Protest The Hero & Pupil Slicer in Glasgow

Protest The Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band formed in Whitby, Ontario, in 1999. Their music is built around rapid rhythmic changes, intricate guitar parts and Rody Walker’s wide-ranging vocals. The band became known through albums including Kezia, Fortress, Scurrilous, Volition and Palimpsest, as well as songs such as “Blindfolds Aside,” “Bloodmeat” and “Sequoia Throne.” A 2008 performance at Toronto’s Sound Academy was filmed and released as the live set Gallop Meets the Earth. In 2015, the Kezia X Tour featured the debut album performed in full for its tenth anniversary. The band returned to that full-album format for the Fortress X Tour, which marked the record’s tenth anniversary.

Pupil Slicer are a British band based in London, playing dissonant mathcore, grindcore and hardcore. The project began with guitarist and vocalist Kate Davies and developed into a trio. The albums Mirrors and Blossom, together with songs including “Martyrs” and “No Temple,” established the group’s densely structured, abrasive sound. Damnation Festival booked Pupil Slicer in 2021, the year Mirrors was released. The trio later performed at ArcTanGent in 2022, bringing its guitar, bass and drums lineup to one of the UK’s principal festivals for experimental heavy music.