“Nothing you can fix in the House of Protection.”
Nu-metal adjacent music is everywhere. I’d say, objectively, there’s too much being made since so much of it is essentially smut. However, House of Protection, brainchild of Aric Improta and Stephen Harrison (ex-Fever 333) are thankfully not part of that category. And if you know them and are familiar with their work and temperament, you know they bleed this style of music. That dedication and experience shows on the duo’s upcoming debut EP, Galore, out this Friday.
Take the band’s first ever single, “It’s Supposed to Hurt”, for example. The track starts off moody and there’s a certain level of atmosphere that you don’t normally get within the nu-metal sub-genre. One should also quickly notice the fact that both members sing. This is a great boon for their musical output and keeps every song fresh and dynamic. Both have vocals that are emotionally delivered and full of energy, perfect for their sound. They are also distinct enough to form a juxtaposition that they can use between verses. This track has a stellar, chunky breakdown section with great transitions into and out of it. There’s more creativity and energy in this track than discographies of their contemporaries.
Stephen’s contributions on the EP’s opener, “Pulling Teeth”, are more melodic, sounding almost like Dave Escamilla (ex-Crown the Empire) while Aric delivers more dreamy, near rap verses. The track doesn’t do anything totally mind blowing, but the guitar tones are perfect, and it moves between softer and heavier moments with deliberate care, flexing their song writing. The production on the drums and guitar, as I alluded to, are nu-metal perfection, and you can thank Jordan Fish for his production credits. We are now spoiled with how he fine tuned the way House of Protection sounds, and I can only hope he sticks with Aric and Stephen.
“Learn to Forget’s” noisy, chaotic start is something I think the band can really develop and use more, but I’ll take what I can get for now. It’s a great start for a great cut that jumpstarts the listener and doesn’t let up. The performances for the whole project are spot on, as one should expect from these veterans, but it really becomes clear during Learn to Forget due to the aforementioned chaotic nature of it. The band also maintains a certain level of fun, throwing in claps, and Aric hitting the rim of a mid-tom in rhythm. Plus there’s the “bring the chorus back” from Stephen after a two-step section. This aspect of the band is very much apparent within their many music videos, which I highly recommend checking out – they are putting out some of the best music videos in the scene, despite being a new group.
“Fuse” is an interesting cut, opting for a jumpier, more electronic sound for the verses, while the chorus is a soft top line. The guitar chord progression outside of the electronics for both the verses and choruses is not the band’s best, and it comes across as trying to hide in the background instead of popping like on other cuts. However, I think Stephen’s vocals on the chorus are another aspect to be commended, along with the production, and overall these positive aspect very much give it a Volumes vibe, albeit a softer Volumes song.
Despite “Being One” being a softer track, like “Fade”, it’s more ambitious, serene, and cinematic. Stephen sounds absolutely beautiful here, and he lays down some great poetic lyrics that really fit the atmospheric, drum-n-bass focused instrumental. I can only postulate that the track touches on Stephen’s experiences with being an artist and all the writing and inner reflection that comes with it. Whatever the true meaning, the lyrics are ambiguous enough to mean something different to everyone, and as I’ve mentioned, it’s a fantastic track that further cements the band’s ability to explore many different sounds and be successful anyway.
Lastly, closer “Better Off” returns the mood aided by Fish’s great production decisions. It should come as no surprise that the band also made an RnB/Trap/Metal cut with how these sounds have been mixing and evolving together within some of the biggest artists in the world, as well as the smallest over the past decade or so. Do I think this is the most impressive example? Sadly no. The very cool, glitchy ending saves it from being a complete skip, but I think the scope of “Better Off” falters when compared to how impressive the rest of the project is.
If these words haven’t been clear enough: if you are a fan of nu-metal in any capacity, you should drop whatever you’re doing and listen to Galore. The duo has crafted a varied, dynamic and impressive project that challenges some of the best in quality. Despite each song being different sonically, they all fit under one project and group’s umbrella, showcasing the varied song writing. I’m reminded of Structures’ recent EP, and even an album like Meteora (though not exactly on that level, of course) with the amount of forward thinking for a project of this sound.
9/10
You can pre-order Galore here before it releases this Friday, September 13th.