PROTECTOR

PROTECTOR "Excessive Outburst of Depravity"

By Dr. Abner Mality

Martin Missy and his band PROTECTOR have been grinding it out...literally...for decades now, yet they always remain somewhat under the radar, with just a cult following. They are one of those bands that exist at the intersection of thrash and death metal, churning out an extremely heavy sound without compromise. Expect no rocking of the PROTECTOR boat on "Excessive Outburst of Depravity".

The hammer comes down right away, with furious thrashing, Martin's extra crispy vocals and a very grinding, raw guitar sound that owes a lot to Swedish death metal. SODOM is a pretty fair comparison to make to PROTECTOR, not just in terms of sound but also just a stiff-necked determination to stick to their guns. There is a certain sameness to the band's approach that is undeniable and keeps this from leveling up, but for a band to keep blasting material this brutal for literally decades is admirable.

Also noteworthy are the 100% pure metal guitar solos that pepper the disk, reaching their apex on "Cleithrophobia', where Michael Carlsson shreds like no one's business. My favorite cuts are the immense "Open Skies and Endless Seas" and the album highlight, "Shackled By Total Control", which just stomps everything flat. Which you can really say for the album as a whole...

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PROTECTOR