So, instead of supporting Konkhra this night Artillery actually got to play as headliner, not a bad notch up for them if you ask me.
As it goes, people had been slowly pouring in throughout the night, and so the floor was better filled for Artillery than it had been for Konkhra.

The show started out with The Challenge from 1987th Terror Squad, and from the start the audience was with the band. At least a bit more than they had been with Konkhra, but then again that was not necessarily to hard…
For my own sake though, I never managed to get too excited by Artillery’s show. I’m not sure I can put a finger on it though, but I will try.
Artillery, for those who does not know, is one of the old classic Danish thrash metal bands which started out all the way back in 1982(!). Of course, members have come and gone but they still retain three original member; Michael and Morten Stützer on guitars and Carsten Nielsen on drums. The other members count Peter Thorslund on bass and Artillery’s spanking new vocalist Søren ‘Nico’ Adamsen.
Anyway, the average age of the bandmembers is moving on 50. Not that this is a problem in itself, many bands are moving up in years but are still very much alive and kicking. The thing is, the band-members doesn't look metal anymore; more or less all of them look like kind old family fathers (which they are). Neither is this in itself a problem, it can be very cool when people like this show that they are proud of their roots.
My problem is simply this; the look and the performance didn’t mix. At all.
Here we have a band with smiling gentlemen, neatly dressed, who are trying to come off as Pantera’s evil twin. And it doesn’t work, the vitality is lacking for that kind of show. Same show, but played with tongue in cheek instead of this seriousness they were aiming for would have worked a thousand times better.

Still, they had the technical side with them; the sound was very good (as I’ve found it to be at several times at Forbrændingen) and the lightshow was tolerable, if not great.
And of course, they had a lot of classic trash material to draw from; eleven songs were initially played, counting three new ones called When Death Comes, Upon My Cross I Crawl and 10.000 Devils (which was advertised as having a new video out), and there was even time for a guitar solo from Michael Stützer who gave it all he had (including playing with his teeth), and afterwards they were cheered on to do an encore, Out Of The Sky, which wasn’t even planned.
Or to be more precise, it was on the original setlist, but had together with a few others been stricken; now it was allowed to re-enter and the crowd was greatly pleased.

Not knowing anything about Artillery’s music from before, I’ve listened to it a bit afterwards and they do have some solid songs. Sometimes it’s just better to relax and have fun with it instead of taking it to serious.
This show was not for me; hopefully things will work out better in the future.

Setlist:

The Challenge
By Inheritance
When Death Comes
Khomaniac
Cybermind
Upon My Cross I Crawl
Beneath The Clay (R.I.P.)
10.000 Devils
The Almighty
Terror Squad
Into The Universe
Encore:
Out Of The Sky