Protector - Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

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Protector - Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

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PROTECTOR’s comeback full album seems nothing less than their previous releases if not even more accomplished, in an equation of faithfulness to the old school Thrash on one hand and on the other one, the musical maturity acquired throughout a veteran career dating from the late 80s –the Thrash Metal’s golden era.

As a fusion of fancy Thrash and Death elements, it was actually a winning gamble on quality rather than quantity. The ten tracks are designed to be as concise as possible to a point that leaves no way to boredom at any second, owing to a well-edited riff distribution. Most of the time, although the riff’s general scheme is kept playing for a good duration the and the played notes are conserved, every four bars occurs a swift and constant switch in technique and/or intensity, either concerning drumming or the guitar play (sometimes interludes breaking away from the basic song structure) mentioning for example “Lycopolis” in which you detect the alternation of heavy drumming and guitar palm mutes with lower tempo passages with more open chords, sometimes such chords turn into extensive staccato play such in “Deranged Nymphomania”. Headbanging had also its good share translated into old school Thrashy one pillar note riffs with an decent bass line that actually went further than its traditional task of following the guitar fundamental notes, and was often playing the intro or individualized enough in “Birth Of A Nation”‘s interlude taken as another clue.

As for guitars, even though the scales remain in a safe zone, their technique varies between Death Metal open chords, glam-like ones and one pillar note fast Thrash riffs playing, and at a lower frequency electro lead guitar arpeggios as well as the harmonics of “Antiman”, and added to the whole variety, the cutting-edge chromatic undefined tremolo bar and tap solos come as a triumph in most of the songs echoing the same characteristic high level of the previous band’s line up.

No doubt that the drumming is indeed a winning card in this album, commanding the outstanding tempo roller-coaster and often the unexpected smooth transition from high tempo to a low one and vice-versa as in “Antiman”, beside the funky cuts in “The End” where a weird Rock drumming gets transformed into a rhythm of double bass pedals, needless to mention the glam drums right in the intro of the song, the drum intro and the tremendous bass pedals and scale rapid switch melted with time signature change in the interlude “Holiday In Hell” all which –for certain- have hugely contributed to this unique mixture.

In spite of the notable aggressiveness of the instrumentation, nothing could affirm that melancholic timber like the growls did especially when echoed. Browsing along the tracks, the lead singer’s ability to deepen or to raise his range is likely to draw your attention from the drums. In that mingle of Thrash chords and drumbeats, Death-styled singing expands dimensions and doubles the vibes radiating, notably in the last track which comes as a short energetic Metal hymn backed by clean chorus then marked by the end by the alternation of differently-pitched vocal tracks.

All in all, here’s a complete album not only containing a little bit from everything but also mastering it, bringing perhaps the thrash old good days back, for such solos cannot be easily forgotten. I would say it again : high level.

by Vladimir Leonov, metal-temple

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Protector - Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

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Protector - Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

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Protector - Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

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