ArtilleryEssay Preview: ArtilleryReport this essayDenmarks Artillery were one of the many quality European thrash metal bands which never seemed to catch a break. Formed in 1982 in the Copenhagen suburb of Taastrup by brothers Michael (guitar) and Morten Stytzer (bass), Artillerys demos quickly became a hot item on the heavy metal underground tape trading circuit thanks to their frenzied, highly technical style of thrashing. Then a booming worldwide network, this important community was also responsible for launching the careers of eventual giants like Metallica and Anthrax, who may have otherwise been doomed to obscurity. In Artillerys case, replacing original singer Carsten Lohmann with Flemming Ronsdorf proved to be the catalyst they needed, as the latters very distinctive vocals (alternately gruff and piercing ala countryman King Diamond) instantly turned them into a love/hate proposition, but nevertheless helped them 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 both 1985s Fear of Tomorrow and 1987s Terror Squad — the second, especially, is still considered an underground thrash classic. All the while, the group toured incessantly 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. Understandably, Artillery went down a storm with the rock-starved Soviet kids, but authorities were less impressed, eventually sending them packing back home via one-way tickets on the Trans-Siberian railroad.
Guitarist Sandau quit shortly after their return and the band set about looking for a new deal with anyone but the troubled Neat Records, eventually signing with Roadrunner for whom they recorded 1990s hit and miss By Inheritance. New bassist Peter Thorslund was brought aboard at this time so that Morten Stytzer could switch to guitar, but with inner-band tensions reaching the breaking point, Artillery decided to split the following year. Little was heard from the bands alumni for the next decade, but when their influential early demos were packaged for release on 1998s Deadly Relics, Ronsdorf and the Stytzer brothers decided to attempt a comeback. Drafting drummer Per M. Jensen (later of the Haunted), Artillery returned in 1999 with the appropriately named B.A.C.K. L.P., which modern studio techniques aside, remained true
Rivals: RTS and RPG
Rangers: C.G.A.F. and the Kallans Brothers
In 2002, following a protracted and storied relationship with the notoriously abusive and misogynistic Rensells of The South, Rensells moved to Florida. He spent much of 2004 on bassist and guitarist for the highly regarded Kallans Brothers, recording and mixing demos and mastering songs. A final track by his new band, The Fats, was released for release on a number of Sony’s PlayStation and Xbox system back in 2004. After three years, the brothers reunited for a second album, Visions, which was released in May of 2005. The band were in the midst of a divorce of their past, but were having their divorce proceedings dismissed on the grounds that the album was to be released as a CD only, after which they decided to move into a new home with the help of longtime friend and bandmate, T.J. O’Bryant. The band’s upcoming home release, a CD called A Place of Peace, is slated for a July 10 release date. The album would feature four live showings.
Morten Stytzer (1946–1997)
The late frontman, the man who originally coined “Rags To Riches” as the name of the album, Morten Stytzer moved to Philadelphia, New York after a short stint working in the indie rock scene and finally joining The Cucksnake Gang, an underground club that produced seminal hits such as “In My Own Dreams,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Bomberman,” and many others. The group was known in New York as an alternative and independent rock band with rock n roll roots on the edges, but in the early 90s formed the first major American band with Morten Stytzer and the Zebra Brothers.
C. G.A.F.
C.G.A.F – The Cucksnake Gang
The Cucksnake Gang (The Cucksnake Gang is no longer mentioned in Rrs>-related sites and/or music releases) was started by Morten Stytzer, who initially became a bandleader and had a number of collaborators with him. After forming an independent rock band named The Cucksnake Gang in 1997 at times, the group went into recording full time and signed with their first member, Paul P. Hagen in 1996. Stytzer’s career began to unravel sometime in 1998. His next venture was to join the Cucknake Gang, with L.A.-based band The Cucknake Cult of Love, which he would eventually call The Cucknake Club and The Cucksnake Cult of Death. He left with a big grin on his face after being released on September 18, 1997, with a band called The Cucknake Girl. Hagen moved to the United States to establish his own label and started making indie rock releases, debuting in 2003 with St. Louis, Missouri based band The Cucksnake Club and eventually releasing his first single, My Body, when he dropped it on October 27, 2004