▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Protector ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Reanimated Homunculus █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2013-09-28 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: HR Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ One thing is crystal clear: Protector from █ █ Wolfsburg, Germany, are one of those bands that █ █ never really got the attention they deserved. How █ █ could it ever happen that such a great band with a █ █ sound uncompromising and aggressive like burning █ █ sulphur already on their first demo could be so █ █ neglected in the common histories of German █ █ thrash? Vocalist Martin Missy tries to find an █ █ explanation ôI think the reason was that we █ █ released our demo and first records ætoo lateÆ. At █ █ that time, around 1986, 1987, the big German █ █ thrash bands like Kreator, Sodom and Destruction █ █ were already established, and it had become more █ █ and more difficult for new thrash bands to make █ █ themselves heard. If we had released our demo in █ █ 1983 or 1984, we might have become as big as æThe █ █ Big 4 of German thrash metalÆ.ö █ █ There surely is some truth in these words. █ █ Listening to ProtectorÆs recordings of that time, █ █ one is instantly captured and excited by their raw █ █ power and innovative spirit. ôProtector of Deathö, █ █ ôMisanthropyö, ôGolemö and ôUrm the Madö are █ █ counted among the milestones in the history of █ █ death/thrash. █ █ Back in the days, the heart of German thrash beat █ █ in the famous Ruhr-area, where the sullen █ █ monuments of an era of heavy industrialisation █ █ provided a perfect backdrop for music that █ █ expressed juvenile power, insecurity and cold war █ █ angst at the same time. Protector however had █ █ their home base in a different part of the █ █ country, quite close to the then still intact █ █ German Wall. Protector were thus a bit isolated, █ █ though they did have some bonds with the furnaces █ █ of thrash that were glowing in the west: ôOur █ █ drummer Michael had some contact to the Ruhr-scene █ █ because he ran the Sodom fan club for a while. He █ █ also had been the vocalist of WolfsburgÆs first █ █ extreme metal band "Death Attack". When he started █ █ "Protector" together with Hansi Mⁿller, they █ █ wanted to become the most brutal band of all, at █ █ least in Germany.ö That definitely was an █ █ ambitious goal, and judging from ProtectorÆs aural █ █ legacy from the 80Æs, they werenÆt far from █ █ achieving it. Still, Protector never really grew █ █ beyond their underground status. How does Martin █ █ define the role Protector played in the early █ █ German thrash scene, especially with regard to █ █ their sound slowly progressing from thrash to █ █ death/thrash? ôI think we were just an underground █ █ band all the time, so it was difficult for us to █ █ make a real impact on the scene. But we had quite █ █ a few devoted fans, and that was reason enough for █ █ us to keep on going.ö So Martin keeps his focus on █ █ what is most important about metal: the fans. He █ █ is right about doing so, for it was a group of █ █ ardent fans who played an important role in the █ █ resurrection of Protector after they had disbanded █ █ in 2003, as we will see later. █ █ For what reason did the guys in Protector decide █ █ to call it quits, in the early years of the new █ █ millennium? Missy, who had been replaced by Olly █ █ Wiebel before moving to Sweden in 1995, canÆt █ █ really tell: ôWell, I would say that the band █ █ rather dissolved than split up. Between █ █ approximately 2001 and 2003 the band played no █ █ more gigs. First the guitar player and then the █ █ bass player left, and in the end it were only █ █ Marco Pape (drums) and Jacek Zander (vocals). I █ █ don't know the reason why the band stopped playing █ █ live. Maybe they got tired of it all, I don't █ █ knowö █ █ Protector had ceased to exist, but they had not █ █ been forgotten. DidnÆt I say something about the █ █ importance of the fans in the bandÆs history? Here █ █ we go: After having lived in Sweden for a while, █ █ and though being out of the game, Martin █ █ eventually gave in to fansÆ craving to see █ █ Protector playing live again. Together with a █ █ couple of Swedish musicians, namely Mathias █ █ Johansson (bass), Carl-Gustav Karlsson (drums) and █ █ Michael Carlsson (guitars) Martin formed a band █ █ quite similar to, but not quite like Protector, █ █ called ôMartin Missy and The Protectorsö: ôIn 2005 █ █ a metal head called Jonas Svensson came up with █ █ the idea of a Protector cover band with me on █ █ vocals. He put together the band in his hometown █ █ Uddevalla (about 500 km from Stockholm, where I █ █ live). In 2006 we started rehearsing together and █ █ did our first gigs. We played live more than 20 █ █ times, and our biggest gig was at the Chris █ █ Witchhunter tribute festival in 2009.ö Choosing █ █ the name ôMartin Missy and The Protectorsö was a █ █ clear sign that the idea had not been to reform █ █ the ôrealö Protector. Missy even proclaimed in █ █ public that he would never put the name █ █ ôProtectorö on a new record again. Yet sometimes █ █ things work out differently than from what the █ █ intentions had been, especially if they develop a █ █ power and dynamic of their own. ôIn 2011 we had █ █ played with Martin Missy and The Protectors for █ █ five years. The intention had always been to play █ █ only the old songs, but then my band colleagues █ █ came up with the idea that we should write some █ █ new songs. I thought it was a good idea, on the █ █ condition that the old band members of Protector █ █ wouldn't have any objections to this, and that the █ █ songs should be written in an old school styleö. █ █ All conditions were met, and the songs that were █ █ produced made Missy change his mind immediately. █ █ Decisions were made to release the new material on █ █ CD and Vinyl, starting with a demo and a split █ █ single, before a new full length was decided for. █ █ Now what do you need to put out a proper release? █ █ A proper record label. Protector luckily ended up █ █ with High Roller: ôWe were looking for a █ █ æmedium-sizedÆ record company with good █ █ connections and a worldwide net of distribution. I █ █ had already heard about High Roller Records, and █ █ Tormentor from Desaster, who is a friend of mine, █ █ told me to try and contact Steffen. All the guys █ █ at High Roller were really easy to have contact █ █ with, and a couple of weeks later we had signed █ █ the contract with High Roller.ö █ █ Now we got the band together again, the deal is █ █ signed, next comesà the new album of course! What █ █ can we expect from the new Protector? Will the █ █ band turn back to its roots in the 80Æs, will they █ █ be more deathy, like they used to be in the █ █ nineties, or did the relocation to Sweden have a █ █ big influence on how the new Protector will sound? █ █ ôIt will be a mix of brand new songs (two of them █ █ are actually written by me - the first songs I █ █ have ever written for the band), some songs that █ █ have already been released on the demo and the █ █ split between 2011 and 2012, and an old █ █ Protector-song from 2000 that we have made our own █ █ version of. We have tried to write all our songs █ █ in the old Protector-style, and we hope that both █ █ our old and new fans will like them.ö And what █ █ about the sound? ôThe new record will have its own █ █ sound. We've tried to keep it old school, to keep █ █ the raw feeling of the songs. It will probably █ █ sound a little bit more like the █ █ Protector-recordings from the 80Æs than the █ █ recordings from the 90Æs.ö Also, living in Sweden █ █ did not have any unwanted effects on the Protector █ █ sound. Missy and his band mates decided from the █ █ start that they didnÆt want their songs to sound █ █ like the Swedish death metal bands from the early █ █ nineties: ôWe wanted an 80Æs thrash metal sound, █ █ and I hope we have succeeded with that.ö Have █ █ they? You be the judge! █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Sons of Kain 4:02 ░ ░ 2. Deranged Nymphomania 3:16 ░ ░ 3. Holiday in Hell 4:00 ░ ░ 4. Reanimated Homunculus 4:29 ░ ░ 5. Birth of a Nation 5:03 ░ ░ 6. Lycopolis 3:39 ░ ░ 7. Road Rage 2:54 ░ ░ 8. Antiman 5:02 ░ ░ 9. The End 3:40 ░ ░ 10. Calle Brutal 1:25 ░ ░ 37:30 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░