Artillery - Terror Squad
Release: 1987Label: Neat Records
AvNatten: The technical old school thrash kings known as Artillery were formed in Taastrup a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1982. Originally the line-up consisted of vocalist Carsten Lohmann, guitars were provided by Michael Stützer and Jørgen Sandau, bassist Martin Stützer, and drums provided by Carsten Nielsen. This line-up recorded the initial demos "Shellshock" and "Deeds Of Darkness" both of which were released in 1984. The following year Lohmann left the band and was replaced by the brilliant voice of Flemming Rönsdorf, his vocals would later become one of the trademarks of the band. Another demo, "Fear Of Tomorrow" was released and the band caught the attention of Neat Records who signed the band and promptly released their first full length album which also was entitled "Fear Of Tomorrow". Which brings us to their second full length album, "Terror Squad".
"Terror Squad" was released in 1987 also by the record label Neat Records. Although Neat Records have come a long way since then, at that time they were running low on money and could not promote and distribute "Terror Squad" to the proper extent. The music itself did not suffer from this though, it has the in your face aggression and crunch that lets it stand the test of time.
The album kicks off with 'The Challenge' a track that feels like controlled chaos, the chaos being provided by the onslaught of technical riffs and rhythms that bombard you in the face. Not every song takes you on a tilt-a -whirl automatically with break neck speeds from the beginning though, such is the case of the second track 'In The Trash', its begins mid paced and as it goes along it picks up steam and builds speed into an all out thrash attack. This track is also highlighted by some great drumwork and ripping leads that are lightening fast and all over the place. The title track 'Terror Squad' is a solid mid tempo thrasher with a catchy chorus that will stick in your head and even more great riffs. The following track 'Let There Be Sin' puts emphasis on another instrument, the bass. You can hear the bass rumbling solidly throughout all the songs but on the tracks 'Let There Be Sin' and 'Therapy' the bass plays a rather distinct albeit small solo on the former while on the later Stützer begins the track with his thick bass notes. 'At War With Science' is a heavy track with a great rhythm and groove that will have you nodding your head along in time, it also bears some similarities to the old Scottish band Holocaust's track 'The Small Hours'. The album closes with 'Decapitation Of Deviants' and it is a brutal as the title suggests, blazing forth with speed and integrity and backed up with bone shattering drums.
The fact that the "Terror Squad" album is a classic cannot be disputed. Flemming Rönsdorf's vocals are unique and alternate between being commanding and throaty and being piercing and high pitched, both styles compliment each other in making his vocal performance as a whole energetic and interesting. The guitar work on this album is killer to say the least as well as innovative, Artillery were one of the first bands in the genre to tune their guitars down to "D". The song structures are complex and technical yet all carry a groove which will suck you in making these songs quite memorable. They perfected the art of taking ferocious speeds and harnessing them to create crunchy bone rattling songs that demand to be listened to at high volumes so that you can feel the power quake through your body. Artillery's tight performances have no doubt been a major influence on the newer Scandinavian thrash scene as well as influencing older bands worldwide.
Tordah: The band Artillery was quite unknown to me before this classic feature. Sure, I've heard the name being mentioned briefly sometimes in discussions about old-school thrash metal but that was about everything I knew of the band. "Terror Squad" is their second album and was recorded the same year as I was born. What surprised me at first was how good the album sounded considering it was almost 20 years since it was recorded.
The music Artillery provides here is technical thrash metal with very interesting vocals. If you were to mix the early works of Savatage, Annihilator and Exodus you have a good idea of how Artillery sounds. However, they manage to have their own sound and identity to stand out from the pack. The riffs are great and catchy throughout the whole album and often quite technical. The bass is actually audible and there are some cool bass-lines here and there. The drumming is solid as well and fits in well with the music. What makes this album really stand out are the very cool vocals provided by Flemming Rönsdorf. He sounds a lot like Jon Oliva from Savatage when he sings with that raw high-pitched squealing voice. Rönsdorf also sings with your typical thrash metal voice and the combination of these two styles is quite awesome. He manages to make the music much more interesting and memorable. Definately one of the best things about this album.
I'm not even that big a fan of thrash metal but I really liked this album. Artillery manages to hold my attention for the whole album without any moments of boredom. The quality of the songs is all on the same level and that's very important for this kind of music. For instance, the song 'Alison Hell' by Annihilator totally kills the rest of the album and makes every song after it sound mediocre and boring. That's not the case with "Terror Squad" though. Every song here is good and has enough riffs and headbanging moments to satisfy all your thrash metal needs. A forgotten gem in the realm of thrash metal.
Deek: '80's thrash metal. Simple, pure. The style that really put underground metal on the map, and basically the reason metal still exists today in my opinion. Unfortunately, at the same time, the style was way overdone in then and there is many, many rather uninspiring and unoriginal thrash bands. Artillery is one of those bands, from what I've heard, is one of those bands that are in the middle: fairly original material but gets tiresome after a few listens. "Terror Squad" appears to be their standout album. There are a few gems here, though. The title track is a great song, a great thrash anthem for all metal fans. 'In The Trash' is a damn good thrash track while 'Hunger And Greed' has a low, menacing sound that fits it perfectly. The rest of the album is, I'm sad to say, your typical European thrash metal from the time. That doesn't mean it's not worth hearing. If you want some classic thrash from the non-typical sources (the big 4, Testament, Kreator, Destruction, etc), "Terror Squad" is for you.
Anders: "Terror Squad" the Danes second full length attack, a display in fast riffing with a technical touch, good catchy song writing, pounding drums, a loud bass and menacing vocals. The menacing vocals are a big part of Artillery's universe and the high scream from Rönsdorf adds a lot of life and energy to the music. When he sings he is all over the place, it's a love or hate vocal by far, and those who love it, gets a real treat. No wonder Destruction headhunted Rönsdorf in 1990, when Schmier left Destruction. Rönsdorf never ended up on a Destruction album though, as the band split not that long after he got in it, though a lot of metalheads should have been lucky enough to catch him perform live in Destruction.
Though let's get back to Artillery. The song writing is well-crafted, there are lot of good hooking riffs, which holds the listener's attention caught all the way throughout the album. The guitar work in general is blistering, there are many good riffs and just as many great solos, ripping through the dense air, crafting rifts in the universe. The bass play is good, it drowns once in a while, but when it can be heard, it's excellent executed. The drumming is straight forward, laying a good bottom for the rest of the music, though also here a glimpse of technical superiority is shown. As on the rest of the material, Artillery has a technical ability, both as songwriters and musicians, and they know how to use their skills, without overdoing them.
This is by far my favourite Artillery album, even though they as such haven't made a bad album. Though who can resist 'banging away to tracks as 'In The Trash', 'At War With Science', 'Decapitations Of Deviants' and 'The Challenge'. This is thrash the way it is meant to be with a technical touch, and if you listen closely to many newer bands, you'll find resemblances to Artillery pretty many places, as the band were ahead of their time.
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