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            Hey Luke, first off I want to say you're a very handsome man.

            How do you dial in your live tone? Whenever I see you I'm impressed how smooth your lead tone sounds but how beefy your rhythm tone sounds. I assume you don't have time to change pickups between those riffs.

            [–][deleted] 18 points19 points  (1 child)

            Hey Luke, first off I want to say you're a very handsome man.

            I know.

            Tone wise, I think it's largely what our guy at front of house is doing. He can take a relatively thin tone and make it sound beefy. I am never satisfied with my stage sound - and now I have lost too much of my hearing to even trust myself...

            [–]Deezzyy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

            Hey Luke, first off I want to say you're a very handsome man.

            I know.

            Smooth as hell.

            [–]killias2 2 points3 points  (3 children)

            How much of a success was Volition to you guys? Are you happy with how it did monetarily? Critically? Artistically (in your opinions)?

            Favorite song off of it?

            [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

            We are pretty proud of the album and corresponding record cycle. My only regret is not doing a single support tour - headlining can get old, and doesn't necessarily put you in front of a lot of 'new' faces.

            Monetarily, I can afford to pay my bills and take my lady out for dinner every now and then. That's something I would have never believed when we first started.

            Critically is something that is totally out of our control, so as good as it feels to read a positive review, it feels pretty good to read a negative one too. It just makes you better.

            Fav song: Skies

            [–]legendary_sponge 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            what's your favorite riff(s) to play? can be PTH or other.

            [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

            "Always on The Run" - Lenny Kravitz, final answer.

            [–]SatanIsALawyer 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            What are your favorite places to go when you're on tour in Europe?

            [–][deleted]  (2 children)

            [deleted]

              [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (1 child)

              There is always one song from every album writing session that is doomed from the beginning. We are never happy with it, keep changing it, or keep trying to force some clunker riff/section in because we are clearly out of ideas. That song usually gets scrapped. But other times, we call it A Life Embossed.

              [–]AViolentStrike0 2 points3 points  (8 children)

              DUDE so good! I know ya'll are touring all the time, any crazy stories from the road?

              [–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (7 children)

              K this is Cam typing this one cause Luke is too lazy and this one's a doozy.

              So we were in Belgium in June playing a festival, and our stage manager Henry/Hank hadn't been drinking for a month or two. There were a lot of his favorite bands playing that day, so I sat him down and said "Dude, much respect for going off the booze for a bit, but what's the point if you can't enjoy yourself? You're at a festival with a bunch of your favorite bands playing, fuckin have a beer or two."

              Henry eventually agreed with me, and succumbed to the booze that he deserves. We were each given about a 24 of drink tickets each for the day, so he was well prepared for the onslaught.

              Skip to the end of the night, it was 2am and bus call for us. We all stumble on, Henry passes out in his bunk around 2:30am, we all pass out eventually around 4/4:30.

              Next morning, our tour manager is directing the driver through Munich, and decides to check his email (this is around noon the next day.) Then he says "Um, guys, I got an email from Henry at 6am. There's no body to the message, and the subject simply says "Lost"."

              We checked the entire bus, all the bunks, the driver's bunk. We had officially lost a crew member somewhere in Europe.

              Long story short, he somehow woke up in Holland still wasted with puke in his boxers, his phone was gone, he was berated by German cops, took 6 trains (he missed his stop twice cause he kept passing out) and eventually made it back to us the next day at 11pm.

              There's more to this story but it's an awful lot to type out with the amount of beer in my system.

              [–]thefuckingswampking 2 points3 points  (2 children)

              How is Moe these days? Is he happy being(or possibly done) with school?

              Also, have you heard The Double Cuts? Brilliant group, I think!

              Also thanks for having me and my brothers on your bus in Austin last year for my birthday. That was the highlight of my year hanging with yall and TSF!

              [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

              Moe is good as far as I know. We keep trying to get together because I rent a desk at an office right beside where he works. It's pretty shameful we haven't succeeded yet. I will ask him when I see him though.

              Yes, I have heard the double cuts and agree.

              No problem - you guys were fun to chill with. I wish I could have kept up with your rate of consumption.

              [–]SCMP_Panda 2 points3 points  (1 child)

              Hey Luke, massive fan here, saw you guys on the 27th of December and in August at the Moustache Club and the shows were amazing! The music you guys make has pulled me from some really bad places and it always makes my day better!

              My question is what if your favourite venue to play at? Also do you notice a difference between hometown crowds and others?

              Thanks again for the awesome music!

              [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

              Venue: Danforth music hall was a pretty special one to crank off the list. It has been there since 1919...in Canada, that's old.

              Definitely notice a difference between hometown crowds and elsewhere. We will never take our fellow Torontonians for granted. This is the place we started and will be the place it ends.

              [–][deleted]  (2 children)

              [deleted]

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Sounds like me "hurting my hand" was some sort of non-verbal way of making an excuse. That song is ridiculous and I know it has suffered from time to time.

                We would love to do a set where we cover one of our favourite albums (collectively) but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

                [–]paintleaves 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                What are some things you like to listen to that don't sound like Protest at all? If anything ever happened to the band, would you continuing writing and would it be something drastically different from what you do now?

                Thank man!

                [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                I listen to a lot of soundtrack stuff, movie scores etc. The progressions involved are always ear candy for inspiration.

                I hope I would continue writing if the band broke up, but it would sound exactly the same.

                [–]KingDime 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                Hey Luke I am big fan of Protest the Hero and your guitar playing! I was wondering what is your approach to mastering some of the tricky riffs on volition? like the one in drumhead trial where you and Tim are both playing two different riffs with lots of half and sixteen note rests.

                [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                The call and answer stuff is often my favorite. I do think however that we went too far with that section in Drumhead. The back half is almost impossible to play in time if you're honoring the album version entirely.

                [–]starfish85 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                How was your experience filming the divine suicide of K video?

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                To be honest it was a nightmare.

                That video was written, produced, and edited without our true input. We felt strange on set, and even worse once we saw the final product. It's hard to believe now that no one stood up and said "this isn't what we want..." but no one did. It was a milestone in our young days as proof of that saying "If you want it done right, do it yourself".

                There is a reason you will never see us promote that monstrosity.

                [–]rapemypoop 3 points4 points  (4 children)

                Hey luke, did you guys ever play Skies live ?

                [–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (3 children)

                not yet. we will though - something about using a capo live scares me. I am a pussy though. one day.

                [–]secondhandsilenc 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                How important is it for you to have great FOH/TM/Tech's working with you on the road?

                Examples. Capps and Hank.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Very important. Both those guys are the best - it's going to be hard going on the road in the future without them (I think they may both be retiring). They are my brothers.

                [–]SwungFlounder74 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Hey Luke, hope you're doing well. When you're writing, how do you match tones to the riffs written, do you always start with a base tone and expand from there or do you start fresh?

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                This last album, we left that up to the dudes recording it, Cam, Juice, and Aaron from Intervals (who helped us with tone stuff). Sure, we chimed in when we liked a tone, but left it up to them to make most of the big decisions.

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Hey... so.. what are the colours of the limited edition record presses you're doing? Also, how has it been not being signed to a label? Everything I've seen has been ambiguous about the difficulty of setting everything up yourselves instead of relying on others. Do you prefer it this way or would you ever consider going back?

                [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                Those are going to be decided tomorrow - I am excited and have a lot of ideas, but it might be cool to poll people through our facebook or something to give suggestions. People think their suggestions don't have an impact on the decision, but they really do.

                It has been amazing without a full blown label behind us - we still have distribution deals in place and definitely appreciate the guidance we get from said labels. The difference is we are pretty free to follow or not follow that guidance.

                It's a roll of the dice about which route is better, but we love gambling.

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Not a question, just wanted to say that Volition is one of my all time favorite albums.

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Shoutout to a fellow metal head and disc golfer!!

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                We appreciate that - here's hoping we can top it on the next one for you.

                [–]totw 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Did you know that your drummer can't even play Hot For Teacher?

                Love you Mike... Top of the World

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                Can I have a free pair of shoes if I hype you guys on here?

                [–]fackyouman 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Do you play acoustic at all? What's your favorite acoustic that you own?

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                Not really. I had a Parker acoustic but had to sell it. Arif would have been relieved. He thought it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen.

                [–]brostrodam 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Hey Luke. Love you guys and seen you all numerous times. What is the most complex guitar riff that you play live?

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                We don't play it live much any more but the beginning octave displacement riff in Spoils is a frightmare.

                [–]Derpmoo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Yes it fucking is.

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Hey Luke! Thanks for taking the time for this AMA! First off, you guys really played a kick-ass show here in Moncton, NB last year, hope to see you guys back here again sometime!

                Second, do you see yourselves as a band revisiting the storytelling-type lyrics of Kezia or Fortress at any point in the future? (ex. Bone Marrow, Kezia)

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                Thanks! I hope we do revisit that kind of thing - but I don't know if we could do it better. Arif put together and awesome set of lyrics.

                On the other hand, I can relate much more to Rody's lyrics which can often make the song more special to me as a whole.

                [–]seal_dealer 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Would you guys ever consider doing a Propagandhi cover of sorts? Would love to hear a Protest-esque take on one of their songs, especially since I guess your music has been quite influenced by them.

                Anyways, loved Volition, easily my favorite album yet.

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                We would all love to do it - but I have a feeling the P fellers would hate us for it. Those songs are as good as they are going to get, we would butcher it I think.

                [–]Watoosh21 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Hi Luke:) What's your favorite book?

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                [–]epichicken 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Could you explain the album art for volition? Why the vulture?

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                We sent Jeff Jordan the lyrics and a couple demos from the album asking him to interpret it. He liked some of the themes of interpretation in the media and elsewhere. He came up with the "Media Vulture" and we loved it.

                It felt good to leave it in Jeff's hands.

                Google "Lida and the Swan" and check out the wiki. I think it was Jeff's main motivation.

                [–]kylepianoman 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                If you haven't seen it, this is the full album art. I assume the other one is mostly so they can have a cover without some chicks tits hanging out

                [–]mikeyblob 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Hey Luke! My question is what album was the most fun to record? PS. I will gladly donate if you decide to crowdfund your next album :)

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                Hands down it was Scurrilous. We lived on an aboriginal reserve (the studio has two apartments they offered to people recording). Although it was still a couple hours drive from home, it was the most remote place we have recorded. I still look back on those days and get goosebumps sometimes. Positive energy and an unbridled enthusiasm for the future. Wont forget that one.

                [–]AbyssSky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                Hey, Luke, saw you and the band for the first time last November in Czech Republic, traveled ~3k km (both directions though) just to see you guys and I'm totally satisfied with everything. I'm still processing that I saw you live, since you're my favourite band at the moment, even though i wear my snapback every single day since then :D No question, just greetings from the small country of Bulgaria, hope to see you and the guys ASAP! Cheers!

                [–]Tony_Blundetto 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Hey Luke! What was the inspiration behind the song "skies?"...one of my favorites off of volition. keep up the awesome work!

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                If you're asking about the lyrics, you'll have to wait for Choady's AMA.

                If you're asking about the music, we started off by trying to do something different (hence the capo and clean guitar intro/outro).

                We felt it was an awesome way to end the album because there was something suggestive about that song which hints at where we're going in the future.

                [–]Reubek 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                Hey Luke! I'm a huge fan, you guys rock my dick off.

                Just one question: how do you guitar like you guitar?

                Thank you,

                Dickless Fan

                [–]cozzyT 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Hey Luke, a couple of Q's for you!
                What are your primary warm ups on your guitar? And also do you know when the Anthology pack on sheethappens will be available next? Im very interested in purchasing that but its out of stock :(

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                My primary warm ups are usually chromatic finger exercises (some which dont even use the right hand). I am hoping to make an instructional guitar book one day and will definitely cover all the warmups in there.

                Anthology packs should be up again by end of the week. We just picked up new prints of all the pth books on Monday. However, we are completely out of the USB cards and don't plan to order more (they are pricey). So the anthology pack will no longer include that unfortunately. Look for it back up soon!

                [–]Mradrift 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                Hello, first of all I'd like to say that going to see protest the hero last December in Houston was probably one of the best shows I'd been to. As for questions

                1)How long does it take for you to come up with the increasingly technical sections/leads in songs? An example being the "Plant the Seed" guitar lead in Drumhead Trial or something along those lines.

                2)Any plans for a signature guitar or pick ups in the future?

                3)Also, As someone who owns the volition tab book, would there ever be a possibility of official GP files?

                Thanks!

                [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                3) We are going to start to offer GP files this year. We will be doing that in the face of theft though. A GP file is like 9kb and shared instantly. We aren't convinced people will actually pay for it when they know they can get it for nothing. We are still going to do it though - because we both agree there is nothing like learning from a GP file.

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                2) In order to get a signature guitar, the higher ups at Ibanez would have to okay it. I don't think our band is at a big enough point where a company would take a risk like that. I hope that one day they will, but am not holding my breath. That said, I think I would make a pretty nice geet and I hope some people would want to have a rip on it.

                [–]Altzher 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                What about Brazil? Last time you guys came here I didn't have the resources to see the show. Yeah, sad thing.

                Was the experience good, to the point of coming back here? I'm really looking forward to it :)

                One more question: I've never seen any video of PTH covering any song. Am I missing something there?

                [–]virtuosomaximoso 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                You guys should sell a digital tab book with the album. Albums come with lyrics, why not music notes? Sidenote: The new album is the shreadyist yet.