UMUR "My Blood" is the 6th full-length studio album by Danish thrash metal act Artillery. The album was released through Metal Mind Productions in March 2011. It´s the second album with vocalist Søren Adamsen and the second album since the band´s comeback album "When Death Comes (2009)".

The album opens with the middle eastern tinged "Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)", which is structurally a pretty complex track lasting 7:33 minutes. It´s definitely one of the standout tracks on the album but there are plenty to pick from. The music style is the usual thrash metal meets melodic heavy/power metal that the band have more or less practiced since day one, but maybe with a bit more emphasis on the melodic part these days compared to the early releases by the band. We´re talking killer thrashy riffing, powerful but also melodic singing, well thought out tracks and a suiting powerful sound production. These Danish veterans know exactly how to write effectful and memorable material and at the same time deliver it with passion and conviction.

"My Blood" is of course a must for fans of the band and in particular fans of the preceeding album by the band but more casual fans of melodic thrash metal should find lots to like here too. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

J-Man Denmark's finest thrash metal export is back with My Blood, another killer slab of thrash metal from these underrated veterans. Artillery was formed back in 1982, and this album is definitive proof that they're still a force to be reckoned with almost thirty years later. My Blood is an album with unforgettable riffs, terrific musicianship, excellent lyrics, and an original sound that doesn't spend too much time re-creating earlier Artillery releases. I'm sure that My Blood will be considered one of the best thrash releases that 2011 has to offer. This isn't one to miss!

The music here is a mix of old school thrash metal, NWoBHM-influenced traditional heavy metal, and more modern-sounding thrash metal. Artillery hasn't remained a stagnant band, and this album shows them experimenting with Eastern influences (just listen to "Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)"!) and more technical/progressive thrash sounds. This album is filled with absolutely killer thrash riffs delivered by some of the best musicians in the business - the fretwork from the Stützer brothers is truly remarkable; expect plenty of killer solos here! There's also room for a few softer, commercial-sounding songs as well. I'm especially looking in the direction of "Ain't Giving In", an excellent track with some fantastic lyrics as well. Production-wise, My Blood is also tremendous. The album sounds crisp, clean, and extremely powerful!

Whether or not you're a longtime fan of Artillery, I have no doubt that any thrash fan will be won over by My Blood. This is a terrific achievement for these Danish veterans - I haven't heard so many killer riffs on one album in a long time! This highly recommended album gets 4 shiny stars from me. It may not be the best possible introduction into the world of Artillery, but My Blood is still a fantastic listen for all fans of good ole heavy metal!

Time Signature Monster...

Genre: thrash metal

(Warning: this review contains fanboy outbursts of joyous appraisal combined with political frustration and disillusion)

The world's most underrated thrash metal band are back. Artillery's forthcoming album "My Blood" is the Danish band's sixth album, and I must say, it really friggin' kicks ass.

First off, Artillery deliver their usual style of high octane somewhat technical thrash metal, and tracks like "Monster", "Dark Days" (man, the chorus is so awesome), "Death Is an Illusion", "Thrasher", "Warrior Blood", and "End of Eternity" are prime examples of Artillery's uptempo, aggressive, yet groovy and melodic and distinct style of thrash metal (which proves that you don't necessarily have get soft as you grow older).

But I also detect some experimentation and introduction of a couple of new elements. For instance, the opening track "Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)" is more epic and exotic than anything the band has ever done before. I mean, the eastern influences have been there since "Khomaniac" on their masterpiece 'By Inheritance', but here, they take it to the max with an introduction includes didgeridoos, Middle Eastern scales and an epic exotic feel.

As "When Death Comes" showed, vocalist Søren Adamsen has been a real asset to the band, and he continues to amaze on this album, and even those who prefer Flemming Rønsdorf's voice will surely have to admit that Adamsen has brought something new to the band with his powerful voice and sense of melody and precision. I hasten to add that absolutely love Rønsdorf's work on "Terror Squad", "By Inheritance" and "B.A.C.K.", but Adamsen's voice is a major contributor to the sense of energy that characterizes "When Death Comes" and "My Blood".

Admittedly, there are not many things these days that induce a sense of national pride in me; I hate the government, I hate the mentality that has been prevalent among the population for the last ten years or so, I hate how the national TV has devolved into pure trash, I hate the blatant racism that has been incorporated into many aspects of the administrative system, I hate the bad rep my country has gained around the world, and I hate the unoriginality and lack of balls on the mainstream music scene (there's a great alternative scene though). Yes, although I love my country, there are a lot of things I hate about my country these days (well, I hate them because I love my country, and I think they're damaging to the country). "What the hell does this political rant have to do with this album?", you might ask. Well, it is bands like Artillery and releases like this that remind me that I still have reason to be proud of my country, which in turn makes me feel hopeful for the future of my country.

This is an awesome album, which is recommended to all fans of thrash metal. I hope that the band has more albums on the way in the future. And, I would recommend all Danish metal fans to support the unsung heroes of thrash metal and buy this album.