PROTECTOR

MARTIN MISSY, MATHIAS JOHANSSON, CARL-GUSTAV KARLSSON & MICHAEL CARLSSON

I have interviewed Protector. The classic german thrash metal band fronted by vocalist Martin Missy. Martin has relocated to Sweden and he has recruited three Swedes; Bassist Mathias Johansson, Drummer Carl-Gustav Karlsson and Guitarist Michael Carlsson.

We can begin with a small presentation of Protector...

Martin: Protector was founded in 1986 in Wolfsburg, Germany. The band released two EPs and four LPs under the first seven years of its existance and went through several lineup-changes. In 1994 the bandmembers of Protector decided to take a break for about a year. After that year only drummer Marco Pape was motivated enough to keep the band alive. He did so for a couple of years, but in the beginning of the new millennium it went quiet around Protector.

In 2006 three swedish Metalheads and myself started the Protector-coverband ”Martin Missy and the Protectors”. We played live all around Europe for a couple of years and in 2011 we decided to write new songs and to reanimate Protector officially again. In 2013 We released our comeback LP ”Reanimated Homunculus”.

Reanimated Homunculus (2013)

So Protector is now a Swedish band? ;)

Martin: That's correct. I live in Stockholm and my three bandmates live in Uddevalla.

Protector debuted in 1987 with the Misantrophy EP, what do you think of it in retrospect?

Martin: It still is my favourite recording with Protector. Probably because it was the first time I was in a studio, and therefore there are a lot of memories connected to it. But I also like the songs and the raw and brutal sound of the EP a lot.

The label Atom H also released your full-lengths "Golem" and "Urm the Mad". How was it to be signed to them? Did they promote the band well?

Martin: I actually don't remember how much promotion they did for us. I can remember some advertisement in german Metal magazines / -fanzines, but I can't remember if they did a lot of promotion / distribution of our recordings overseas. It was increadible cool to have a record deal though. I'm really grateful that I was able to sing on three recordings with Protector in the 80s.

Protector back in 1987 - Hasse (R.I.P.) - Müller - Missy - Belichmeier

You were perhaps the most extreme German thrash band in the late 80's. Who inspired you to sing like that?

Martin: I loved (and still love) Tom Warrior and Jeff Beccerras vocal style. I guess I've been inspired by that a lot.

You did a some shows with the german giants Sodom, Kreator and Destruction back in the days. How was it to share the stage with them?

Martin: As long as I was a member of the band in the 80s (1987 to 1989) we ”only” played with Sodom and Tankard of the ”Big Four of German Thrash”. After I had left the band, Protector also played with Kreator. I can't recall that the ”old Protector” ever played with Destruction, but we have played with them now, with the ”new Protector”. We never had much contact with Tankard, but playing with Sodom was always great. They are cool guys, and easy to get a personal connection to.

Your comeback-album Reanimated Homunculus was released last year, are you satisfied with it?

Matte: Yeah I'm really satisfied with it. I think it sounds like the old PROTECTOR, and thats just the way I want it. No modern shit, only true Thrash Metal as it sounded in the eighties. I think we got a really great sound on the album and all the tracks are really cool in my opinion. And the frontcover fucking rules.

Micke: Yes, it turned out great! We had a blast recording the album. Our producer Tomas Skogsberg is awesome! He really gets the whole idea how we wanted it to sound, and did a kick-ass job with ”Reanimated Homunculus”!

What led up to this comeback?

Matte: Well we have played together since 2006 as MARTIN MISSY AND THE PROTECTORS. So after a while we thought it was cool to compose some new tracks since we had been playing PROTECTOR tracks for so long. We know exactly the way to compose the new songs. Also it is really cool to have some new songs in the live set as well. Martin asked the old members of PROTECTOR if it was ok to use the name again and they all said it was ok. And I think all of them liked the record too, and that's of course really fun

Carl-Gustav: Lots of cool gigs, nice experiences and a wonderful reaction from the old fans were also an important reason for the reanimation of Protector. We have also grown as friends in the band and it’s a really blast every time we play live.

Why did you call the band Martin Missy and the Protectors and not just Protector when you reformed in 2005? Was there a dispute over who owned the "Protector"-name?

Martin: There was no dispute about the band name. We thought at first that it would not be appropriate to call the band Protector, because there was only one original bandmember in the band. But after we had played in the same lineup for 4-5 years, and most of the fans refered to us as ”Protector” anyway, we decided that we could take the step to change the name to Protector and to write new songs.

Protector released two full length-albums after you (Martin Missy) left the band in the early 90's. A 'Shedding of Skin' and 'Heritage'. Do you still see those albums as the 'real' Protector?

Martin: Yes, I do, because they still follow the brutal way of making music, that Protector started out with. Ok, ”Heritage” and ”Shedding” are more into the direction of Death Metal rather than Thrash, but they are still very aggressive, and that's the most important thing for me. If Protector would have changed their style completely -like into Glam Metal or Jazz Metal, or something like that-, I wouldn't have accepted it as real Protector-recordings. But fortunately that never happend.

Are there any plans to record another album?

Micke: A new album is in progress. Eight new songs are done and we are working on some unfinished ones, so if everything falls in place the new album will be recorded in May 2015!

Carl-Gustav: The songs are really raw, just like on ”Reanimated Homunculus”. Check out our Facebook site in the coming months for the latest updates about our new album.

What bands had the biggest influence Protector's sound?

Martin: I would say Sodom, Kreator, Slayer, Possessed and Dark Angel...and a lot of other Thrash, Speed and Death Metal bands as well of course. :-)

What's the highlight of your career?

Martin: The biggest highlight was probably when Protector played in Katowice / Poland in 1989 in front of thousands of extatic Metalheads. Unfortunately I wasn't a member of the band at that point, but the others have told me afterwards what a great gig that was.

What's your plans for the near future?

Matte: To finish the missing tracks for the coming album. Then rehearse them until they sound good enough to be rcorded. We also already have some gigs booked for next year. I really look forward to it. :-)

Carl-Gustav: Also about our upcoming gigs you will find updates on Protectos Facebook site, as soon as the gigs are booked.

Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?

Matte: Ha ha, well there are always some strange things happening on tour. One funny thing was on the Party San festival when our drummer Calle was really drunk. You should have seen him when he picked up the merch after the gig. He fell to the ground together with the merch. I guess me and Mike have also alot of really wicked drunken storys, ha ha.

Micke: Hehe well, alot of weird shit happend during the years but I think thats what you get when you put 4 guys in a car, train or airplane and there is an endless amount of cold beer waiting. We missed a flight once, and had to stay one night at a small hotel at the airport. Of course we spent the night with consuming a lot of alcohol.

I also almost got stranded in the middle of Germany once. I left the waiting train for a smoke in the middle of the night, with no shoes or money or phone and the doors shut and the train started to roll! Fortunately I was able to catch up the train and open a door in the last second. I also was getting arrested at the airport for having a bulletbelt in the bag. Sometimes you never learn, or don't wanna!

Carl-Gustav: We have also been stopped in the Swedish Toll Customs and a drug dog checked our luggage. Of course they didn't find anything. What can I say we have really fun and a great time every time we are out and touring. We have lots of Spinal Tap moments. Martin: I also remember one time when we were in Germany and bought some beer in a supermarket.

In Germany you can buy beer when you're 16 years old, and our guitarist was about 25 years old back then, but they still wanted to see his id. He looks very young, but that's what you get, when you dont't have a mustache or beard like the other bandmembers. ;-)