By: Brian Defrees

Local Band The Viking helped kick off the night at Valentine’s in Albany, New York. They played a high-energy mix of metal/progressive/ and rock. The vocals were what can only be termed as ‘intense.’ Still, the band seemed to have a very good local draw with their fans screaming along in front of the stage. At one point during their set the singer even hung upside down from the rafters shreiking in in a manner slightly reminiscent of a monkey. If you feel like monkeying around with the band then you can check them out on http://www.myspace.com/theviking

Next up was Architects from the UK. These Brighton boys were a long way from home but they still sang their heart and souls out for the crowd. They played a really mean set getting the mosh pits going and telling their American fans that they were one of the best crowds they’ve had in the US so far. Albany was warmup for Bamboozle the next day for them. You can see more of them on http://www.myspace.com/architectsuk

The Headliner Protest The Hero, the award winning, Canadian mathcore progressive metal band came on stage greeted by a whipped up, enthusiastic crowd. The band had to cancel the Syracuse show the day before due to one of the guitarists forgetting his passport temporarily stranding the entire band at the border. Some fans drove from Syracuse to Albany in order to see them play. The band played a rapid set of their two major label releases, showing pristine musicianship through their complicated riffs and melodies. Rody, the lead singer, kept the crowd interaction on high at all times, even bending all the way to the ground to scream along with fans in the front row on songs such as “Goddess Bound.” At one point during the night he planted a kiss on a female fan in between lyrics. Fans were wowed by Tim and Luke’s shredding guitars, as they mimicked the notes with their hands, which cracked a smile from Luke and Tim during their playlist. Overall it was a very compelling, powerful show with lots of energy. Check them out live when you can! Stop by their site at www.protestthehero.com

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For more information on:

PROTEST THE HERO : www.protestthehero.com

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ARCHITECTS :