Now back to this new release called The Face Of Fear. I have a bit mixed up feelings listening to the album. At first I only got 9 songs instead of 11 (the 2 re-recorded songs ‘Mind of No Return’ and ‘Docter Evil’) are missing, so with only 35 minutes of music the album is rather short. Second is that the balance on the album is a little gone, in my opinion there are a little too much softer melodic parts. On the other hand the real thrash songs are faster and heavier than ever. The first track is already on You Tube for a month, so everyone knows how that song sounds. The next one starts rather slow, but turns into a real fast thrash hammer soon, this is one of my favorites . ‘New Rage’ starts as a ballad, but soon becomes a mid tempo riffing track.
Melody has always been an Artillery trade mark, this really returns in ‘Sworn Utopia’, a fast song that reminds me of Megadeth. Another great riffing thrash song varied with some slower parts follows. Then a melodic metal song, I wouldn’t call it thrash is up next, but I like it. It is well build up and has some great melodies. Another melodic not particularly a thrash song follows, it has some great vocals, but in my eyes not really what I expect form a band with the name Artillery. ‘Under Water’ is just filling in my opinion, why not another real song on such a short album? The fastest track of the album follows and ends my listening session.
Final conclusion is that Artillery is back with a good album, but not the hammer I expected, I’m sure the 2 re-recorded songs I’m missing make the album better. The songs are good and of a high level in general, but I’m not over the moon.
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ARTILLERY releases video for third single ‘Pain’!
New album ‘The Face Of Fear’ out next week!
November 16th – next week Friday – sees ARTILLERY release their new album ‘The Face Of Fear‘ which is the successor to ‘Penalty By Perception‘ from 2016.
The Danes have now launched the 3rd single taken off the album. Please surf over to youtu.be/HBtQsvZyquM to check out the video clip for ‘Pain’!
Comments guitarist Michael Stützer:
“The story behind Pain’ is a true story, about an alcoholic who was never listening to his friends or family when they tried to make him stop and quit drinking. And when he got to the point where he realized himself he had to stop it was too late and there was no way out anymore. The video for Pain’ was recorded in Kolding and Randers by Morten Madsen (MSM production) who also directed our previous videos for Legions’ and Live by the Scythe’.”
‘The Face Of Fear‘ is the band’s 9th studio album and the third with the current line-up. The record contains nine brand new, straight-to-your-face songs. Make sure to surf over to metalblade.com/artillery where you can watch the video for the first single which is the title track ‘The Face Of Fear‘! Check out the pre-order bundles, ‘The Face Of Fear‘ is available in these formats:
— ltd. Digipak-CD with 2 exclusive bonus tracks
— 180 g black vinyl– opaque grey blue marbeld vinyl (ltd. 300 – EU-exclusive)
— golden yellow blue marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 – EU-exclusive)
— blue green / white splattered vinyl (ltd. 100 – EMP-exclusive)
— blue/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 – US-exclusive)
The lyrics are ARTILLERY as you know them, with subjects concerning the destruction of mankind, double standards, abuse and the looming worst-case scenario. ‘The Face Of Fear‘ was recorded with long-time producer Søren Andersen at Medley Studios. It’s Søren’s fifth time at the helm and once again he manages to deliver a monster production.
Sören Andersen on ‘The Face Of Fear‘:
“Pure and raw! Some of the material of this album was originally written in the early 80’s and that inspired us to go old school this time. Not too many layers, just classic Artillery thrash metal… And Bastholm is better than ever on this one. This is a no-filler album, created together with the band. I’m really proud of the final result and I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I do!”
‘The Face Of Fear’ tracklist:
1 The Face of Fear
2 Crossroads To Conspiracy
3 New Rage
4 Sworn Utopia
5 Through The Ages Of Atrocity
6 Thirst For The Worst
7 Pain
8 Under Water (instumental)
9 Preaching to the converted
10 Mind Of No Return (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / re-recorded song from Artillery’s first demo from 1982)
11 Doctor Evil (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / 2018 version)
Since the last album ‘Penalty By Perception‘, which won the band four Danish Metal Awards 2016 (Best album, best band, best production and Honorary prize), ARTILLERY has toured around the World, including Europe, South America and parts of Asia. In the rest of 2018 there will be time for Copenhell’s Metal Cruise and a Denmark tour, with a release party on High Voltage. 2019 will include tours in Europe, South America and USA.
ARTILLERY line-up:
Michael Bastholm Dahl – vocals
Michael Stützer- guitars
Morten Stützer – guitars
Peter Thorslund – bass
Joshua Madsen – drums
ARTILLERY live:
09/11/18 DK – Copenhagen – High Voltage (album release show)
24/11/18 DK – Odense – Metal Mekka
07/12/18 DK – Herning – Fermaten
22/05/19 AT – Wien – Viper Room
23/05/19 CZ – Kyjov – RocknRolla
24/05/19 CZ – Mlada Boleslav – Fararova Sluj
25/05/19 CZ – Brno – Unleaded Coffee
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November 16th sees ARTILLERY release their new album ‘The Face Of Fear‘ which is the successor to ‘Penalty By Perception’ from 2016. The Danes have now launched the 2nd single taken off the album. Please surf over to youtube.com/watch?v=spok2IpJXhE to check out ‘Crossroads To Conspiracy’!
Comments guitarist Michael Stützer:
“‘Crossroads to Conspiracy’ was one of the very last songs we crafted and it’s a hard-hitting melodic thrash metal song with the typical Artillery riffing. The lyrics are about how you have been cursed by the wrong choices you’ve made. The wrongdoings of others that you used to condemn others for have been committed by yourself.”
‘The Face Of Fear‘ is the band’s 9th studio album and the third with the current line-up. The record contains nine brand new, straight-to-your-face songs. Make sure to surf over to metalblade.com/artillery where you can watch the video for the first single which is the title track ‘The Face Of Fear‘! Check out the pre-order bundles, ‘The Face Of Fear‘ is available in these formats:
— ltd. Digipak-CD with 2 exclusive bonus tracks
— 180 g black vinyl — opaque grey blue marbeld vinyl (ltd. 300 – EU-exclusive)
— golden yellow blue marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 – EU-exclusive)
— blue green / white splattered vinyl (ltd. 100 – EMP-exclusive)
— blue/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 – US-exclusive)
The lyrics are ARTILLERY as you know them, with subjects concerning the destruction of mankind, double standards, abuse and the looming worst-case scenario. ‘The Face Of Fear‘ was recorded with long-time producer Søren Andersen at Medley Studios. It’s Søren’s fifth time at the helm and once again he manages to deliver a monster production.
Sören Andersen on ‘The Face Of Fear‘:
“Pure and raw! Some of the material of this album was originally written in the early 80’s and that inspired us to go old school this time. Not too many layers, just classic Artillery thrash metal… And Bastholm is better than ever on this one. This is a no-filler album, created together with the band. I’m really proud of the final result and I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I do!”
‘The Face Of Fear’ tracklist:
1 The Face of Fear
2 Crossroads To Conspiracy
3 New Rage
4 Sworn Utopia
5 Through The Ages Of Atrocity
6 Thirst For The Worst
7 Pain
8 Under Water (instumental)
9 Preaching to the converted
10 Mind Of No Return (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / re-recorded song from Artillery’s first demo from 1982)
11 Doctor Evil (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / 2018 version)
Since the last album ‘Penalty By Perception‘, which won the band four Danish Metal Awards 2016 (Best album, best band, best production and Honorary prize), ARTILLERY has toured around the World, including Europe, South America and parts of Asia. In the rest of 2018 there will be time for Copenhell’s Metal Cruise and a Denmark tour, with a release party on High Voltage. 2019 will include tours in Europe, South America and USA.
ARTILLERY line-up:
Michael Bastholm Dahl – vocals
Michael Stützer- guitars
Morten Stützer – guitars
Peter Thorslund – bass
Joshua Madsen – drums
ARTILLERY live:
26-27/10/18 DK – Copenhagen – Metalcruise
09/11/18 DK – Copenhagen – High Voltage (album release show)
24/11/18 DK – Odense – Metal Mekka
07/12/18 DK – Herning – Fermaten
22/05/19 AT – Wien – Viper Room
23/05/19 CZ – Kyjov – RocknRolla
24/05/19 CZ – Mlada Boleslav – Fararova Sluj
25/05/19 CZ – Brno – Unleaded Coffee
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ARTILLERY releases new album ‘The Face of Fear’ November 16th!
Video for title track launched! Pre-order live!
November 16th sees ARTILLERY release their new album ‘The Face Of Fear‘ which is the successor to ‘Penalty By Perception‘ from 2016.
‘The Face Of Fear‘ is the band’s 9th studio album and the third with the current line-up. The record contains nine brand new, straight-to-your-face songs. Make sure to surf over to metalblade.com/artillery where you can watch the video for the first single which is the title track ‘The Face Of Fear’! Check out the pre-order bundles, ‘The Face Of Fear‘ is available in these formats:
— ltd. Digipak-CD with 2 exclusive bonus tracks
— 180 g black vinyl– opaque grey blue marbeld vinyl (ltd. 300 – EU-exclusive)
— golden yellow blue marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 – EU-exclusive)
— blue green / white splattered vinyl (ltd. 100 – EMP-exclusive)
— blue/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 300 – US-exclusive)
The lyrics are ARTILLERY as you know them, with subjects concerning the destruction of mankind, double standards, abuse and the looming worst-case scenario. ‘The Face Of Fear‘ was recorded with long-time producer Søren Andersen at Medley Studios. It’s Søren’s fifth time at the helm and once again he manages to deliver a monster production.
Sören Andersen on ‘The Face Of Fear‘:
“Pure and raw! Some of the material of this album was originally written in the early 80’s and that inspired us to go old school this time. Not too many layers, just classic Artillery thrash metal… And Bastholm is better than ever on this one. This is a no-filler album, created together with the band. I’m really proud of the final result and I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I do!”
Comments ARTILLERY on the video for ‘The Face Of Fear’:
“Most of the scenes for the video were shot at Amager strand park right outside of Copenhagen. And the live scenes go back to when the band visited Japan and played at the Thrash Dominations together with Exodus, Voivod and Sanctuary. The video was shot by the bands good friend Terkel Christensen who also did the video ‘When The Magic is Gone’ from the latest album ‘Penalty By Perception’. The song is about dealing the end of man by himself. We create our own phobia about the destruction of the World, but remain disrespectful to the globe.”
‘The Face Of Fear’ tracklist:
1 The Face of Fear
2 Crossroads To Conspiracy
3 New Rage
4 Sworn Utopia
5 Through The Ages Of Atrocity
6 Thirst For The Worst
7 Pain
8 Under Water (instumental)
9 Preaching to the converted
10 Mind Of No Return (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / re-recorded song from Artillery’s first demo from 1982)
11 Doctor Evil (ltd. 1st ed. bonus track / 2018 version)
Since the last album ‘Penalty By Perception‘, which won the band four Danish Metal Awards 2016 (Best album, best band, best production and Honorary prize), ARTILLERY has toured around the World, including Europe, South America and parts of Asia. In the rest of 2018 there will be time for Copenhell’s Metal Cruise and a Denmark tour, with a release party on High Voltage. 2019 will include tours in Europe, South America and USA.
ARTILLERY line-up:
Michael Bastholm Dahl – vocals
Michael Stützer- guitars
Morten Stützer – guitars
Peter Thorslund – bass
Joshua Madsen – drums
ARTILLERY live:
26-27/10/18 DK – Copenhagen – Metalcruise
09/11/18 DK – Copenhagen – High Voltage (album release show)
24/11/18 DK – Odense – Metal Mekka
07/12/18 DK – Herning – Fermaten
22/05/19 AT – Wien – Viper Room
23/05/19 CZ – Kyjov – RocknRolla
24/05/19 CZ – Mlada Boleslav – Fararova Sluj
25/05/19 CZ – Brno – Unleaded Coffee
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Metal Mind Productions will re-release the fourth studio albums by Danish thrash metal legend – Artillery! New digipack edition will include four bonus tracks.
Denmark’s Artillery is one of Europe’s earliest exponents of thrash metal and the band’s contribution to the burgeoning genre is difficult to ignore. Due to Artillery’s demos being well distributed, the band gained worldwide recognition even before the release of their first official album; and the band’s first three studio albums, “Fear of Tomorrow”, “Terror Squad” and “By Inheritance”, all assumed the status of classics in the thrash genre.
“B.A.C.K” is their fourth studio album from 1999. The material was produced by Bo Lund and Artillery, and mixed by Andy Sneap. It was their first full-length album since “By Inheritance”, which came out nine years earlier. After the release of “B.A.C.K”, Artillery would break up again, but eventually reformed for a second time in 2007.
Expanded edition of “B.A.C.K.” album is schedule for worldwide release on June, 8th.
Tracklist:
1. Cybermind
2. How Do You Feel
3. Out Of The Trash
4. Final Show
5. Www
6. Violent Breed
7. Theatrical Exposure
8. B.A.C.K.
9. The Cure
10. Paparazzi
Bonus Tracks:
11. Fly
12. Jester
13. Cybermind (Rough Mix)
14. Cybermind (Live In Copenhagen 2008)
Artillery – official websites:
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DAY 3
There should be no doubt that today is the day both Phil and I have been looking forward to. We miss the first couple of bands (family stuff, alright!) and head on directly with a dose of rock solid death metal from upcoming Danes PREVAIL.
I saw them at Heavy Agger back in May and was mightily impressed by their sound and groove, although there were still bits and pieces that needed to be worked on. That is still the case here five months later, by they have definitely done their homework and seem like an even tighter unit, centred around the former Svartsot members Claus and Michael. Definitely an approved gig.
More death metal from another up and coming death metal outfit from our tiny country. Those in the audience who were here on Thursday will recognise the front man from BAEST, who also happens to be the Duracell bunny who fronted Livløs.
Baest is a real pleasure to listen to for those of us who dug Entombed and Dismember during the early nineties. The guitar sound is almost the same, only with a slightly deeper growl from front man Simon. The band deliver with awesome power. This is death metal with a purpose, namely to destroy everything. Perhaps the next obvious extreme metal export from these shores?
Speaking of Danish music exports: Did you know that thrash metal icons ARTILLERY were one of the first western bands to play in the disintegrating Soviet Union? Well, they were.
They were also one of the most influential thrash bands in Europe, although they never reached the popularity of some of their German counterparts. The main reason for the band’s popularity among peers was most likely due to the unique style of lead guitarist Michael Stützer (who joined Artillery in 1982, one year after the band was formed). I’d claim that alongside Denner/Sherman, this man is the most influential Danish rock or metal guitarist ever.
I am looking forward to this gig. Artillery was the first metal band I saw live (in 1988), and I’ve just realised that I haven’t seen them since 1991. About time, eh!
One thing that has definitely changed is that Michael Stützer is the only band member remaining from when I last saw them. The younger folk around him do a fab job, though, as the band plough through both old and newer material. It is worth noting, as Phil remarks later, that Michael Bastholm Dahl is the only actual singer we have heard during the day. And he his. Compared to Flemming Rönsdorf who is the singer I associate with Artillery, Dahl is a Pavarotti.
The hobbit-sized Stützer moves around the stage constantly and repeatedly tries to animate the crowd who are more than appreciative of the old-school thrash rifferama that pours out of his strings.
Artillery unleash ‘The Almighty’, ‘The Challenge’, ‘Live by the Scythe’, ‘Beneath the Clay’, the masterpiece ‘By Inheritance’, ‘Legions’, the monster hit tune (in my world) ‘Khomaniac’ and finally the song that has almost become the band’s theme song; ‘Terror Squad’.
Cool gig!
HATESPHERE were never known to deliver a shitty gig. Tonight is no exception. It’s as if Esse, Pepe and the boys have found that extra gear that truly forms a concert to remember.
The atmosphere is simply exceptionally great on this fine Saturday evening, and HateSphere sounds like a monster; tight, heavy, loud and more convincing than they’ve been in ages.
‘Drinking with the King of the Dead’ never sounded more crushing, and it is usually a very heavy song. As a bonus, Livløs/Baest singer Simon climbs on stage for the third time during this festival to add his vocal chords to set closer ‘Sickness Within’. Boom – damned deal done! Awesome set.
I was reminded yesterday that FIRESPAWN is fronted by L.G. Petrov. Without having listened to any of their music before, I’m pretty certain that this is something for me.
It is.
I called Simon from Baest/Livløs a Duracell bunny yesterday, but L.G. is no less so. This 45-year-old (he’s three months older than me) is all over the friggin’ place. And not only that; as Dawn Of Demise bassist Bjørn notes in passing, the former Entombed singer is more death metal than ever in this outfit.
You kind of know that when five guys from Sweden get on stage, they mean death metal business. A mixture of Swedish and US death metal, I’d say. Truth be told, it’s not all completely and insanely interesting from a creative perspective, but solid it is overall, and some of Firespawn’s music is simply majestic. What can you expect when you have former and current members of Entombed/Entombed A.D., Unleashed, etc.? Exactly! Death f*cking metal!
Time to turn the dial back to thrash. Not only thrash: One of the Big Teutonic 4, no less! DESTRUCTION played Aalborg 13 years ago, a slightly slow gig in terms of audience response as far as I remember.
Not the case today! Aalborg is sucking up everything Schmier, Mike and Vaaver decide to throw at us. The trio is literally taking us through one of the paths of thrash metal history with ‘Curse the Gods’, ‘Nailed to the Cross’, ‘Mad Butcher’, ‘Bestial Invasion’ and a handful more.
Schmier is in the best of moods – at least until he realises that he has no beer on stage. “How the fuck can we be in Denmark and have no beer on stage?” the man exclaims and promptly sends a stage hand away to seek out some of the golden liquid. Which, by the way, he eventually passes on to the audience. Poor stage hand, methinks.
Destruction have clearly aged when you look at the bulk of a man who’s called Schmier and the scrawny, little Mike beside him, but no matter what, they deliver the goods with no holding back. A true lesson in thrash metal.
Now, finally, what many of us have been waiting for! I AM MORBID with the only and real Morbid Angel singer, David Vincent, at the helm. This is a special gig for a number of reasons. The main reason is that Morbid An…I mean I Am Morbid show up as a trio. Other than Vincent and drummer Tim Yeung, Ira Black (formerly of among others Vicious Rumors and Heathen) walks on stage, and that’s it. What is really surprising is how well the Morbid Angel songs work without the second guitar. This speaks to their strength!
As the concert progresses, my reflection is that it is amazing how this one set comprises more than a few of my all-time favourite songs (‘Fall from Grace’, ‘Where the Slime Live’, ‘Dominate’, ‘Blessed Are the Sick’, ‘God of Emptiness’) and all-time favourite riffs (‘Visions from the Dark Side’!).
This gig simply reaches right into my old metal heart in a way that hasn’t happened in a long time, with the ultimate death metal voice, the killer riffs from a fantastic guitarist, the drummer from hell behind the kit. Listen, we even get a drum solo and a guitar solo after ‘Maze of Torment’. It’s been a while, eh?!
I rarely bang my head beyond a slight nod anymore (age and all that), but there’s quite simply no stopping when ‘Where the Slime Live’ thunders between the walls of the venue. That song is so utterly heavy, it’s like a drug.
Vincent commands the stage and audience with an authority that you rarely see. I mean, he’s one man down, the whole setup is very basic (three guys and their instruments, nothing else), and still, the sheer power of the songs he co-created and his strong personality drives the whole thing to a point where this trio simply owns the evening, and, in my humble opinion, the entire festival. I am indeed morbid. The next natural step for this lineup would be to record new material, eh?
Thus relieved after two days of so-so experiences, this third day turned out to be a much welcome outburst of rock solid thrash and death metal the way your two Power Of Metal.dk correspondents like it. Thank you again to the Aalborg Metal Festival for a great festival!
Thomas & Phil
Photos by Thomas
