Artillery – Terror Squad
Album information
This is a band from Denmark which plays technical thrash metal; they were one of the top metal bands during the eighties. This band is known of its intensive riffing and the vocals of the singer Flemming Ronsdorf, and to be honest I have never heard these kinds of vocals before. Take growling black metal vocals, melodic power metal vocals, screaming death metal vocals and torn thrash metal vocals and mix they together and you have the vocals of Flemming. He doesn’t have a single clear voice, he mixes elements from other vocal styles which make a very unique style, and it may sound terrible to others and very cool to some others.
Their album Terror Squad is considered to be the bands yet only best overall album, the guitar work sounds raw, monstrous and brutal but it sounds very cool. The wall of guitars makes the base to fade away, at some moments you can hear some of the bass lines but not much. The drums are like any other thrash metal drummers, it is intensive and fast. The lyrics is also like any other thrash metal bands lyrics, it doesn’t make any sense, they sing about things that is pointless like every religion is bad and that you have to have some good looks to succeed in life.
The Line Up
Flemming Ronsdorf – vocals
Michael Stytzer – guitars
Jorgen Sandau - guitars
Morten Stytzer – bass
Carston Nielsen – drums
Track Information
The Challenge
Intensive riffs and a good example of Flemmings vocals, this song has a quite good verse but the chorus is a bit annoying with these vocals. The guitar solo is screaming, and it sounds like the rock from 70’s or the 80’s. I don’t know the songs message but that is less important I think. 3/5
In The Trash
A very good intro with sounds strong and it makes a feel that this song might be good BUT the main riff in things song is horrible. It sounds like they play it wrong but they play it as it sounded the first time. A little better guitar solo in this song, it is long and has a good structure, still it sounds screaming. This song is going to the trash. 2/5
Terror Squad
Here is a good example of the bands raw guitar work. It sounds very brutal but yet thrashy. The song is not a fast and intensive song, it is heavier. The chorus is bad with these weird sounding effects that they have added. The song gets faster 2:15 minutes and later returns to its normal pace. 3.5/5
Let There Be Sin
Starts with a solo along with the rest of the intensive playing members, the song is in general very fast. The message in this song is about the religions and their nature. The religions according to the band should be erased and the same does for God and Jesus. Has heavy rhythm section which makes the song better than the previous songs. 3.5/5
Hunger And Greed
Starts off with heavy and brutal riffs which later turns into a fast and heavy song. The verse is very energic while the chorus is ruined by these melodic vocals. This is the second best song of the record. 4/5
Therapy
I love the start of this track; it starts with a very smart and technical bass line which makes the song interesting to the listener. The song is fast and the intensive drummer is playing a more structured pace. The verse is great and the chorus as well. But the solo really needs therapy, the solo sounds disorientated and screamy. The vocals do not change as much as in the other songs. 5/5
At War With Science
Has a very heavy intro riff but it is later transformed to a weird sounding riff, the only thing I can think of when I hear it is Egypt. The song is fast and the message of this some might be the problems caused by science and such. This is the longest song of the album and it can be hard to listen to because of its structure. 3.5/5
Decapitations Of Deviants
Heavy intro and a main riff that sounds almost as In The Trash, The lyrics is stupid in this song, the message is about that you have to have a good look to be seen and heard. A few fragments here and there which sound heavy and interesting but the lyrics do not do a good work here. 3.5/5
Pros
- Awesome guitar work
- Cool bass lines when you hear them
- It truly is technical
Cons
- Sorry but these vocals is a mess
- Stupid lyrics
This is sure a one of a kind band, the things that really makes this band known is the raw and intensive guitar sound and Flemmings ¨vocal mix¨. You ether love or hate these vocals if you ever hear them, I hate them anyway. This album is not a album that you got to have but I can recommend it to those who want to listen to something special or change their taste of music. Final rating: 3/5
