Protectorate – II (Album – EK Product)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Six years after Protectorate’s self-titled and successful debut album, Kalle Lindberg (Cardinal Noire) strikes back with this new work.
Content: “II” remains driven and inspired by old-school EBM but also empowered by furious Industrial guitar components. The sound becomes pure hardcore sometimes achieved with epic sound arrangements. You’ll hear the darkness of Pouppée Fabrikk mixed with Industrial music à la Ministry. The vocals have been produced in an enraged and rough way.
+ + + : “II” moves a step further than its predecessor. The grim sound seems to express the world we’re living in. This is perverted EBM which however sounds sophisticated and even refined with great string parts at the softer passages. The previously released single “Industrial action” opens the work with a bang but I personally prefer “Teargarden” for its great arrangements.
– – – : I regret the work only features 8 songs. Production wise I would like to hear more diversity in the vocals.
Conclusion: Protectorate definitely belongs to the restricted number of darkest and hardest hardcore EBM projects. So you better put on your seatbelt and endure this merciless ride.
Best songs: “Teargarden”, “Industrial Action”, “Lethe”, “Deathbringer”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.facebook.com/protectorateindustrial
Label: www.ekproduct.com / www.facebook.com/EKProduct
Listen to “II”:
About Protectorate
Protectorate is the solo project of Finnish musician Kalle Lindberg, also known for EK Product-signed act Cardinal Noire. Lindberg started Protectorate to work outside the constraints of performing live with acoustic drums and guitar stacks, giving him more freedom to build songs without a fixed instrumentation. The self-titled debut album followed in 2016. Between the debut and “II”, released in October 2022 on EK Product with catalog number EKPCD074, Lindberg released two Cardinal Noire albums, work that fed back into the mixing and production approach used on “II”.
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