Protest The Hero in Winnipeg

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.

Kaonashi is an American hardcore band formed in Philadelphia in 2012. Their music draws on mathcore, post-hardcore and screamo, while their lyrics follow recurring fictional characters and an interconnected narrative. The album Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year includes songs such as “An Evening of Moving Pictures with Scooter Corkle” and “I Hate the Sound of Car Keys.” In 2021, Kaonashi joined Hail the Sun on the New Age Filth tour, which also featured Kurt Travis and Body Thief. The band later carried its full-band set to Furnace Fest in Birmingham.