FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On October 28, 1991, Protector released their full-length studio album, 'A Shedding of Skin' via Major Records International.
Some words from Protector:
The omens were actually not so good when Protector went into Music Lab Studios in Berlin in the summer of 1991 to record the band's third LP.
At the beginning of the year guitarist Hansi Müller had left the band, and shortly before the start of the recording sessions, bassist Ede Belichmeier also left. In addition, some songs had to be written on site in the studio (ex-singer Martin Missy contributed lyrics to four of the songs), as their wasn’t yet sufficient material for an LP. Add to all this, drummer Michael Hasse now had severe drug problems. Nevertheless, he and singer/guitarist (and, for these recordings, bass player) Olly Wiebel set about recording the new LP under the direction of Harris Johns (who, among others, previously had recorded/produced Sodom, Kreator and Voivod) in the late summer of 1991. Despite the negative omens, Michael and Olly managed to create an absolute monster of a Death Metal album. To this day it is the most popular Protector album with most fans, alongside the album Golem.
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Mortuary Nightmare
3. A Shedding of Skin
4. Face Fear
5. Retribution in Darkness
6. Doomed to Failure
7. Thy Will Be Done
8. Whom Gods Destroy
9. Necropolis
10. Tantalus
11. Death Comes Soon
12. Unleashed Terror
13. Towards Destruction
Lineup:
• Olly Wiebel - Vocals, Guitars, Bass
• Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums
Production & Layout:
• Thomas Pätsch - Assistant Engineer
• Martin Missy - Additional Lyrics
• Jan Wichers - Assistant Engineer
• Joachim Luetke - Cover Art
• Carlos Reuter - Executive Producer
• Ralph "Ralf" Hubert - Executive Producer
• Harris Johns - Producer, Engineering
• Recorded at Music Lab, Berlin.
Critical Reception:
Of all the Extreme Thrash albums out there, none of them really hit the perfect halfway point between Death Metal and Thrash quite like 'A Shedding of Skin'.
The production is worth a mention because it's probably the biggest contributor to how much heavier the album sounds compared to the contemporary albums of its time (maybe Slaughter in the Vatican matches up to it). It essentially sounds like a Scott Burns mix with much thicker low end and meatier drums, which provides just enough clarity and searing aggression from the guitars, with enough heaviness to really make all the grooves feel as strong as the faster parts. The bass also has a fair bit of presence, which helps to add to the brutal low end.
The vocals are also a big factor in the album's leanings towards Death Metal. Vocalist Olly Wiebel has the perfect range of harsh vocals for an album of this type, with harsh shouts similar to those of Sepultura or Sodom and great guttural growls that are better than 90% of the attempts from Death Metal bands of the time. Similarly, the guitars often opt for tropes more often found in Death Metal, such as palm-muted power chords which result in some excellent heavy transitions, and dark, tritonal arpeggios. This adds a lot of extra range to the album, as tracks like Face Fear venture into darker, doomier territory than most Thrash bands; not that they even really need it, as Protector seems to have perfected the dark art of the riff already. Even more straightforward Thrashers like Retribution in Darkness have some brilliant groovy riffs.
A few tracks like the slower Tantalus and the even more Death Metal-esque Death Comes Soon help vary the sound of the album. Few bands manage to really put out Thrash albums as unrelentingly heavy and aggressive as this. If you want your Thrash extreme, this is about as good as it gets. — Sputnik.com
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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