Protector Reanimated Homunculus CD  (Slipcase, 2026, High Roller Records)

Reanimated Homunculus is the fifth full-length studio album from German thrash/death metal veterans Protector, originally released in 2013 and now reissued by High Roller Records in a collector-friendly slipcase CD edition.

Formed in Wolfsburg, Germany, Protector have long been regarded as one of the underground's most underrated names in aggressive European thrash metal. Emerging from the early-1980s German metal scene, the band developed a raw and uncompromising style that combined fast thrash riffs, aggressive vocals, heavy guitar work and darker death metal influences.

Tracks such as Protector of Death, Misanthropy, Golem and Urm the Mad helped establish the band's cult reputation, even though Protector never achieved the mainstream recognition enjoyed by some of their German thrash contemporaries. After disbanding in 2003, the band's return eventually began in 2011 with a demo and split single, setting the stage for Reanimated Homunculus.

The album marked an important new chapter for Protector, with original vocalist Martin Missy returning to front the band. He was joined by Mathias Johansson on bass, Carl-Gustav Karlsson on drums and Michael Carlsson on guitars, musicians who had already developed a strong musical connection through their work together as Martin Missy and The Protectors since 2006.

Rather than attempting to recreate the band's later death metal direction, Reanimated Homunculus deliberately returns to Protector's early-1980s roots. The album places raw, aggressive thrash metal at the centre of the sound, combining fast riffing, abrasive vocals, driving drums and an uncompromising underground atmosphere.

Martin Missy's vision for the record was clear: Protector wanted to capture an authentic 1980s thrash metal sound while retaining the raw feeling of the band's classic material. Reanimated Homunculus therefore acts as both a comeback album and a deliberate reconnection with the musical identity that originally established Protector within the European underground.

The album combines brand-new compositions with material previously released on the band's 2011–2012 demo and split release, alongside a reworked Protector song originally dating from 2000. This gives Reanimated Homunculus a strong connection to both the band's past and its new era.

The result is a focused and aggressive old-school thrash metal record that avoids excessive modernisation. The production and songwriting are designed to preserve the rough-edged character of the material while delivering the speed, aggression and riff-driven attack expected from classic German thrash.

For collectors, Reanimated Homunculus is particularly significant because it documents Protector's resurrection and the return of founding vocalist Martin Missy. The High Roller Records 2026 reissue also provides an opportunity to discover or revisit an important chapter in the band's history in a premium physical format.

Also recommended for listeners who enjoy Sodom, Kreator, Destruction, Tankard, Assassin, Exumer, Holy Moses, Darkness, Deathrow and other aggressive 1980s German and European thrash metal bands.

Ideal for fans of raw old-school thrash, German metal, underground speed/thrash, thrash/death crossover and collectors of High Roller Records releases.

Whether you're a longtime Protector fan or discovering the band for the first time, Reanimated Homunculus delivers a powerful return to the raw, aggressive and uncompromising thrash metal spirit that defined Protector from the beginning.

Artist: Protector
Title:  Reanimated Homunculus
Label: High Roller Records
Catalogue Number: HRR317CD2
UPC: 4251267724239
Release Year: 2013/2026
Duration: Album
Format: CD 
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
Condition: New & factory sealed

Tracklist:

1. Sons Of Kain
2. Deranged Nymphomania
3. Holiday In Hell
4. Reanimated Homunculus
5. Birth Of A Nation
6. Lycopolis
7. Road Rage
8. Antiman
9. The End
10. Calle Brutal