The Protest: “The Protest” Album Review
We have waited five long years for a new album from the midwest rockers known as The Protest. Their new self-titled album arrives five years after the Death Stare EP, which followed their first two albums, Legacy and Great Lengths. We got a chance to have an early listen to the new self-titled album and the band absolutely delivered. From beginning to end, they set out on a course to remind people that the world can only deliver so much; it will never fulfill you the way that the love and grace of Jesus Christ can.
The Protest Album Review
Tracks: 12
Release Date: September 10, 2026
Label: Independent Release
The album kicks off with “The Beginning of the End.” This will serve as a bookend with the closing track to bring a cinematic beginning and end to the album. The simple, subtle Southern riffs accompanying Josh’s vocals set the tone right from the start. Within the short minute and a half track, you can hear the southern/midwest rock ‘n’ roll that has influenced their entire musical career up to this point.
They launch right into “Schematics of a Shadow” which casts the drums and bass as the star attraction of the song. Josh brings both the grittiness of his vocals along with a soft, melodic vocal range. I love the encouraging lyrics as the message shares that no matter what we’ve done in our lives, God always sees the best in us.
“You always find a way to see the best in me. The measure of your love is always like the schematics of a shadow.”
I love this lyric, because you can’t measure a shadow. You can’t form a shadow to a specific set. You can’t measure the love of God. You can’t measure the value that He sees in all of us.
From talking about shadows to being reminded to breathe, we move onto “Dying Breath.” It starts with some serious, intense guitar riffs. The tempo is fun as Jarob plays a great technical beat in the pre-chorus. The guitar solo is intense and has you shredding along with your air guitar in the car. The band demonstrates their musical prowess through the guitars and drums, proving exactly why you need to listen to them. The song also gives 2000s post-hardcore vibes with the mixture of screams and clean vocals.
“Lies” tackles a topic that we all struggle with. The intense gritty intro musically echoes the lies the enemy tells us, before tempering into a softer vocal opening. This is an absolute head banger of a song. The mellowed out middle portion of the song leads into a breakdown worthy of attention. I love the lyrics of this song talking about how the enemy tries to fill our head with lies and keep us from the truth that God has for us.
“Lies within my head…somewhere inside your whispers are louder than screams. But somehow I follow the voices so blindly.”
We can focus on the lies and hear those over what God is speaking over us. What do you want to listen to? The lies of the world or the truth and encouragement from God?
If you remember a lot of Christian rock albums in the 2000s, they followed a basic formula. The first half of the album would start off lively and rock-oriented, but then we would get a worshipful-minded song that slows down the album. This is what we’ve come to with “Chasing Ghosts.” The opening piano sounds like something we would hear from Red. The serious, vulnerable tone that is sung and played gives me chills. The bass comes in about halfway through and helps to round out the overall sound of the song. Blending a delicate piano arrangement, an 80s-inspired guitar solo, and the nostalgic vibe of 2000s Christian rock, this track pulls from a wide variety of musical influences. This definitely checks off the list of those millennial Christian rock fans who long for those days.
We move into the next three songs that were released over the past couple of years in “Griefcase,” “Cloudwalker” and “Take It Back.” We go from this worshipful atmosphere of “Chasing Ghosts” into a straight up rock anthem with “Griefcase.” The song collects another great guitar solo from Adam. This is a song that you can certainly sing along to in the car or play in the gym. The lyrics refer to the dead weight of grief that we can carry through life and the self-imposed burdens that we place. We can offer them to God so He can take on that dead weight.
Next is “Cloudwalker.” The opening with the guitars and bass sound very reminiscent of A Day to Remember. The Protest said they wrote this song as a summer anthem. It’s gritty, but lighter than most of their usual rock songs. The chorus is catchy and Josh’s vocals are easy to sing along with. Adam’s guitar solo shows why he’s a very talented guitarist and how his style fits with the rest of the band. The song is focused on the peace that we find through Christ alone and the relief that peace brings in.
“Now I’m walking on the clouds. I finally get a chance to see the stars. Look how bright they are.”
It’s hard to fully comprehend, but God grants us the peace and confidence needed to navigate life's darkest moments. But, God is always there and always ready!
“Take It Back” was originally released in 2024 and was somewhat overlooked until the band started piecing together the new album. The song starts immediately with that midwest rock ‘n’ roll sound that immediately gets you head banging. I love how the bass accompanies the vocals and how they fit together. I also enjoy the pause after “It’s who we are and we never want the world back!” where everything backs out momentarily before slamming into the chorus. This is an absolute moshpit song. The boldness of the lyrics is encouraging and written with the people called “rejects” in mind. The emphasis of this song is rejecting what the world can give us because we have something better. The double bass outro whips you into a frenzy when you see them live.
“My king took 39 from a whiplash…proud to be rejects.”
Are you willing to step up for the gospel? What’s holding you back? Are you worried about other people’s concerns on your life?
We’re coming down the home stretch of the album first with “Terror Eyes.” The bass/guitar combo gives a distorted intro that shows the efficiency of the band’s ability. For a majority of the song, Josh provides these gritty, grainy vocals with the exception of the chorus, where we get a harmony version of his voice. I love the intensity and depth that comes from the overall sound. The song reminds me a little bit of Pillar in some aspects, especially how they arrange the vocals and guitars.
I remember when the band released “Chains Are For Breaking” as a single earlier this year and being absolutely impressed and intrigued by the single’s sound. It caught my attention and raised my expectations for the new album. From the gritty southern guitar riffs to the bouncy, punchy tone set by the drums and the pounding bass, this song is a head banger. It’s addictive and you can’t help but move when you hear it! This is another song that would be a highlight of a gym playlist.
“Show me what you got. Do you want to live or not? Fate’s what you make it. So go and make it. Oh, get up off the floor. Is death what you’re living for? Chains are for breaking, so go and break them.”
“Never Say Die” has an interesting sound to it. While the earlier tracks are pure exercise fuel, this one feels tailored for the open road. The brotherly duo of Josh and Jarob sharing the vocals during the verses compliment each other very well. The guitar squeals during the bridge are a nice touch and add a splash of uniqueness to the album.
The album wraps up with “The End of the Beginning.” It serves as a continuation of the opening track before launching into a full rock guitar riff with Adam’s fingers dancing all along the fret board. This serves as a great bookend to show the band’s musical abilities and bring the show to a great end.
We recently got to see The Protest at The Junction Center in Manheim, PA and they put on an incredible show. They played with the same, live intensity for 100 people as they would for 2500. They are incredibly humble, and their only desire is to encourage the body of Christ and bring new people to the gospel. The album confronts deep-seated insecurity and self-doubt while empowering listeners to shed past burdens.
After listening through the album multiple times, I’m really excited to see what other people have to say about it when it comes out. If you’re in the Shippensburg, PA area this weekend, don’t forget to come check out their set at Uprise Festival 2026. If not, make sure to catch them on tour, because this has to be one of the best albums of the year. It’s high-octane, fun and full of life-giving encouragement. Get this record and rock out!
