| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING In Defiance Of Conformity Live By The Scythe Penalty By Perception Mercy Of Ignorance Rites Of War Sin Of Innocence When The Magic Is Gone Cosmic Brain Deity Machine Path Of The Atheist Welcome To The Mindfactory Label: Metal Blade Records Release Date: March 25, 2016 Website: www.facebook.com/ARTILLERY.DK |  |
ARTILLERY IS:
Michael Bastholm Dahl - Vocals Michael Stutzer - Guitars Morten Stutzer - Guitars Peter Thorslund - Bass
Josua Madsen - Drums
Michael Bastholm Dahl - Vocals Michael Stutzer - Guitars Morten Stutzer - Guitars Peter Thorslund - Bass
Josua Madsen - Drums
When people think of the Danish metal scene, some names that immediately come to mind are Mercyful Fate, King Diamond and Volbeat, but there's also a number of amazing and underrated Danish bands that don't get much of the credit they deserve like Pretty Maids, Invocator, Hatesphere and of course Artillery. I had the great opportunity to catch Artillery when they first came to Toronto in 2014 while supporting Onslaught and also got to interview Michael Stutzer before the show and it was great to talk to him. They were in the middle of the Legions tour cycle at the time, and now we have some new music from the Danish thrash masters with their new album Penalty By Perception. If you're reading this and you've never heard of Artillery, hopefully this review of Penalty By Perception will interest you to check out this album, plus the band's seven other amazing albums.
After listening to this album, I can say that it's pretty much what we can expect from Artillery, which is energetic, exciting, very riff-oriented thrash, and there's even a couple of surprises on the album. "In Defiance Of Conformity" kicks off the album strongly with a thunderclap and haunting guitar intro before kicking into high gear with furious riffage that will have no issues getting mosh pits going in a live setting. The Stutzer brothers: Michael and Morten are absolute riff machines unleashing riffs and leads of incredible potency. Each song contains riffs that will hook the listener instantly. A couple of primary examples of this would be "Mercy Of Ignorance", which is the most straightforward song on the album with a slamming groove reminiscent of "10,000 Devils" from When Death Comes, and "Sin Of Innocence".
The title track and "Rites Of War" carry a big By Inheritance vibe with the technicality and slightly faster pace than some of the other thrashers on the album. Michael Bastholm Dahl is pretty much the Bruce Dickinson of thrash with an incredible ability to make melodic vocals flow perfectly over rampaging thrash riffs, much like Joey Belladonna and Mark Osegueda. The band give their softer side some exposure on the slower ballad "When The Magic Is Gone" with a soothing piano intro followed by hypnotic leads and a mesmerizing vocal performance from Dahl. Definitely one of the strongest songs on the record.
The only minor flaw about this album is that the volume of the drums seems to be a bit down, especially in the faster sections of the songs. They should be more up front to match the power of the guitars, but Josua Madsen delivers some incredibly solid performances. Whether you're a fan of the recent records like When Death Comes, My Blood and Legions or the classics like Fear Of Tomorrow, Terror Squad and By Inheritance, Penalty By Perception contains enough memorability to satisfy fans of both eras. Pick up this album now and crank it LOUD!
Highs: Superb songwriting and performances.
Lows: The drums could be a little louder.
Final Rating: 8.5/10
After listening to this album, I can say that it's pretty much what we can expect from Artillery, which is energetic, exciting, very riff-oriented thrash, and there's even a couple of surprises on the album. "In Defiance Of Conformity" kicks off the album strongly with a thunderclap and haunting guitar intro before kicking into high gear with furious riffage that will have no issues getting mosh pits going in a live setting. The Stutzer brothers: Michael and Morten are absolute riff machines unleashing riffs and leads of incredible potency. Each song contains riffs that will hook the listener instantly. A couple of primary examples of this would be "Mercy Of Ignorance", which is the most straightforward song on the album with a slamming groove reminiscent of "10,000 Devils" from When Death Comes, and "Sin Of Innocence".
The title track and "Rites Of War" carry a big By Inheritance vibe with the technicality and slightly faster pace than some of the other thrashers on the album. Michael Bastholm Dahl is pretty much the Bruce Dickinson of thrash with an incredible ability to make melodic vocals flow perfectly over rampaging thrash riffs, much like Joey Belladonna and Mark Osegueda. The band give their softer side some exposure on the slower ballad "When The Magic Is Gone" with a soothing piano intro followed by hypnotic leads and a mesmerizing vocal performance from Dahl. Definitely one of the strongest songs on the record.
The only minor flaw about this album is that the volume of the drums seems to be a bit down, especially in the faster sections of the songs. They should be more up front to match the power of the guitars, but Josua Madsen delivers some incredibly solid performances. Whether you're a fan of the recent records like When Death Comes, My Blood and Legions or the classics like Fear Of Tomorrow, Terror Squad and By Inheritance, Penalty By Perception contains enough memorability to satisfy fans of both eras. Pick up this album now and crank it LOUD!
Highs: Superb songwriting and performances.
Lows: The drums could be a little louder.
Final Rating: 8.5/10
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