We shall all suppose that albums like this are manufactured with the intention of serving as the soundtrack to some sort of negative execration. Namely, punching someone in the face, kicking some in the balls, breaking someone’s ass’ funny bone or just simply screaming out the window some cursory term. Judgements does it, it’s got that effect on people. It is like much of Protestant’s earlier material, one ball of negative energy getting passed around and in its course, turning into a cathartic experience. It leaves marks on the way, deep marks like those of a jab on a huge chunk of play doh and that’s just how Protestant envisioned it.
There is one thing that surprises about Judgements; it keeps the band’s crusty hardcore sound and it doesn’t change it. There is zero evolution, no embracing of outside influences. In an age when all the good releases from Southern Lord Records in 2011 belong to some kind of hardcore variation, one would expect Milwaukee’s Protestant to perhaps add a bit more of a metallic edge to their enraged sound. If anything just to fit the flavor of the day, but Judgements is basically free of all that. It charges mindlessly and rolls knockout punch after knockout punch. There is no regard for consequences.
It is hard to argue with riffs like this really. In the best tradition of Tragedy, there is melody to what they do. Check the flash in the pan of “Revenge”, the tempo beats and the riff enchants. If one was to strip this music down one would find that the guys from Protestant aren’t only fiery beasts but also lovable teddy bears. And then there are the tracks that are pure force and speed. There is not much to “Deserted” besides muscle. The band focuses on dropping bombs, bashing drumming, roughneck vocals and the indistinctive sound but always reliable will that permeates every song they ever wrote.
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Written by Ignacio Brown
