ARTILLERY — By Inheritance (review)

ARTILLERY — By Inheritance album cover Album · 1990 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
UMUR
"By Inheritance" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Danish thrash metal act Artillery. The album was released through Roadrunner/Roadracer Records in May 1990. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by B>Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Blind Guardian, Morbid Angel...etc) at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark in the early months of 1990.

The album features 1 instrumental intro, 8 "regular" original tracks and a cover version of "Razamanaz" by Nazareth. The music style on the album is melodic thrash metal with the occasional nod towards US power metal. It´s been three years since the release of the band´s last album "Terror Squad (1987)" and there´s been quite a development in sound since that album. The music style on "Terror Squad (1987)" was raw and old school yet technically well played thrash metal, while the music style on "By Inheritance" is a much more sophisticated yet still powerful type of thrash metal. The band have developed a flair for melody, melodic guitar soloing/guitar themes that are quite impressive.

The instrumental part of the music is very well played. Tight and fast riffing and a powerful rhythm section. It should be noticed here that Morten Stützer has taken up guitar duties on this album instead of playing bass and new bassist is Peter Thorslund. In addition to the excellent instrumental musicianship the vocals by Flemming Rønsdorf are the icing on the cake. Now that´s what I call a great frontman. He has got a strong and rusty kind of voice and while he is certainly able to deliver some really raw thrashy vocals, there´s always a rare melodic sensibility to his vocal parts. He is even capable of delivering more subtle and sensitive vocals in a track like "Don't Believe". Tracks like "Beneath the Clay (R.I.P.)", the title track and "Back in the Trash" are simply killer thrash metal of the more sophisticated kind. You won´t hear something like this very often.

The sound production is perfect for the music. A bit dry but powerful and raw. "By Inheritance" is one of the best known thrash metal albums to ever come out of Denmark and listening to the album it´s obvious to hear why. The band really strike a great balance between the raw and thrashy and the more melodic US power metal style that´s actually pretty rare and not necessarily an easy achivement either. While Artillery are more a thrash metal band than Sanctuary were, I think fans of "Into the Mirror Black (1990)" would really enjoy "By Inheritance" too. That´s one of the albums I think of when I listen to "By Inheritance" (just to make a reference that some people might know). A 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Traumatica Metalcore
NO GUERRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Within the Visceria Death Metal
NECKBREAKKER
Buy this album from MMA partners
EP 1 Sludge Metal
CHAOTIC AGGRESSION
Buy this album from MMA partners
Songs of Blood and Mire Black Metal
SPECTRAL WOUND
Buy this album from MMA partners
Everything Hurts And I'm Dying Atmospheric Sludge Metal
NEGATIVE BLISS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Origin Of Infinity - Chronosphere (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
ORIGIN OF INFINITY
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Kingdom of Heaven - “Pleasures of Pain”
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Bosh66· 1 day ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed