There is something wonderfully reassuring about a thrash band that does not mess about.
Artillery have been around long enough to know exactly what works, exactly where the riffs need to land, and exactly how much violence you can pack into four songs without wasting a second. “Made In Hell” is only an EP, but it does what the best EPs do: it gets in, does the damage, and gets out again before anyone has had chance to ask unnecessary questions.
The title track is dark, ominous thrash, the riffs cutting like razor blades while the lyrics sit in more conventional metal territory. That is not a criticism either. There is a reason this stuff has lasted. When it is done with this much conviction, you do not need to reinvent anything. You just need to make sure it sounds like it means it, and “Made In Hell” very much does.
“Ghost In The Machine” keeps the pressure on. The solos are magnificent here, and the words feel as harsh as 2026 requires. There is a sharpness to the whole thing, a sense that Artillery are not here to gently remind you of their legacy, but to underline that they are still very much part of the conversation. Martin Steene sounds suitably commanding, while Michael Stutzer and Rene Loua make sure the guitars are right at the centre of the attack.
Then comes “Into The Universe”, re-recorded from the classic “Fear Of Tomorrow” album. These things can go either way, but this one works because it does not feel like nostalgia for the sake of it. Instead, it feels like a band taking something from its own history and giving it another kick into the present. Fast, furious and moshpit-ready, it is absolute class in thrash and what it could be, but so seldom is.
The EP closes with a live version of “The Almighty”, recorded during the 2024 Metalized tour at Gimle in Roskilde, and it crushes as heavy as a ton of bricks. It also reminds you that Artillery’s songs do not only live in the studio. They need people in front of them. They need volume. They need that moment where the room locks in and everything starts to move.
The current line-up — Steene on vocals, Stutzer and Loua on guitars, Peter Thorslund on bass and Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen on drums — sounds tight, fierce and utterly committed throughout. Four tracks, no filler, no fuss.
“Made In Hell” is not trying to be anything cleverer than a blast of proper thrash metal. That is its strength. Artillery know what they are doing, and more importantly, they still sound like they enjoy doing it.
Rating: 8/10
