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Artillery
Biography
Denmark's Artillery were one of the many quality European thrash metal bands that never seemed to catch a break. Formed in 1982 in the Copenhagen suburb of Taastrup by brothers Michael (guitar) and Morten Stytzer (bass), Artillery recorded demos that quickly became a hot commodity on the heavy metal tape-trading circuit. Then a booming worldwide network, this important underground community was also responsible for launching the careers of eventual giants like Metallica and Anthrax, who may have otherwise been doomed to obscurity. In Artillery's case, replacing original singer Carsten Lohmann with Flemming Ronsdorf proved to be the catalyst they needed, as the latter's very distinctive vocals (alternately gruff and piercing à la compatriot King Diamond) helped them to stand out from the pack. Rounded out by guitarist Jorgen Sandau and drummer Carston Nielson, the band soon inked a deal with British metal label Neat, which issued an influential couple of albums in 1985's Fear of Tomorrow and 1987's Terror Squad. All the while, the group toured throughout Europe on many package metal bills, including a lengthy jaunt sponsored by the Danish government that took them to the far reaches of the Soviet Union.
Selected Discography