Released by: Metalmind Productions
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Thrash Metal
Links: http://www.artillery.dk/
Line Up:
Søren Nico Adamsen – Vocals
Michael Stützer – Guitars
Morten Stützer – Guitars
Peter Thorslund – Bass
Carsten Nielsen – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)
2. Monster
3. Dark Days
4. Death Is An Illusion
5. Ain´t Giving In
6. Prelude To Madness
7. Thrasher
8. Warrior Blood
9. Concealed In The Dark
10. End Of Eternity
11. The Great
Ohh freaking Artillery the Danish Trash Metal masters are still alive and spitting hellfire at the pits of hell huh? The band has been around since the early 80’s and their undeniably impact on the scene is obvious. I faintly remember the guitars from Michael Stützer, and his brother bassist Morten Stützer which seems to have been the glue of the band even back then. I was never a huge Artillery fan, but always respected their music, it was ballsy, with attitude and with a kinship approach in the melodic fine line of trash metal and power metal.
The band had called it quits for a while, but ever since their last reincarnation a couple of years back they have stayed in constant rotation. I have to be completely honest here, the trash metal genre has it’s periods where you’ll have a few killer releases and then you have albums like these that just feel generic and bland.
I am not trying to bring the band down but it feels like their best days are behind them now. The monstrous riffs are not there anymore, apart from a few more melancholy moments in the Mid Easter vibe in the songs, I couldn’t find much to rejoice about. Is hard to live up to albums like “By Inheritance” and even their last record “When Death Comes” which featured more melodic riffs and sharper rhythm and bass action on both ends.
Hard to pick out a bunch of songs here that stand out, because I couldn’t find many. “Dark Days” starts off promising, but the lackluster lyrics bring down the solid neck breaking rhythm section. Is hard to judge but the thing about Artillery is that they lean more towards Melodic Thrash then epic neck breaking Trash Metal. So on songs like “Death Is An Illusion” you won’t find a groove that sucks you in completely at first and I’m afraid that other metal fans will lack the desire to find it interesting. It feels like an incomplete track, on some levels I am reminded of early Megadeth and the faster quick uptempo of the song itself has some good variations but just not fully sustained. The album has plenty of melodic facets but not enough for me to ultimately feel the vibe the band is presenting.
A mix of bags but at the same time not terrible, just not enough excitement in the music to hold much water over some other killer trash releases already this year……think the new Vicious Rumors for instance plus the songwriting needs some help as most of the songs are expelled as “dull”. I am glad these guys are still around as they obviously haven’t lost the will to keep on kicking ass and I’m sure a live show would be worthwhile for hardcore fans. I just expected more from them at this point in their careers.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 6/10