Review by Felix on March 30, 2026.

Is there anybody out there who really likes the EP format? Empirical studies will no doubt soon provide scientific proof that 999 out of 1000 metalheads prefer full-length albums. (The maverick is a fan of Armoured Angel's EP fetishists. That's acceptable.) Nevertheless, this kind of outputs seems to be indestructible. Now Danish thrash gods Artillery return with an EP and it delivers the typical crude configuration. Two new tracks (at least one of them surely also featured on the next album), a re-recording and a live track. Okay, this is nothing that sends shock waves through my body and you guessed it: the newly recorded studio track "Into The Universe" has gained some extra percent dynamic due to the professional, modern yet vital production and "The Almighty" does not show any signs of weakness in its live performance. But were these recordings really necessary? These songs belong to the very early days of the band and I am happy that Artillery do not deny their roots. But this does not mean that I need new versions of their (more or less) classics. So just to inform those who are not familiar with the band's debut from 1985: you get two speedy, sinister metal-as-f**k songs that will make your day.

"Made In Hell", the first track of the EP, flirts with their classic "Khomaniac" at the beginning. A soft oriental breeze leads to an up-tempo thrasher that shows a more melodic face than the debut songs unearthed once again. Martin Steene, their new vocalist, does not fully reach the outstanding class of Michael Bastholm Dahl – who on earth could manage that? But his slightly more raw vocals have charm as well, or is it just the song that allows no bad performance? "Made In Hell" grows with every new spin. Especially the slightly hysterical chorus enriches the song significantly. So on the one hand I fear this track will re-occur on their next full-length and thus devalues this EP, on the other hand it is simply too strong to get no place on a regular full-length. "Ghost In The Machine" also does not disappoint, although the riffing during its verses are pretty simple. But just like the title track, the song reflects all trademarks of the legendary formation.

Needless to say that the perfectionists from Denmark can impress with an absolutely flawless production. As always during the last decades, Artillery's strength is that their sound combines the raw, edgy intensity of thrash with musical elegance and eloquence. It never ceases to amaze me that these two elements complement one another so well, rather than getting in each other's way. So there is nothing wrong with "Made In Hell", it is only too short in view of its playtime. So what. I am waiting eagerly for their next full-length – and the results of the overdue empirical studies.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10