Neu House Of Protection: “We’re in this for the long haul - we’re going to outrun everyone”
Two EPs into their new joint venture, longtime friends and hardcore veterans Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta are establishing themselves as one of the most versatile, forward-thinking acts in heavy music.
One year to the day since House Of Protection launched with the gnarly ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’, there’s a newfound “confidence” brimming out of the duo, according to guitarist Stephen Harrison. Having been in the rock and metal game for 17 years as guitarist of The Chariot and later FEVER 333 – where he befriended HOP drummer Aric Improta, who’s himself also in Night Verses – the duo’s destiny perhaps always lay with one another.
“Any serious relationship is going to be a long-distance run, not a sprint,” he says. “It reflects how we view this project. We’re in this for the long haul – we’re going to outrun everyone.” Tattooed on Stephen’s feet, ‘Outrun You All’ bestows a natural title on House Of Protection’s second EP, a project that follows last September’s frenetic ‘GALORE’, which introduced their glorious megamix of hardcore punk, electronicore and drum ‘n’ bass (think The Prodigy meets Linkin Park).
“‘GALORE’ came easily, but ‘Outrun You All’ was a battle,” admits Stephen. “By the time it’s over, you’re even closer, and you couldn’t dream of doing it with anyone else.” He’s including modern metal genius Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me The Horizon), who’s produced all of HOP’s output, in that reference. “Doing our music with anyone other than Jordan, at this point, would be impossible – we’re too close.”
On ‘Outrun You All’, heavy drum’n’bass scorcher ‘Phasing Out’ is akin to Pendulum’s entire discography (“We always talk about wanting to play EDM festivals,” grins Stephen), while ‘I Need More Than This’ weaves between harsh synth-rock and meditative ambience. “[Our first three singles] each came with their own anxieties,” reflects Stephen. “A year later, I feel so much more confident in our art… every song is going to sound different – forever.”
“It’s justified confidence – we practice a lot, we live and breathe this band.”
— Stephen Harrison
The urgency with which Stephen and Aric are seizing this opportunity seeps out of their music. “He would be over the moon about where I’m at,” beams Stephen, when asked what the 2022 version of himself – desperate to break away from a toxic FEVER 333 and create with Aric – would think of his journey.
Two EPs later, their motivation and ethos is the same – but the major shift lies in that buzzword: confidence. “It’s justified confidence – we practice a lot, we live and breathe this band. We watch [gig] footage back every night to see how we can improve.” Both members share lead vocals, which is a first-time responsibility for either of them.
Baptised by fire, their first tour took place in Australian arenas supporting Bad Omens and Poppy – and they’re hitting Reading & Leeds, Download and London’s O2 Arena with Architects (who enlisted HOP for recent collaboration ‘Brain Dead’) before the year is over. “We’re doing a really cool thing at Download…” Stephen teases. Before any of that, they’ll celebrate the birthday they both share with a Los Angeles EP release show (“I’ve never had a birthday party in my life,” reveals Stephen).
Shaped by the “mentality of putting fun and chaos first” from Stephen’s hardcore days in The Chariot, House Of Protection are helping set the pace for experimentation in heavy music. But first and foremost, they’re two brothers – humble, grateful and ready to run through brick walls in the name of creativity. It’s supposed to hurt, right?
‘Outrun You All’ is out now via Red Bull Records.
Records, etc at
As featured in the May 2025 issue of DIY, out now.
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.