Artillery recently released their newest album, Penalty by Perception. The Danish thrash metal band have been together since 1982 and from then out have released 7 other studio albums and embarked on various tours.
Here Dillon Grant talks to Michael Stützer about the new album, the evolution of metal and what a tour with Artillery is like…
The new album is called Penalty by Perception, what’s the story behind the name?
There are several ways you can understand this title, but mainly it’s about how your eyes open to the world by slowly seeing things as they really are. Ignorance is bliss but you can no longer be the innocent bystander. It is a bit inspired by Platos’ cave allegory.
You guys formed in Taastrup, Copenhagen 1982. How hard was it to break through in just the local scene?
On those days in 1982 nobody was listening to metal except for a few dedicated fans, so we did not play many shows at that time. People called Artillery a punky Motorhead before they started to called us thrash in 1984.
The band has a few dates in the future, could we see a UK tour before too long?
We had a great time when we toured the UK in 2012 and we will work hard to come back!
Also, how would you describe being on the road with Artillery? Does it tend to be a quieter thing or can it get more wild at times?
It depends if it’s in the start or in the end of the tour but normally we are not partying all the time, but in the end we like to have some beers
If you had to choose an all time favourite Artillery song which would it be and why?
It’s really hard to say and it changes all the time but a song like Cybermind is a great song because it has it all, great riffs and strong hooklines.
How do you feel the thrash genre has evolved over the last few years in terms of new bands?
I think it still has a lot to offer. a lot of good new bands have made records like Havok, Impaler and Evile to mention a few. Also the old bands still make good records like Slayer, Metal Church and Exumer.
If you didn’t go into music as a career what would you have done?
I would love to be playing football in Liverpool or FC Copenhagen, no if i dont play music I would definitely still be involved with it somehow.
In your many years of playing shows what is the craziest thing you have experienced?
There has been many, but playing in Russia in 1989 was really crazy. Playing for 5000 people where half of the auddience was military and politicans and the rest was headbangers that was strange!
Finally, if you could tour with two other bands, who would it be and why?
Metallica and Black Sabbath because its 2 of the bands who have meant most for how Artillery sounds today.
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