PROTECTOR - Misanthropy LP 180g BLACK (Pre-Order)

mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel/ Temple of Disharmony

Martin Missy - Vocals
Hansi Müller - Guitars
Ede Belichmeier - Bass
Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums

01 Misanthropy
02 Holy Inquisition
03 Agoraphobia
04 Protector of Death (Demo)

05 The Mercenary
06 Kain and Abel
07 Holocaust
08 Apocalyptic Revolution (Demo)

If you have kept a keen eye on what is going on in German thrash these days, you cannot have missed the comeback of Protector, legendary thrash/death outfit from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Formed in 1986, Protector first called it a day in 2003, only to return in 2011 and releasing their “Reanimated Homunculus” on High Roller Records in 2013.
Protector are widely regarded as one of the most underrated outfits from the prolific German thrash/death scene of the Eighties. Their debut-EP “Misanthropy” from 1987  is a thorny gem of uncompromising thrash metal, raw and fast, and with a strong feel of evil blackness. This first official release laid the base for Protector's reputation as “Germany’s most brutal band”, as some people called them. Protector? Really? Some band from some far out place in Lower Saxony? It’s true, Protector never rose to the same heights of fame as Kreator, Sodom and the likes, but back in the days, they made a name for themselves by playing not only fierce and sharp thrash metal, but always being extremely harsh, brutal and very very evil. “Misanthropy” is a perfect testimony for this: In its six-tracks-brevity, Protector’s debut-EP is a violent attack on the listener, giving you six razor sharp cuts and leaving you behind, crushed and bleeding.
“Misanthropy” was recorded in the summer of 1987 at the White Lines Studio in Braunschweig.  While the band's main influences at that time were Slayer’s “Reign in Blood”, Possessed’s “Seven Churches” and Exodus' “Bonded by Blood”, “Misanthropy” actually sounds like none of these albums – but very unique; In part this is due to Martin Missy's extraordinary extreme vocal performance, which always bordered on the verge of death metal growls and thus added a lot to Protector’s very own way of evil.
The reactions to “Misanthropy” were mixed: Fans and the underground media celebrated the release, while the bigger magazines were sceptical about Protector's brutal and aggressive style and sound.  Anyway: “Misanthropy” made people aware of this four-piece who lived in the shadow of the then still intact German Wall, far away from the Ruhr-Area, the heart of Teutonic thrash.
For the High Roller re-release, nothing will be changed about the sound, which makes total sense, given that “Misanthropy” is great just as it is. Instead, “Misanthropy” comes with a very special feature:  To make the release as complete as possible, High Roller includes the two songs from the demo from 1986, “Protector of Death” and “Apocalyptic Revolution”, something Martin Missy totally appreciates: “I think this is a great thing to do. That way the fans get an idea about what Protector sounded like before the EP was recorded.” One thing is already clear: Protector never got any more aggressive, sharp and shattering than on „Misanthropy”.