Protector (GER)- Misanthropy 12" MLP

(Atom H Records/Human Noise Publishing 1987)

The year is '87 and death thrash metal is the game. This "Persecution Mania" had seemingly manifested itself like an epidemic throughout the continent of Europe and rewrote the standards of the "Teutonic cool" with brand new heavies from the iron men. Protector is not the least dissent of this trend and "Misanthropy" will prove their guilt. But they're smart enough to outrun the other sheep on the same trail. Apparently, these guys wanted to thrash out faster and meaner than their counterparts and they actually succeeded in doing so without falling apart embarassingly. Their ripping speed thrash to my ears is certainly not the easiest feat for the legions of aspiring thrashers 'cos of their highly sophisticated riffings that on the other hand sounds like natural progression. Of instruments aside, the vocals can't go further from early Sodom, the familiar rasping and snarlings that burst command till war. Now, we have a death thrash metal anthem in the making (well, made it by the way) with "Kain and Abel" from Side Deaf. A great midtempo number with the same kind of "live" appeal likened to Manowar where audiences can chant along to the chorus, its malicious grooves and mosh quality is inviting for every maniacs with heart of rusty metal. While the MLP sounds like a most unique and outstanding release from Germany at that time, it seems to be a parallel dimension with Agressor's side of the split with Loudblast, in the same year. Yes, slick riffings, time changes, every bit the making of a great thrash record. But the distinction that Protector made in their career comes rather in the mid stages of their career with what is deemed as the best display of violent death thrash. It wouldn't be too long for you to find out.

 

Protector (GER)- Golem CD

(Atom H Records 1988)

Sodom almost became history as one was led to believe when "Golem" cruises at 800 miles per hour, ramming the stereos with hellish intensity that gives us a rough prelude to what's up on a nuclear doomsday evening. These german thrashers add the "ultra" term to technical, savage death thrash, and they keep the violence in focus. When the guitars are frantically keeping up with the lightning strike of a blast, hell it's violent. When their sudden time changes break out into an unrelenting outburst of energy, that's also violent. While your folks can tell you that some bulk of muscles and stamina are necessary to blast a hell of punishing cataclysm, those intense finger works on the fretboard speaks volume of trainings (face it wankers!) and wizardry. Normal pinkies will have splitted in an ugly way from the expanse of ten intense workouts. Turning from the sinister aggressive thrash of their MLP is another chapter to the order of brutality. When the first track "Delirium Tremens" got into motion, even for we fogeys who've way passed adolescence felt the immediacy to start "bang your head against the stage like you never did before". The vocals are more parched than ever, like every growling moments have that painful sensation of throat bleeding, but here and there you can still check out some vile snarls in grotesque duets. Most of the other tracks play with that gentle act of anticipation, like "Germanophobe" (what a name!), "Protector Of Death", "Megalomania" where they gave you great moshing actions with their midtempo grooves (imagine the "Kain and Abel" vibe, before building into an abrupt climax that penetrates your orifices like a rude awakening.) There are also some dark, doomy moments like the title track "Golem", which the band are also quite successful at pulling off although what we like about Protector is speed and power. This album gives a good compliment to your afternoon sessions of caffeine and testosterone boost, and it doesn't let you down with the cheeseballz "violence" of such thrash bands like later Testament. Just imagine what it was like one year before the Berlin wall got negated, that highly chaotic spirit of changes find culmination in the angst-ridden vehemence of the late German scene and that's where all the fun begins with a monster like Protector. An excellent cult CD (this format is a tough find though) for ultra-death thrashers who dig bands like Darkness, late Holy Moses.

 

 

Protector (GER)- Urm The Mad CD

(Atom H Records 1989)

 

 

When I first heard "The Most Repugnant Antagonist of Life", I was half-expecting the band to break into "I win, you lose..." as a familiar riff got the ball rolling. Yes, it sounds like almost lifted from D.R.I.'s "Five Year Plan". But no, this band ain't hopping on to the hardcore brotherhood of bands like Death In Action or Toxic Shock. The album, can you imagine that, is even more brutal than the predecessor! If you find it unbelievable, then start the disc if you're a lucky bastard to find it and slip back onto your couch with the calm intro of "Capitascism". But don't blame me for not warning you when the onslaught unexpectedly befell upon you with the ugliest death that you can ever imagine. The music is so heavy that I'm more often tempted to give a death metal label to it than the death thrash convenient for most bands in that era. But of course this one is classy violent death metal stuffs, unlike the unintelligible noise that monotonous nonsense "death metal" bands from the United States are churning out to capitalise on "gore". Amongst the nice things on the CD, "Quasimodo" and the title track "Urm The Mad" have the most hysterical pickings in death metal history and it pounds hot blood to induce listener into a destructive mood. Extremely violent stuffs here. "Molotow Cocktail" is perhaps the shortest song the band has ever written, clocking in at just 46 seconds and you can just imagine how it'll sound like when the band is still not losing sight with the technical details... Napalm Death should heed a lesson or two. The CD version contains four live tracks that provide an engaging experience for the Protector fans who'd only wish that they're lucky enough to be part of the dirt in the monster's snakepits. The four tracks are "Kain and Abel", "Omnipresent Aggression", "The Mercenary" and "Apocalyptic Revelations", all met with great responses from the crowds. Especially check out "Kain and Abel" if you can, and hear the band introducing the song in German to the rabid followers who are eager for every breath from Martin Missy (that's a funny surname don't you think so?). Then treat yourself to the best midtempo mosh number ever written in history on armchair. The band is one of the greatest live performers as attested by the sheer enticement of the live recording and you'll soon get bored of another silly live performance from the black metal band that likes to cut themselves up. A perfect epitome of violence, power, brutality and class.

 

Protector (GER)- Leviathan's Desire MCD

(Atom H Records 1990)

This MCD version of the EP contains some bonus tracks from the "Misanthropy" MLP. Hell it's only like three tracks ("Misanthropy", "Holy Inquisition" and "Agrophobia") but it should suffice for the regular fan who is glad to have another addition to their Protector discography. The EP sees a change to the vocals rank with an individual known as Olli Wiebel and Protector's style is set to change from this very instance. With his modern approach to death metal vocals, the music was like paying a last farewell tribute to the old-school thrash metal. Overall, the raw, sharp edges of the guitar sounds is replaced with what is best described as a heavier, bassier tunings that gives a characteristic '90s edge. The productions is also more "compact" with improved clarity over the instruments yet they've missed the rawness in this effort. But this EP is not the heaviest they could delve into, more like a prelude to their '90's metamorphosis. Anyway, the MCD has a creepy intro with what sounds like doomy war marches before the listener slowly gravitate towards "Humanized Leviathan", a track that forgot the old mischief of scaring the listener with abrupt speed. Yes, even the so called "extended version" of "Kain and Abel" sounded pretty lame here, which sees some exorcism to that old dirty spirit of the original. The three bonus tracks from the MLP doesn't do anything much in this inconcise package. For the best representation of Protector's prowess, I'd still heartily recommend classics like "Golem" and "Urm The Mad".

 

Protector (GER)- A Shedding Of Skin CD

(Major Records 1991)

Yes, Protector shedded its skin completely into a band that without the trademark speed would be a totally different entity. I know some fans who've followed the band are cheering them up into heavier and heavier territory but this one is still going to alienate a large number of older fans who simply abhors the thought of their heroes playing music for kids of that time. No kidding, this release is a severe drop into the rock bottom, with the heaviest thud for the same effect. They've made new changes to the lineup with Martze Grun on bass and Olli had developed his vocal ranges into that of a grizzly bear, you know the funny mascot for '90s death metal. Having drained of all interesting ideas for their two late '80s masterpieces, the music here comes across as uninspired, but more brutal at the same time. Maybe some good riffs are drowned in the heavy storm of double peddles and chugging metallic overdrive, but where's Baphomet (the German one) when you need them? Anyway, the band retaliated against angry me with tracks that threatened to extinguish dear me. The moment "Mortuary Nightmare" started, I was like already cowering from the splinters exploding from my speakers in all directions (I'm a wimp in case you don't know). The ravage never stops as the hyperenergetic unit belts out one barrage after another, devastating my senses with "Face Fear" (yeah how true) and "Retribution In Darkness" (see, this is my funeral soundtrack!!!) before making me stand up and do the ridiculous moshing to "Doomed To Failure", a mid-tempo crusher that evokes what else but "Kain And Abel". Nearing towards the end, the band rears its experimental side with "Necropolis", a track that can simply be dismissed as atmospheric filler with some spooky synthwork and screeching lead wails before the mighty finale of "Tantalus" that also has a spooky section at its butt. The CD version boasts a bonus track "Towards Destruction" so it makes every apparent sense to get this version instead of the LP. But under any normal circumstances, not if you pride yourself as a Protector completist, I'd advise that you look elsewhere or get their '80s releases for worthwhile listening pleasure unless you relish the thought of damaging your prized stereos.

 

 

Protector (GER)- The Heritage CD

(Major Records 1993)

 

 

Hooray, this is even heavier than the "The Shedding Of Skin"! I didn't learn my lesson well and here we have the incessant pleasure of trucks banging repeatedly at my front door! The same fans who've cheered the band to heavier territories should be now lying squished and squashed on the tilings with a stretch of intestines stuck to the wheels of this colossal bulldozer. "The Heritage" is one hell of an intense, disfigured concoctions of extreme grinder and crazed rhythms, with drummings that have forgotten the strains of lactic acid building up in the muscles. The track "Mental Malaria" pretty much sums up the sensation of listening to this CD at high volume, and "Paralizer" describes the effect of how you'd get to when you subject yourselves to the lengthy expanse of the CD playtime. If you ever fell into a comma after the nasty death treatment, be glad that you can hear your requiem with "Palpitations", an instrumental that has wicked guitars and dark atmospheric pulsings that sing in synchrony to the last few beats within your chest... Towards the end, the outro will take away your consciousness. My regular bullshittings aside, the CD is indeed a far cry from what we've understood as Protector. It's that awkward feeling of knowing the band had paid hard works into their megaviolent metal reputations but yet at the same time feeling that something is amiss. Welcome to the "great expectation syndrome" and you know it's never really gonna end. So kudos to the supreme "Protector of Death" and farewell. Alright, so what have we got coming up next, the Destruction reunion?