PROTEST THE HERO Bassist To Sit Out North American Tour

Bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi of the Canadian tech-metal punk act PROTEST THE HERO will sit out the band's upcoming North American tour. He explains in a statement: "As you can readily imagine, this is the most challenging decision I've ever made as a part of this wonderful band and I have not done so lightly.

"Over the past several years, I've been working closely with some very talented performers in creating a stage adaptation of a Dostoevsky story entitled 'The Double'. We debuted February 2012 to enthusiastic audiences which, through good fortune and hard work, has led to a new staging of the show at a different theatre as part of their official season. These dates were originally tailored to work around the PROTEST THE HERO schedule but (as all of you musicians undoubtedly know) creating an album is a series of missed deadlines and inevitably takes longer than expected. The results left us with two options: wait two months with a finished album for my play to be over, or release the music we're so proud of and bring the show to you as soon as possible. The band, as they say, played on.

"Filling in on bass is our longtime friend, producer, creative collaborator, and stand-up gentleman Cameron McLellan. He is a tremendous musician of immense consequence and will likely leave audiences saying 'Riffy who?' If you don't believe me, listen to 'Without Prejudice' on our new album and enjoy his sparkling cameo: an amazing riff he both wrote and performed.

"I have always taken distinct pride that the PROTEST THE HERO audience is open-minded toward art and the creative process. I can only hope you'll be as understanding as my brothers in the band who have shown incredible support and patience in the face of hideous miscalculations of tragic timing.

"I'm sorry to the old friends I'll miss on this tour, and the new friends I would have made. I'll see you all in 2014."

"Volition", the fourth studio album from CPROTEST THE HERO, will be released on October 29 (one day earlier internationally).

The long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Scurrilous" (Vagrant),"Volition" has been licensed to series of worldwide partners who will help distribute and market it to both traditional stores alongside digital service providers, thus making the new record available on a worldwide scale.

PROTEST THE HERO and Razor & Tie will join forces for the United States, while the album will be released in Canada through Sony Music and in the rest of the word via Spinefarm.