With the impending release of Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional, The Dear Hunter are nearing the completion of one of the most impressive concept album collections ever released in the genre of progressive rock. Over the span of the last decade, the band has written and recorded five Acts albums, which together tell the story of The Boy, a protagonist who journeys through love, war, and rebellion at the turn of the 20th century. The brainchild of frontman Casey Crescenzo, the Acts also offer a unique voice that belies any sort of genre lines; the songs skirt through moments of prog-rock, emo, and hardcore, as well as symphonic and theatrical pop.

After 10 years of relentless gigging and creative album accompaniments that include comic books and lifetime fanclub memberships, The Dear Hunter's fanbase is nothing if not devoted, filled with kids and adults that live and breathe their material. This Friday, September 9, the band releases Act V, and next week they'll embark on a tour they're billing as 'The Final Act.' Leading up to the close of this chapter, we spoke to Crescenzo from his home in Oregon about the mystery of The Dear Hunter story, both fictional, real, and in-between.

Progressive rock––in any usage of the phrase––has simmered to the left of mainstream attention for decades.
"It's a banner that gets tossed around loosely, but "progressive rock" applies to any band that's not tied down by traditional song structure or subject matter, arrangements. It's music born from a place of organic creativity and the desire to be expressive, more so than fitting a genre. I don't think most prog-rock bands or musicians set out to specifically be a prog-rock band, I think they end up there. It's very much a mindset [that says] music should be progressive and forward-thinking, identifying boundaries and pushing them––Art should be progressive or it's just redundant." - says Crescenzo.