When Stephen Harrison and Aric Importa left Fever333, it was very unclear if or when both of these top-notch musicians would return. It took a short while, but when House Of Protection was announced, the news took the alternative scene by storm. The hype was nearly overwhelming, and their debut EP proves to match this hype.
With four of the six tracks on this EP already out, the short record starts out with the band’s most recent single ‘Pulling Teeth’. This electric track is a combination of rap, pop punk and includes a massive, catchy chorus, as well as a miniature breakdown before coming back into the chorus.
The second song is one of the couple that are not yet released. The rapping verses here are powerful, yet the chorus fails to pack that electrifying punch which ‘Pulling Teeth’ gives.
What follows is easily the best song on this EP, ‘Learn To Forget’, which hits hard right from the get go. The verses are packed with energy and the chorus is going to be very complicated to get rid of once you have heard it. Both musicians deliver fantastic performances here. Importa is one of the most energetic and creative drummers in the game and this track shows why. His fills and grooves in the pre choruses and throughout the song matched with Harrison’s barky voice is a winning combination.
This collection of tracks up to this point has been very varied, and ‘Being One’ is the only track here that is fully a hip-hop track. It is calmer, and compared to the other songs, not only that come before it, but that follow it, this one feels bland and underwhelming as it gives off a sensation that this song goes nowhere.
The song that follows ‘Being One’ is the track that announced the band to the world. The band’s debut single ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’. Another intense, fierce track, it is filled with Harrison’s unique screams which is what gives the song all of its energy. With another breakdown here, this track along with ‘Learn To Forget’ are the stand-out songs on this EP.
Galore ends with another song that is more hip-hop leaning. ‘Better Off’ is much more laid back than most of the tracks on this EP but is one of the more unique ones. The use of drum machines and electronic sounds give ‘Better Off’ a techno or dubstep feel. Whilst the song lacks energy, the chorus is still memorable and makes for a very easy and pleasant listen.
With all of these tracks being at around the three minute mark, House Of Protection have clearly aimed to make all of these tracks memorable. There is something on Galore to make every listener happy no matter which genres you enjoy and even though this is something unexpected upon hearing the singles, it deserves respect.
This is the music that both Harrison and Importa wanted to make for so long, that much is evident. Paired with Jordan Fish as producer for this EP, Galore is a very strong compilation of tracks, and as House Of Protection will continue to grow, if they continue releasing songs like these, then the protection will turn into domination.
House of Protection: Galore – Out 13th September 2024 (Red Bull Records)
of Protection – Learn to Forget (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)
