I can’t tell you how many classic 80s thrash bands there are whose current output makes me ask, “What the hell happened?” Kreator, Destruction, and Onslaught immediately come to mind. Unfortunately, Artillery joins these ranks with their latest album, X. I hesitate to label X a “thrash” album outright. Sure there’s your fair share of neck snappers, but there’s also a considerable amount of traditional and groove elements, not unlike recent releases from Metal Church and Vicious Rumors. The difference between those bands and Artillery is that they do a far better job balancing these elements without sacrificing their signature sounds.
This begs the question: What is the signature Artillery sound? Before I can critique X, we must answer this question. The first three Artillery albums are master classes in old school thrash. My personal favorite, Fear of Tomorrow (1985), is raw and unrelenting, though with underlying melodies more characteristic of speed and traditional metal than what their peers were releasing at the time (i.e. Slayer, Exodus, etc.). Sophomore effort Terror Squad doubles down on violent riffage while showing off just the slightest hint of technical virtuosity. Finally, there’s By Inheritance (1990). Widely regarded as their finest hour, By Inheritance was proof you could make a technical thrash record without sacrificing aggression. So again, what is the signature Artillery sound? The signature Artillery sound lies somewhere between brutality and technicality. Neither of which dominates X. Instead, we’re given a modern metal album that’s about as by the numbers as you can get, from the production and songwriting to everything in between.
The thrashers on X can’t seem to decide whether they want to be 80s throwbacks or modern slabs of mediocrity. On one hand, there’s “Force of Indifference”: a brutal banger that recalls the Terror Squad days. On the other, there’s “In Thrash We Trust”: a limping lump of laziness that sounds more characteristic of Evile or Havok or any number of cringe worthy thrash revivalists than Artillery. “Mors Ontologica” falls into this latter category. The closing “Beggars in Black Suits” strides the line between old and new. It’s one of the better cuts on here, but that’s not saying much.
The rest of X lies somewhere between classic heavy metal and overproduced modern metal/rock. Even the traditional elements tend to be soiled by the sterile production. “Turn Up the Rage” is one exception. Its combination of self empowering lyrics, twin lead melodies, and powerhouse vocals over pseudo-thrash rhythms makes it my choice cut. This brief taste of excellence is soon soured by groovy chug riffs (“In Your Mind”, “Varg I Veum”), as if they haven’t been cliché for 25 years. I give singer Michael Bastholm Dahl credit for not resorting to the ear grating, Rockstar energy drink charged growls of Randy Blythe on these songs. His (sometimes too) clean vocals are perhaps the only highlight of this record from beginning to end.
If this is the current trajectory for Artillery, I’m afraid I’m going to have to jump ship. They’ll live on in my memories. Hell, play “Show Your Hate” in my presence and you’ll be hard pressed not to be on the receiving end of my one man circle pit. X doesn’t get me thrashing. It doesn’t get my head banging. It hardly gets my toes tapping. Unlike the Artillery of old, this is practically devoid of pulse altogether. So was I after one listen. I’m gonna have to put Fear of Tomorrow on the turntable to get my blood pumping again.
3 out of 10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Metal Church, Flotsam and Jetsam, Kreator