Artillery - Legions

Since their second comeback Denmark’s Artillery have made two stunning thrash albums that still hold and old school vibe but have a thoroughly modern production about them, they possess meat on the bone essentially. This forthcoming release shows a similar quality to its predecessors of recent times, although it’s a step forward compared to ‘My Blood’ and in my mind on a similar par to ‘When Death Comes’. A new line up also greets you, drummer Josua Madsen and main vocalist Michael Bastholm Dahl is an unexpected addition, but very good additions on both counts. It is always risky changing your vocalist, but in Artillery’s case, this works (although I did not feel there was anything wrong with the previous vocalists that this band has had over the years).

The strange intro leads into what I want to hear in respect of this band, a brutal but melodic thrash assault with a classic feel but a modern twist. I am fed up with bands going all retro, this cannot survive as a genre if it becomes stale once more. Artillery has and do move forward with this and each of their previous two releases since their second comeback. ‘God Feather’ really raises the bar high especially in the vocals which do tend to be a bit traditional metal rather than thrashier in style. If it is mayhem you are after then a track like ‘Anno Requiem’ will simply provide further fuel to your internal fire. The music is extremely tight and powerful as are the solos, but Dahl’s vocals may become an acquired taste for some. They are very dynamic and have a similar quality to many power metal singers or some of the more atmospheric numbers of say Flotsam & Jetsam as presented during ‘Doctor Evil’ so you may be surprised, I for one think this is a real piece of singing and works really well.

The artwork is somewhat boring this time around and that’s the major immediate difference on this album and my only real gripe. I do hear some changes yes I agree and you will too especially in the vocals, but the music is still vibrant, fresh and exciting as each song is arranged in such a way that keeps you entertained and pumped in the melodic undertones delivered with a deft piece of precision.