Protest The Hero Announce 'Within' Album and Release 'Mouthpiece' Video as First New Music in Six Years

PROTEST THE HERO have announced their new studio album "Within", scheduled for release on July 17, 2026. The record marks the Canadian progressive metal band's first new music in six years and arrives alongside the release of the new single and video "Mouthpiece."

The album artwork was created by Martin Wittfooth, while "Mouthpiece" serves as the first preview of a record that continues the band's long-standing combination of technical musicianship, progressive songwriting and lyrical depth.

According to vocalist Rody Walker, "Mouthpiece" is the only song on the album written from a broader societal perspective. He described the track as a reflection on binary thinking and the influence of podcasters and corporate media on public discourse, while the remaining material focuses on more personal perspectives.

Beyond the music itself, "Within" represents a significant milestone for the band as their first fully independent global release and the first album in their catalogue that they completely own, giving the members full control over both the creative and business aspects of the project.

The official video for "Mouthpiece" was directed by Newfoundland filmmaker Troy Maher and produced by Matt Power.

Filmed across the landscapes of Newfoundland and Labrador, the video features extensive drone cinematography highlighting a region that the band has frequently cited among its favorite places to perform. Maher received the Hot Docs Viewers Choice Award in 2021, while Power's production work spans film, television and music videos.

The visual presentation was designed to accompany the scale of the song while showcasing the natural scenery of one of Canada's easternmost provinces.

For Protest The Hero, "Within" takes its title from the Hermetic phrase "As above so below, as within so without, as the universe so the soul."

According to the band, the album focuses on the concept of the inner world shaped by thoughts, emotions and beliefs. The songs explore how external factors affect individual experience, resulting in what the group describes as their most personal material to date.

Guitarist Tim MacMillar explained that ownership of the band's intellectual property became a central goal after previous experiences working within traditional industry structures. As a result, "Within" became the first album in the band's catalogue to be fully owned and controlled by its members.

The creation of "Within" involved multiple studios and collaborators across North America.

Guitars were recorded with Derya Nagle of Good Tiger in Boulder, Colorado.

Vocals were produced and recorded by Milen Petzelt-Sorace at vocalist Rody Walker's home studio in Whitby, Ontario.

Bass and drum production were handled by longtime collaborator Cameron McLellan in Toronto, while drums were written and recorded by Nathan Bulla at Jukasa Studios.

McLellan also performed bass on the album.

The orchestral arrangements were composed by William Lamoureux, known for his work with Nelly Furtado.

Final mixing duties were handled by producer Adam "Nolly" Getgood, whose credits include Periphery, Haken and SikTh.

FORMATS

Vinyl Variant 1 — "Saffron Splatter" (limited to 500 copies)

Vinyl Variant 2 — "Butterfly Burst" (limited to 500 copies)

Vinyl Variant 3 — "Sunbeam Swirl" (limited to 500 copies)

Vinyl Variant 4 — "Borealis Bloom" (limited to 500 copies)

Digipak CD with 16-page lyric booklet

T-Shirt — "Horn Bearer" (Black)

T-Shirt — "Infinite Pasture" (Charcoal)

T-Shirt — "Puffin Country" (Deep Navy)

T-Shirt — "PTH Orchards" (Forest Green)

Long Sleeve — "Within" (Ash)

Hoodie — "Mouthpiece" (Black)

All bundles include either a Green Apple air freshener or magnet, along with a signed print autographed by Rody Walker, Luke Hoskin and Tim MacMillar.

UK & EUROPEAN TOUR 2026

July 30, 2026 — Glasgow, Scotland — Slay

July 31, 2026 — London, England — Scala

August 1, 2026 — Manchester, England — Radar Festival

August 3, 2026 — Utrecht, Netherlands — Tivoli Pandora

August 4, 2026 — Berlin, Germany — Metropol

August 5, 2026 — Jaromer, Czech Republic — Brutal Assault

August 7, 2026 — Karlsruhe, Germany — Substage

August 8, 2026 — Munich, Germany — Free & Easy Festival

August 9, 2026 — Budapest, Hungary — Dürer Kert

Since forming as pre-teen friends, Protest The Hero have built one of the most recognizable catalogues in modern progressive metal.

Their discography includes "Kezia", "Fortress", "Scurrilous", "Volition", "Pacific Myth" and "Palimpsest."

Among those releases, "Fortress" achieved Gold certification in Canada.

The band has also received a Revolver Golden Gods Award, multiple Canadian Independent Music Awards, five Juno Award nominations and one Juno Award win.

Throughout their career, Protest The Hero have toured alongside Killswitch Engage, Between The Buried And Me, Tesseract, Periphery and Propagandhi, while appearing at major events including the Vans Warped Tour and Australia's Soundwave Festival.

MEMBERS
Rody Walker — Vocals (recording & touring)
Tim MacMillar — Guitar (recording & touring)
Luke Hoskin — Guitar (recording)
Cameron McLelland — Bass (recording)
Nathan Bulla — Drums (recording)
Ben Davis — Guitar (touring)
Henry Selva — Bass (touring)
Matt Kidby — Drums (touring)

Across more than two decades, Protest The Hero have maintained a distinctive position within progressive metal through technical musicianship, complex arrangements and a willingness to evolve from album to album while remaining independent in their creative approach.

With "Within", Protest The Hero begin a new chapter built around complete ownership of their work and the release of their first new music in six years. The album continues a catalogue that spans more than two decades while reflecting the band's ongoing commitment to artistic independence and creative control.

Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist

Photo credit: Sandra Lee Layden

Watch the official video for "Mouthpiece" below.