# Leitmotif and Movement: A Father and Son Musical Journey Podcast - Episode 52 - Protest the Hero's "Fortress"

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/spdm-crew-7035884/leitmotif-and-movement-a-father-and-son-musical-journey-podcast-episode-52-protest-the-hero-s-fortress
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/spdm-crew-7035884/leitmotif-and-movement-a-father-and-son-musical-journey-podcast-episode-52-protest-the-hero-s-fortress.md
Podcast: [SPDM Crew](https://stenobird.com/podcast/spdm-crew-7035884)
Published: 2026-07-20T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/spdm-crew/3005159
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/383132/3005159/spdm-crew/2026_07_20_02_42_46_f9e3ebc4-b236-4397-917e-a7fbadb67c26.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/spdm-crew-7035884/episodes/leitmotif-and-movement-a-father-and-son-musical-journey-podcast-episode-52-protest-the-hero-s-fortress
Duration seconds: 5414

## Resource

Welcome to the rock history class you actually want to take! In this electrifying 52nd installment, Mike and Michael tackle one of the most intense, rewarding, and structurally mind-bending musical contrasts they've ever attempted on the show. We jumpstart the episode with The Art of Discovery , highlighting three groundbreaking independent acts carving out brilliant spaces in the underground scene: - Nantes, France's emotional, cinematic post-rock outfit We Left In June -The mythical, atmosphere-drenched melodic black metal force Eveale hailing from the depths of The Woodland Realm - The crushing, introspective nu-gaze soundscapes of Kansas City, MO’s very own Endrid . From there, we brace ourselves for our main feature: an extensive, track-by-track dissection of Protest The Hero’s 2008 progressive metal masterpiece, " Fortress .” Together, we analyze the absolute controlled chaos of this record, breaking down how the dizzying, high-speed mathematical precision of guitarists Luke Hoskin and Tim Millar is anchored flawlessly by the not so secret sauce rhythm section of drummer Moe Carlson and funk-influenced bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi. Finally, we pivot to Michael’s Journey to explore the legendary grit of Pat Benatar's 1979 hard rock classic, " Heartbreaker ." We dive into the song’s origins as the heavy, driving blueprint that defined Benatar's career and celebrate guitarist Neil Giraldo's fiery, career-launching solo. (00:00:00) - Intro/What Have You Been Listening to this Week? (00:15:02) - The Art of Discovery (00:15:29) - We Left In June "Spirals" (00:22:54) - Eveale "The Final Quest" (00:28:28) - Endrid "Corruptor" (00:34:41) - Main Topic: Breaking Down Protest The Hero's 2008 release, "Fortress" (01:20:40) - Question for the Audience (01:20:51) - Can't Wait (01…

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## Transcript

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