Artillery - The Face of Fear (2018)

I always want to root for a band like Artillery on the basis that they once provided me with an album so good that even thinking about it results in astonishment. I'm talking about 1990's By Inheritance, of course, a standard of accomplished power/thrash riffing and furious energy that to this day has never been surpassed in my estimation. Sure, there have been other artists to evolve the style in some other impressive parallel, but this remains one of my absolute favorite metal efforts 30 years later. Not to marginalize the Danes' first two records, which were great markers on the road, but there's a reason why the band has more or less been trying to remake their magnum opus for a few decades now and just not seeing the same success.

I can't knock all their output, because albums like B.A.C.K. and even When Death Comes had their moments, but since that time the band has lapsed into a cycle of endlessly diminishing returns, not albums that lack for professional production or competent musicianship, but in producing the kind of passionate, inspired craftsmanship that was led so much by brothers Michael and Morten Stützer and their insanely intricate riffing. Nothing they've put out was really bad, but records like Legions and Penalty by Perception seemed to me like going through the motions. Is The Face of Fear, the 9th full-length offer, going to right the ship? I'd say it is, to an extent. There's nothing fundamentally different about what the band has assembled here. They've still got Michael Bastholm Dahl creating his more melodic, power metal vocal passages over a riff-set that certainly dwells in a similar aesthetic space to By Inheritance, and he's definitely become comfortable here. Sure I preferred Flemming the most, even for his flaws he just had such a wild presence, but Dahl's range and delivery are tight enough here that he feels like a natural over the tunes, with some nice reverb echoing his voice over the meaty rhythm guitar onslaught so vital to their music.

Speaking of those guitars, they don't come even close to hitting that 1990 wizardry, often settling into some more banal groovy thrash riffs, but there are plenty here that sound like something new the two have come up with instead of just repeating themselves, such as in the strutting "New Rage". You'll hear plenty of parallels here, like how parts of "Thirst for the Worst" seem reminiscent of "Terror Squad" with the flow of the chords, but I'd say a good 30-40% of the album feels like a breath of fresh air, even if it isn't insanely catchy. The drums are quite good, the atmosphere of the album is also on point with the balance of aggressive lower end guitars and Dahl's soaring presence. There aren't really any throwaway tunes, although the album does go a little soft through the power ballad "Pain" and its ensuing instrumental "Under Water". But they correct course there, with one of the more blistering cuts "Preaching to the Converted", nearly worthy of By Inheritance with an Eastern flair to the guitars, and then a pretty solid re-recording of their old demo track "Mind of No Return" which, lets be honest, crushes its predecessors.

In sum, it's a solid package, with decent lyrics, artwork, production, and songwriting that at least compelled me through a half dozen or more listens in the last couple years, something I cannot say for its director predecessor. In fact, this is the second best album in the 'modern' reunion era of Artillery that starts with When Death Comes. I was a little torn up at Morten Stützer's tragic passing last year, and I can't imagine the band is ever really going to sound the same going forward; but as they're apparently continuing, I really hope this album will push them in the right direction. I would be ecstatic to hear them produce some godly late-career masterpiece like Voivod has done.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.artillery.dk/home.php

Artillery - In the Trash (2019)

In the Trash is not Artillery's first flirtation with a compilation of their demo and pre-signing material, but it thankfully differs from the 1998 anthology Deadly Relics by including the one full demo that wasn't available there, as well as the Terror Squad demo which was dropped between their first two albums. And I think that's going to be the major draw for anyone who wants to acquire this, the fact that the two collections complement each other, maybe rubbing a few toes together but not planting themselves firmly down on one another's feet. Having said that, the appeal will still find itself limited for anyone who had grown accustomed to or fond of the brand of more elaborate, technical power/thrash that the band had evolved into with the magnum opus By Inheritance, or the later albums which bite from that same fruit but don't quite match the same sweet taste. By that token, this might not even be all that charming for fans into their earlier, more straightforward albums Fear of Tomorrow and Terror Squad, coming before the Stützer brothers had taken on both guitar positions and found that brilliant rhythmic lockstep that would define their sound henceforth.

We Are the Dead is the band's 1982 demo, and moves along at a generally mid-paced gait, brash, chunky and raw, although not terribly produced for such an early tape. It features the band's original vocalist Per Onink, who has an everyman, punkish vibe about him that is occasionally struck with some howls or higher pitched screaming attempts, but much less impressive than his any of his numerous successors through the decades. Still, it's got an honest quality to it that doesn't detract entirely from the listening, and the guitars are so fuzzy, heavy and loud over the pulpy bass lines and slap of the drums that there's a rude, drunken charm to it all, like these guys were recording the demo late at night in a rehearsal space after sharing a 24-pack. Some of these songs like "Mind of No Return" have gotten revisions as recent as The Face of Fear in 2018, and have become a little more functional within the band's overall discography, but I just thought it was amazing evolution to hear them on this material and then pop in the flawless By Inheritance, one of my favorite thrash albums (or albums in general) of all time, and heard how the riffs evolved into something really original and brazenly melodic from these decidedly humble origins.

On the other hand, some of the other recordings here, from a few years later in 1984, are quite good. "Bitch" has a real thunder about it, slightly less crude than the first demo, with much more aggressive and over the top vocals and superior thrash riffs. The Terror Squad demo is a rehearsal demo for the album, and thus some of the most raw shit on the collection, but you can already hear how the band's riffing had progressed into its forward-momentum excellence, and with Flemming coming in on the vocals its a whole lot more fun, even though I'd probably stick to the Terror Squad full-length itself if given the choice. Overall, I think I dug this one quite a bit more than Deadly Relics, which I simply have never really needed to revisit since writing about it, much preferring just to spin the albums again. I'm not saying this one will fare much better, but I think it flowed a little better, even with slightly less material present. Look, if you ask me about Artillery I'm pointing you straight at the first three albums and not necessarily in that order, the demos amount to nothing when compared with the effort that went into much of the Danes' legacy to date...this is a middling collection or reprints that don't offer even a fraction of the reward, but if you're hardcore about collecting your favorite band, or you're just into the historical curiosity, you could do worse.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/ARTILLERY.DK

Artillery - Penalty by Perception (2016)

I was such a massive fan of Denmark's Artillery in their late 80s streak, leading up to the almost unparalleled By Inheritance, that it is impossible for me NOT to compare any of this 21st century reunion period to those first three seminal works. That's not to say I'm opposed to all the newer material; in fact I thought When Death Comes was an excellent comeback, despite the new vocals. But since that point, their material seems to have begun a downward spiral, which at best provides a tired doppelganger of the glory days, and at worst sounds like an entirely different band who just weren't on that same level as they once were. The last two records, while competent and well-produced, evoked a diminishing level of interest from me, and while Penalty by Perception doesn't exactly set a new low, I fear that it also doesn't offer much of a redeeming value if you're seeking either their technical power/thrash mastery, or their earlier, rough around the edges charm circa Terror Squad.

To be clear, Penalty by Perception is very much identifiable as an Artillery album. The brothers Stützer's distinct, uplifting riff style is present through the majority of the playtime. But since that has long been one of the two highlights of the band, it's also one of my disappointments. At its fastest and most frenetic, the guitar progressions here just feel like they're retreading By Inheritance or the prior post-reunion material, only with a lot less zest, and certainly less creativity. They can still sling an axe, of that there is no question, and yet the absolute over-the-top sense of melody and drive is lacking. The palm mutes are polished and chunky, especially in slower to mid-paced pieces like "Mercy of Ignorance", but the riffing level is at best a few steps below their prime, and lacks the raw and rugged appeal of a Fear of Tomorrow or Terror Squad. Tunes like "Rites of War" and "Live by the Scythe" sound like I've heard them before, only they've been paraphrased for less excitement, and at almost no point did a sequence of notes here stick out in my brain for more than a song's duration.

I'm also just not into Michael Bastholm Dahl's vocals in this band. He's a seasoned singer with a solid voice, largely mid-to-high range with a few flights north of that, but he just sounds too clean and tidy, even over these guitars here, which themselves lack some charm. What made the early albums work was their sense of aggression helmed by Fleming Ronsdorf's angry bark, and once By Inheritance arrived it was the contrast of frenetic melodic elegance with those same crude vocals. Here he just sounds like he could be singing over any other power/prog metal hybrid. That's not to say he entirely lacks an edge when he needs one, or that they don't complement him with some backing shouts and so forth to flesh out the variation ("Deity Machine"), but most of the time the performance just fell flat with me, too studied and restrained for the music to ever reach viral. Otherwise, the drums and bass are fine, the production is like a meatier modern take on the first couple albums, my disconnect really just comes down to the songwriting.

Penalty by Perception is still not a 'bad' album, per se, and they remain distinct among many of their younger, pizza thrashing peers, simply by virtue of them writing in this power/speed/thrash hybrid. I'd probably place this on the same level of its predecessor, Legions, a solid but unremarkable disc, one that I just didn't derive much enjoyment from due to the sterility compared to past brilliance.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artillery-The-Official-Page/200465503336769

Artillery - Legions (2013)

It's a pity I can't conjure up the same excitement for an Artillery record that I once could when I was younger. Yes, the 16-year-old autothrall would probably slap the older version in the face repeatedly while begging my repentance just to continue HAVING new works from this long-beloved band, and yet when I read things to the nature of the new vocalist being a close approximation of Fleming Ronsdorf's performance on the first four albums, I can't help but feel misled by Legions...or at least a little disappointed. Not because this guy's a hack, not by any means, but I'll come right out and say that this is the least interesting and exciting Artillery record, and the fluctuating pipes of Michael Bastholm Dahl have at least something to do with that; though the primary offender is the actual songwriting. Legions is more or less a mish mash of riffing aesthetics off B.A.C.K. and the legendary By Inheritance, and yet they lack that degree of intricate, passionate melody and intensity which produced one of my favorite metal efforts in all history...

The Stützer brothers were indisputably one of the best, if not THE best guitar duo in that later 80s thrash epoch, and here they still show they haven't lost all their chops with age. Frenetic and churning rhythms are bounced off one another at various levels of acceleration, and they still seem to be incorporating a lot of those mildly Eastern melodies you may have recalled from the titles I name-dropped above. So Legions cultivates that similar sense of exotic, far-off, glorious and airy power/thrash, only it's missing those riff progressions that remain with you forever, something even the first reunion record When Death Comes was able to accomplish. It's not the 80s anymore, so you're not getting that wonderfully raw guitar tone you'd have found on Fear of Tomorrow, instead the Danes have settled into a more modern approximation of their 90s outing B.A.C.K., with the caveat that Legion is on the whole more atmospheric, with a lot more depth of production. This is emphasized by the effects on the vocals, and the clearer distinction between the leads and rhythm sounds, but unfortunately where the band was strongest was in how those elements came together so brilliantly and forcefully on By Inheritance, a record with more joyous progressions than I can rightly count. Legions is sleek and modern enough for those seeking 'upgrades' to their heroes, much like you'd expect from Paradox, Destruction or Testament, but the songs themselves have less impact.

As for Dahl, he's not without some verbal tricks up his sleeve...err, down his throat, but he lacks both the raucous and rough presence of the great Fleming Ronsdorf or even the screaming excess of his direct predecessor Søren Adamsen, who has moved over to front the Greek band Crystal Tears. Range and melody are not in deficit, but he's got this wavering, silky and piercing style to him that seems like it would be a more adequate fit for a power/progressive metal band, part of which Artillery encapsulates, but not enough that he's a match for the momentous riffing passages once the past increases velocity. Worst of all, though, and I'm not sure how much he can be blamed for this: the chorus parts are really just not that memorable. He also has a slightly unusual enunciation which occasionally rubbed me the wrong way, but even in tunes like "Global Flatline" where he's given a lot of space to flex a more thorough and operatic series of harmonies which remind me a little of a more prog metal alternative to Swedes like Messiah Marcolin or Memory Garden, the melodies that are written over the clean guitars don't seem to achieve much other than to exhibit his range. Not to mention there are probably more delay/reverb effects on him than on the vocals of any prior full-length, especially when he does a more cutting mid-range, aggressive line.

I'd also lay some of the blame here squarely on the leads, which while technically as adept as ever just don't seem to have any memorable qualities about themselves beyond the fact that 'hey there's needs to be a solo here, bro!'. In the past I've enjoyed some of the Stützer solos as much as their genius riffing, but on this album they seem obligatory and directionless, as in "Dies Irae" where I really thought they'd go off and prove a highlight of the piece, yet the structural choices are all pretty timid. The bass lines have some fire lit under them but in many cases they seem to dissipate beneath the punch and proximity of the rhythm guitars, and the other newbie, drummer Josua Madsen does his damned best to keep himself busy; he's just not playing over the strongest material on his Artillery debut. A shame, because I get the sense this group is on a steady decline in the 21st century, whereas their 80s run was the opposite. Legions is still a dynamic, bright and demanding slab of power/thrash, and by no means a failure, but I can't think of a single tune here that can even rival the majority of When Death Comes, never mind the classics.

Worst of all, this just doesn't feel creative or inspired anymore, whereas I could remember a time when these guys exerted nothing but those qualities, from the sticky choruses and ironclad chops of their old albums to the sheer magnificence of By Inheritance, an outing that took the genre to lofty melodic heights it hadn't really achieved before. Even the cover artwork and color palette on this are bland. Song-wise, variation and propulsion are never in short supply here, and fans of recent works by Paradox, Iced Earth and Mekong Delta who aren't already Artillery fans might wanna give it a spin...but I was ultimately underwhelmed, and that is not a word I'd ever expect to use in conjunction with this band.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (get armed and get ready)

http://artillery.dk/

Artillery - My Blood (2011)

All trains must come to a stop. Or at least, we've yet to discover an infinite, self-perpetuating combustion system to keep them on the tracks forever. Thus is also the case for Artillery, but their sixth full-length My Blood is thankfully not a complete halt, just a cautious deceleration. Not in actual speed, mind you, but quality. The reasons are numerous, but the most telling is this is the first album which seems not to add anything new, or rather, not anything new and welcome. From Fear of Tomorrow to Terror Squad there was a positive evolution, from Terror Squad to By Inheritance there was a massive leap into genius. When they reformed in the 90s, B.A.C.K. was a fresh and modern mutation. In the 21st century, they silenced the opposition with a fine performance from new vocalist Søren Nico Adamsen.

There is simply nothing all that compelling to be drawn from My Blood, an in listening through I've felt like I had just taken a trip to the Red Cross to donate my plasma, only to be turned away because the banks were full for my type. Most of the trademarks of When Death Comes are intact: generic album title, fantastic production, bright and melodic thrash interspersed with a few clean guitar sequences, but the songs simply cannot match up. You will hear quite a few, thinly veiled self-referential hints in the compositions that hearken back to By Inheritance ("Death is an Illusion" in particular, or the very Eastern intro to "Mi Sangre/The Blood Song") or the groovy havoc of B.A.C.K. (as in the preview tracks "Monster" and "Warrior Blood"), but they don't offer anything intriguing to the formula. My Blood is not void of variation, as the band rove through ardent thrashers, rock-spliced ballads ("Ain't Giving In") and cheesy crowd pleaser anthems ("Thrasher"...ugh!), but none of these fields are conquered here, unless production and musical proficiency are your only measures of success...

To that effect, Artillery are still quite on fire. Morten and Michael Stützer still blaze know how to blaze trails with busy riffing and excellent lead technique, but I can't think of more than a half dozen riffs on the entire album that brought me back to that salivating state I was zoned into as recently as When Death Comes. Adamsen's siren-like nasal potential is once again realized, and to be fair he's practically the only memorable element on several of the tracks ("Dark Days" and "End of Eternity" are examples), his power metal roots shining straight through. Though I've been disappointed with his performance of the band's classics in the live format, he doesn't make a hack job out of the energetic remakes of "Show Your Hate" and "Eternal War" from Fear of Tomorrow (included as bonus tracks in the digipak). The rhythmic duo of Thorslund and Nielsen is tight as ever, and the mix is so spotless you can see your reflection in more than just the back of the CD.

In summation, the album's polished, substantial deluge of content is simply not on par with what I've come to expect from the Danes. It's good enough to separate itself from the thoughtless, derivative droning of so many throwback thrashers, but it's not above a moment or two of brain death itself. Clean as a whistle, just as piercing, and sometimes as irritating. Not a letdown as far as the constituents' individual skills are concerned, and not a necessarily bad or even mediocre album, but a dearth of truly memorable writing from men who generally carve out a far larger slice from the pie of passion.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - One Foot in the Grave, the Other One in the Trash (2009)

2009 was a great year for Denmark's Artillery, as they would release a successful, 'second reunion' album with new vocalist Søren Nico Adamsen, and step past the early criticism that this choice had manifest. In addition, also through their deal with Metal Mind, they released a live DVD + CD called One Foot in the Grave, the Other One in the Trash, a play on their (admittedly generic) 90s reaper mascot and their cult 'Trash' songs. I'm reviewing here the audio component of this package, which has the same set list as the DVD, recorded at the Metalmania Festival 2008, in Katowice, Poland. As with the new studio album, When Death Comes, the band's great rhythm section of Carsten Nielsen and Peter Thorslund is back in place here. So, 4/5 of the By Inheritance lineup.

But that one omission is felt rather strongly in this set, because while Adamsen is a decent match for the new studio fare, he sounds incredibly lackluster over the band's older material. The set does a good job of drawing on all the band's past sources, from classics like "Terror Squad", "The Challenge", "Time Has Come", and "Out of the Sky" to the By Inheritance material: "Beneath the Clay (R.I.P.)", "Khomaniac" and "By Inheritance", but sadly the vocals make them feel like a mere cover band, as he approaches them without the enthusiasm that Flemming Ronsdorf once owned in excess. He puts a little more energy behind the By Inheritance selections, granted, and his more aggressive vocals are far better than the sullen, generic wailing he inhabits for most of the lines, but really you could have grabbed any random power metal singer and gotten equal or better results. He also sounds pretty cheesy on "Cybermind", the one track the band have included from B.A.C.K. One has to question the wisdom of the track list. Surely, all of the rabid Artillery fans at the gig wanted to hear classic material, but why was nothing included from the forthcoming album, where Adamsen soars? Had they just not written any of it by this point? Could Rønsdorf not have just come out for the one gig?

Sadly, this is crippling to the performance, too difficult to overcome. The rest of the band possess the adequate energy to pull off the set without stumbling, and its curious to finally hear these two amazing guitarists perform their busy material on a stage. The bass and drums sound good, but the guitars themselves are often a little difficult to pull out of the mix, and this only lends to the leeching enthusiasm I feel from the vocals. With the DVD, you obviously get the added perk of seeing the band flail about on stage, but as its Artillery and they've got a lot of complexity, they're understandably not tornadoes of energy. Ultimately, I feel the package is pretty weak and easily passed upon, whereas When Death Comes deserves an immediate purchase, with the band in fine form (including Adamsen). Buy that. Skip this.

Verdict: Fail [4.5/10]

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - B.A.C.K. (1999)

Artillery had on and off felt like a case of unfinished business. How could a group of human beings conjure the magnificence of By Inheritance and then drift into nothingness? So when it was clear they were reforming at the close of the 90s, my eyes lit up with both anticipation and dread. The decade had twisted so many legendary thrash artists in the wrong direction. So much could have gone wrong. We might have been forced to suffer Flemming Rönsdorf nu-metal, or worse. This was not a complete reunion from the 1990 lineup. The Stützer's and Rönsdorf return, with Morten taking up his earlier instrument (bass) for the recording, and the trio enlisted the qualified drummer Per Jensen (Invocator, The Haunted, etc) to lay down the percussion.

It turns out we never had much cause for concern. Artillery positioned themselves straight back to their brand of exciting, uplifting thrash metal, with a few modern flourishes. First, the guitar tone is much thicker, with the rhythms packed just as strongly as the leads and harmony. B.A.C.K. is not as airy and grandiose as By Inheritance. You don't feel like you're in that same majestic, bewildering space. They also channel a lot more effects into the guitars, and the riffs are an inkling less complex and well defined than their predecessors. The bass is thicker in the mix, but it generally serves as an afterthought. Perhaps this comes with Morten's 6-string focus; though he was previously the bassist for the first two albums, he might have just plunked these lines down in the wake of Thorslund not being available (or anyone else). There are exceptions, like the rock-oriented "Final Show" which has decent fills. As for Flemming, he's just as charming as ever, but not as loud through the mix as the older material (in tune with the times), and often a bit strained.

This album is not nearly as thorough as By Inheritance. It opens with its two most energetic and entertaining tracks, and then drops off slightly in quality. "Cybermind" is intense, with its trademark, amazingly well conceived riffs and structural swerves, a massive thrashing groove carved into its verse, and a great lead sequence. "How Do You Feel" cuts from the very same cloth, an obsessive charge forward into riffs that would not have been out of place on their 1990 opus, and this is perhaps my single favorite track on this album. The verse guitars are fucking amazing here, and the thicker tone really drives it home. Then comes the third track in the 'Trash' trilogy, "Out of the Trash", funky melodies and bass-lines alternating with straight thrash not unlike the first two songs, and not ultimately as memorable. "Final Show" has a lot more hard rock grooves to it, with the aforementioned funky bass-lines, and this did very little for me.

But before they let the attention span of the album drift off, they belt out "WWW" and "Violent Breed", which both have a few great riffs spread about them, even if the vocals are excessively corny (especially the stop/start thrash bridge lines in the latter). "Theatrical Exposure", "The Cure" and "B.A.C.K." return to the pacing of "Cybermind" and "How Do You Feel", with only a few irritating vocal lines between them; and the closer "Paparazzi" is also worthwhile, curving into some huge, slower hooks, though once again it feels as if he's stretching his pipes a bit too far and might need a cup of hot lemon tea.

Obviously, anyone expecting an album at the level of By Inheritance would be mildly letdown here, including myself, but it's not a disappointment of The Phantom Menace proportions (which came out the same year). To be honest, you can get a lot of mileage out of "Cybermind" and "How Do You Feel" alone, which stand among the best songs Artillery have ever written, and a handful of others here follow straight in their footsteps. The only tracks I really don't care for in the long run were "Final Show" and "Out of the Trash"; they mar the overall effectiveness of the track list, but it's not as if they're entirely void of ear candy. Considering what a dry year 1999 was for this genre (only Sodom and a few black/thrash acts like Witchery and Necrodeath had released anything worthwhile), it serves as a shining if flawed comeback album with some legs to stand on. Alas, in another, frustrating turn of events, the Danes would disassemble once more in 2000.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (I wonder what is left of you)

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - Deadly Relics (1998)

I like to think of the Deadly Relics compilation as a friendly apology to the band's scattered fanbase, but it was also a renewed statement of Artillery's intent. You see, for some insane reason, after releasing the masterpiece By Inheritance, the band saw fit to split up. They put out a demo in '91 and then dissolved. In my opinion, this was a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, but then, there was also a bright side to the action: the Danes have never released a bad album. No Neo Destruction. No St. Anger. No Risk. No Diabolicus in Musica. No mid-90s identity crises. Just an empty void in which to cry out our obsessions and hear nothing but a faint echo, until the band formed once more and prepared the new material for their 1999 album, adequately titled B.A.C.K.

Now, I said it's a friendly package, but it's not exactly mandatory listening. Much of the Deadly Relics release consists of demos for songs that were better mixed for full-length albums. To be precise, there are three demos here: Fear of Tomorrow (1985), Deeds of Darkness (1984), and Shellshock (also 1984), rounded out by a pair of By Inheritance promo tracks and a war sample in Japanese with some cheesy effects that is used as the intro ("Artilleristic Prelude MCMXCVIII"). A lot of the tracks here have seen better days, namely "Khomaniac", "Don't Believe", "Out of the Sky", "Deeds of Darkness", "Fear of Tomorrow" and "Time Has Come". However, there are also a songs here, in particular from the '84 demos, that were not revisited for the studio albums, and these provide the bulk of the admittedly sparse value.

Some of these are before even Flemming Rönsdorf had joined the band, when they were fronted by a gentleman named Carsten Lohman. He's got a fairly evil, mid-ranged tone here, but pales in comparison to his replacement. But most of these older tunes, like the shaky "Too Late to Regret" with its middling heavy metal riffs and groovy, bass-thick breakdown, are simply not that good to begin with. The shredding is fair, but the rhythm guitars are quite dull, almost the opposite of what the band would later develop into. "Deserter" has a cool, spacey synth intro, but then a pretty slow, chugging volley of riffs that also do not sate the curiosity. "Hey Woman" is probably the best from the Deeds of Darkness demo, with some fast, feral energy behind it, but the guitars are pretty average and the vocals suck. The Shellshock demo is quite a bit better, with Lohman using an even more vile tone to his metal scripture, and songs like "All for You" and the pumping "Bitch" at least curry a raw charm to them that, and you can hear a smattering of that Fear of Tomorrow enthusiasm. The final track "Blessed Are the Strong" is pretty straight, slow thrash with a good, violent atmosphere, and a few riffs that feel as if they might be reused and sped up for By Inheritance.

As a slice of history for a band that too many had brushed over in the first place, Deadly Relics does a fairly half-assed job. I would have really liked more content. The 1982 demo We Are the Dead would have been a fine addition, or the super rare 1991 demo Mind Factory which I'm assuming had some material more in the vein of By Inheritance which I would have strangled numerous innocents to attain. Tack those two rarities, and you'd at least have a complete glimpse back, rather than partial obscurement. As it stands, this is nothing more than a purchase of time before the Danish band would vault back into life (and then, subsequently into another breakup) with B.A.C.K. The unheard tracks are meagerly written, with a not unexpected bad production. Not worth bothering over, in my estimation.

Verdict: Fail [4.25/10]

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - By Inheritance (1990)

Every so often, an album comes along in your life that is you become so connected to, so addicted towards that you desire nothing more than to scream it to the world. To rain its praises upon the deaf ears surrounding you and catapult it unto the constellations. Artillery's triumphant third full-length By Inheritance was one such work when when I was naught more than an acne encrusted adolescent. An album of almost immeasurable effort, with an anomalous sense of melody and perhaps the best pair of blood-tied relatives to ever wield guitars in tandem. I speak of course of Michael and Morten Stützer, the latter of whom transitioned to the 2nd guitar slot, replacing Jørgen Sandau, and opening the bass gig to one Peter Thorslund.

Turns out that this was one of the greatest moves in thrash history, because combined, these two weave riffs like no other duo I've ever heard, and the Danes achieved a level of brilliant but welcome complexity to which their prior efforts seemed only a crude warm up. It's almost as if there were some sinister, blood-twined psychic link between the two, and not at all fair. They built structure upon structure of unforgettable fire to each of the nine originals pieces here, mixed brazenly with Flemming Rønsdorf's most enthusiastic and endearing vocal performance, and the explosive Nielsen/Thorslund rhythm section. This was a band at their peak, when the walls of the thrash genre were already beginning to crumble around them, and it's a capital offense that so many devotees of the dwindling format let this slide on by, in their rapid and narrow sighted consumption of fare like Rust in Peace. Don't get me wrong, I love that album myself, but there's not a single (original) here without riffs more exciting than a "Holy Wars...", and very often more than a handful each!

It's a stunning conception, inaugurated by the exotic, Eastern threads of the "7:00 from Tashkent" intro, a frantic frolic that seems to summon the listener directly to the thoroughfares of the Uzbekistan capital itself. This is merged perfectly to the opening of "Khomaniac", in which we were given our first glimpse of the new Artillery, arching and dominant melodies escalated into a gloried frenzy before they drop out for Thorslund's distorted low-end grind, and then flowering through some of the most intricate patterns my young mind had ever heard. The trademark Rönsdorf howling returns, with verses and chorus even more distinct than the prior full-lengths, lyrics tearing the fallacy of holy jihad. The leads are likewise, wholly impressive, even the backing rhythm guitars woven with more finesse than most thrash bands could ever muster through their careers. Gang shouts lead up to another brilliant riff around 4:30, another provocation of goosebumps in a ceaseless, copious overload.

So, that's but one fucking song down...one and a half. The warlike hustle of Nielsen's kit breaks out "Beneath the Clay (R.I.P.)", with another bevy of unprecedented guitar glaze and an incredibly attractive, haunting chorus vocal. The basic structure of the song breathes the same airy expanse, but the riffs are equally well balanced to drag the listener through a vortex of wonder. "By Inheritance" is the first to open with the cleaner guitars, but it turns out these are no less busy than their electrics, with another joyous dynamic thrust and Thorslund scaling about beneath the Stützer driven symphony. Queue "Bombfood", a soldier's lament driven through yet another segue of beautiful, clean guitars that explode into a chorus you simply will not believe as it bowls you over with its anti-war lyrical antics. Queue "Don't Believe", which once AGAIN bleeds in the shining acoustic traits to a burst of testosterone and life, and the band strikes you with ANOTHER intense climax.

Don't believe a word
Unless it's proven true
You might just catch a spell
Damnation upon you

"Life in Bondage" cycles and cavorts through an even more frenzied rhythmic drive, and the opening riff to "Equal at First" is unreal catchy, close in tone to the "7:00 from Tashkent" intro and busting out some of the most badass mojo on the album right beyond Flemming's 'hwah' at :35. If there was one possibility of drowning down this album's momentum, it would have been the cover of "Razamanaz". However, as a fan of the Nazareth original, I have to say it turns out to be one of the best renditions I've heard, played with the same spunk and passion as the original content here. Naturally, it doesn't spark the same level of envy in the guitar geek as the rest of By Inheritance, but against all odds it seems to fit. Lastly, the band hurl out a sequel to "In the Trash" from Terror Squad, manifest through heavily chorused clean guitars and the charming screams before the Master of Puppets-era charge begins. Just the last piece in a puzzle of perfection, with even more of the able bodied guitar work running circles about the competition.

All 40 minutes have a spacious resonance thanks to the Flemming Rasmussen production. Most will know that particular Dane from his legendary work with Metallica (1984-88), so needless to say the guy can mix a thrash album. Artillery are obviously quite a lot more melodic than the Bay Area legends, but he captures it all very well, the guitars bold and out front as they should be when this much effort has been placed in their composition. I will admit that in comparison, the rhythm section can often feel a little drowned, since they're rarely the focus, but when the guitars are this good, there is simply no cause for concern. It's an emotional, empowered slab of creative speed, a flawless album that should have had this band's name perched on the tongue of every hesher from here to eternity. They've never released a bad album (even in their reunion period thus far); but this is clearly the summit, and I can only think of a small handful of discs in my entire metallic collection that could hold a candle to it. Acquire at any cost, even if you've got to carve out and auction off a few organs in the process.

Verdict: Epic Win [10/10] (no one can take it away)

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - Terror Squad (1987)

It might look as ugly as sin, but Terror Squad marked a mild, steady evolution from Artillery's 1985 debut. The band honed in their chops, better channeling their aggression into an act to be reckoned with, with thick and charging guitars that remind me of Master of Puppets' more forceful gallops. The lineup was precisely the same here as on Fear of Tomorrow, and it was recorded once again in the El Sound Studio, Copenhagen, but its cleaner. The drums are more perky sounding; the guitars more engaging (especially the mutes in the voracious riff patterns) and an inkling more technical; the vocals better blended into the fray, although I would honestly say that the chorus parts on the debut were as good as these.

Again, they choose their pacing wisely, with some of the most memorable tracks dominating the first half of the album and ensuring the interest of the listener. "The Challenge" has some of the most technical, intense guitars Michael Stützer and Jørgen Sandau had yet manifest, seeming strangely enthusiastic despite the rather negative worldview of the lyrics. "In the Trash" has some excellent riffs in the verse, and it also sets up a sequel for the following album. But then comes "Terror Squad" itself, a slower piece oriented in massive grooves with Morten's bass sliding all over the place. The hooks within this incredible, with Ronsdorf screaming with the same passion he'd be pursuing for the brilliant follow-up, gang shouts joining him for the potent if predictable chorus. I can't say I love the little samples that the band throw in here, but they're at least flush with the riotous subject matter.

"Let There Be Sin" returns to the higher velocity that opened the album, and the muted riff in the middle of the verse (around :30) is simply loaded with awesome. But the second half of the album doesn't necessarily maintain the consistency of the first. "Hunger and Greed" has a great, screaming chorus and 1-2 decent guitars, but the rest are forgettable; and "Therapy", while a pleasant foreshadowing to some of the tactics used for By Inheritance, is perhaps a little too silly in the vocal area, Fleming screaming like a little girl (or like King Diamond, if not as piercing) before the trot of the bridge. "At War With the Science" is largely another groover, but the riffs aren't quite as effective as "Terror Squad". Thankfully, the closing thrust of "Decapitation of Deviants" ties everything together, and so ultimately if feels like at least six of the tracks here have stormed your arse off.

You keep reminding yourself
That life is just life when you're active
If you expect to be paid
You have to be fuckin' attractive

Terror Squad was not exactly a foremost highlight of European thrash for 1987, being that it was up against titans like Terrible Certainty, Finished With the Dogs, Persecution Mania and Chemical Invasion. However, it proved that Artillery was no one hit wonder, and readily evolved their high strung, energetic sound from the debut, even if by small increments. That said, in retrospect it seems like it suffers by comparison to what happened next. But really, what wouldn't? This album might be a shower nozzle compared to the forthcoming 1990 tidal wave, but nonetheless it belongs in the collection of any discriminating thrasher.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (head in the sky, you're aimin' higher)

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - Fear of Tomorrow (1985)

Though few could compete with or be compared squarely to the German pioneers and headsmen of thrash metal, small scenes had sprung up all about Europe. Most countries had a small handful of bands who would sign record deals, perhaps release a cult classic or two, and disappear into the roll of years. A few, like Holland and England were able to hurl a few more names into the theater, but Denmark was better known for its melodic heavy/power metal acts like Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, and Pretty Maids. That all would change upon the arrival of one of the greatest thrash acts the continent would ever know, but it took a few years and some lineup shifts before Artillery could achieve its potential.

Fear of Tomorrow represents the fundamental elements that the Danes would refine into the masterwork By Inheritance, but by this point in the mid 80s the band didn't have nearly that level of musicianship or technicality. They managed to distinguish themselves through two characteristics: a more uplifting style of writing that wasn't nearly so dark as comparable acts like Onslaught, Destruction or Sodom; and the vocals of Flemming Ronsdorf, which were thicker and higher pitched in general than was typical for the genre. I'm not just talking about the screams used at the ends of passages by Tom Araya or Schmier, but these were more like a crude power/speed style, more akin to Udo Dirkschneider or Kris Boltendahl, heavily glazed with Ronsdorf's native accent. One the one hand, his presence creates an endearing and goofy effect, but he carries enough resonance as the reverb spits him over the dense, workmanlike guitars here.

The debut begins with some of the band's best early cuts, most culled from the demo of the same name that had come out earlier that year. "Time Has Come" opens with screams and hails of gunfire, a brief acoustic segue and then a storm of thick thrashing guitars below the haunted melody of the vocals, which is alternated with a more brutal mid-range in the little bridges that lead to and fro the verses. Michael Stützer shows his lead skills almost immediately, though he's not joined by his brother Morten quite yet, as he was on the bass for both this and Terror Squad (and pretty amazing with the four strings, to boot). The drums here are pretty standard rock and metal beats with grooves, and Artillery possessed a higher than normal swerve towards the classic, chunky NWOBHM style of moody riffing, but then, thrash had just been emerging from this leaning, or at least certain bands were drawing from that influence more so than the punk and hardcore that others admired. "The Almighty" follows in a similar schema, with more wild leads, memorable vocal lines and a solid, mosh inflected breakdown.

It doesn't slow down from there, "Show Your Hate" seeming even more aggressive with spikes of melody and some of the most viral, intricate speed riffing on the album. Ronsdorf's chorus of 'looser - it's time to kill/looser - show your...hate' is also pretty charming and distinct. Then the Danes shift to a slower gait with the opening slog to "King, Thy Name is Slayer", later exploring a more groove heavy aggression. But this track is an exception, as "Out of the Sky" and "Into the Universe" return to the band's enthusiastic throttling. Another track I really enjoy is "Fear of Tomorrow" itself, and engaging and cautionary pastiche of cliched future paranoia, basically the 80s Danish thrash answer to The Terminator, with a great chorus to it. The other tracks, "The Eternal War" and "Deeds of Darkness" have never seemed so catchy to me as the rest of the album, but they're consistent enough not to cock it all up.

This was absolutely a great, skilled debut, and showed nothing other than promise for their future, with its simple but icon cover image, a hooded monstrosity with a giant ass gun. Cheesy, but it gives you a tingly feeling when you see it represented among the cult faves of the 80s. That this is actually my least favorite Artillery album speaks volumes about what they would soon transform into with just a few years gestation.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (eyes of steel accept no lies)

http://www.artillery.dk/

Artillery - When Death Comes (2009)

I have always had strong feelings for the legendary Artillery, the band that produced one of my all time favorite metal albums, By Inheritance, an apex of incredibly structured riffing, passionate explosive vocals and unbridled velocity. Since that album would be nigh impossible to top, I can forgive the band for the long hiatus between each release since '90. B.A.C.K. (1999) was a good album with a ton of the band's original energy, even though it couldn't match up song for song. When the band parted with Flemming Rondsorf I was terrified of what would become...an early live video I saw of the band with replacement Søren Nico Adamsen was abysmal.

It is fortunate that my fears were misplaced and premature. Adamsen does a pretty good job with this album. Though his power metal past (Crystal Eyes, etc) bleeds through, and he lacks that edge of UDO-like brutality to his delivery, his melodies are sound and fit in well with the band's busy melodic speed/thrash riffing. When Death Comes is actually a very tight production, with tracks that become more infectious upon repeated spins. The title track feels a lot like the B.A.C.K. material, but infused with so much melodic grace that one can only smile and remember just what this guitar duo is capable of (the Stützer brothers are the best there is, hands down). The riffs are complex but accessible. While strong, it's not the best material here. "Upon My Cross I Crawl", "Sandbox Philosophy", "Not a Nightmare" and "Damned Religion" are all classically composed Artillery tracks that left my jaw in a half-broken state near the floor. The rest aren't shabby either.

When Death Comes is thick and meaty, with guitars that want to punch you in the throat. Adamsen's vocals soar over them in a true old school Germanic speed style, the inflection reminding me of early Scanner or Mania. There are some truly stupid lyrics on the album, as in "Damned Religion" where Adamsen intones "Your double talking jive motherfuckers
Take your bullshit stay away from me"... but lyrics have never really been this band's forte. This is a 27 year old band here...the fact they can still write such infectious material so deep into their career is a testament to their raw talent. By Inheritance will always secure them as one of the finest speed/thrash metal bands the world has ever known, but I have to hand it to the band for choosing a decent new vocalist and not letting their legacy stagnate with a sub-par 'reunion' album.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/artillerythrashmetal