My Blood

The second album by the reunited Danish thrash band Artillery (they went on hiatus in 2000, then returned with 2009's surprisingly strong When Death Comes) is another powerhouse demonstration of musical stick-to-itiveness and the power of maturity over youthful fervor. These guys are all veterans, particularly the guitar-playing Stützer brothers, always the core of the band. New vocalist Soren Adamsen isn't a death metal growler, he's a full-throated roarer in the vein of classic '80s thrash frontmen like Anthrax's Joey Belladonna, and on a few songs here (particularly the album-opening "Mi Sangre [The Blood Song]," which incorporates a Turkish-derived acoustic guitar melody to great effect), he sounds like latter-day Rob Halford -- he doesn't do the screams, but has a similar vocal timbre. The music is powerful and anthemic, with plenty of twists and turns that hold listeners' attention without being all about "look what we can do"; everything here serves the song, and there are a few memorable choruses scattered about. It's impressive as hell that these guys are capable of cranking it out with this much energy and undiminished technical skill, well into their middle years. Recommended to fans of classic thrash. ~ Phil Freeman