Fifth Hour Hero

by Stewart MasonBuilt on the same strain of epic but roots-conscious punk as X and Social Distortion, Montreal's Fifth Hour Hero blends strong female vocals with solid, meaty tunes that aren't constrained by punk orthodoxy. Formed in 1997, Fifth Hour Hero changed names and lineups several times before settling into its final form, with singer and guitarist Genevieve Tremblay, guitarist and singer Olivier Maguire, bassist Mathieu Guilbault, and drummer Dave Chamberland, in 2000. The band made their official debut with a 2002 vinyl-only split LP with fellow Montreal indie rockers Gunmoll on the No Idea label. This was followed by the six-track EP Collected in Comfort, which was reissued with new artwork in 2005. The band finally made its full-length debut with 2003's Scattered Sentences, itself followed later that year by the EP You Have Hurt My Business and My Reputation Too. Split singles with other Montreal punk bands No Chance and the Sainte Catherines were released in 2004 and 2005. Finally, the band returned with their second proper album, Not Revenge, Just a Vicious Crush, in September 2006. Fifth Hour Hero embarked on their last U.S. tour in the spring of 2007, with Smoke or Fire and Tim Barry, and following a handful of Canadian dates, the band called it quits that June.