Artillery has a proud history.  Looking back now on all these long years can you sort of summarize what the experience of being in Artillery has meant to you and the metal community as a whole?

Carsten: To me Artillery has meant a lot of fun during the early years and there is no doubt in my mind, that Artillery was a major reason for me to stay out of trouble and it has given me a lot of experience, that has been useful for me during my life so far…And I know for sure, that Artillery has been an inspiration for a lot of people, at least that’s what people have told us during the time I’ve been playing in Artillery…. personally I find it very hard to have an opinion about the question, because I don’t see myself as an inspiration for anybody..…(Well! - hopefully to my kids) so what Artillery has meant for the metal community, I think is up to others to tell?

With Artillery still thrashing hard what do you see as some of the Biggest differences between old days and now?  How are the crowds and the people different and how are they the same?

Carsten: I think that the biggest difference is the internet……I mean it is a lot easier to promote yourself nowadays and finding information on your favorite bands etc.…..and on the musical side, I think that the new coming  young bands are playing on a high technically level, but I also think that there’s too many bands sounding exactly the same which after my opinion has something to do with all the growling vocals that are popular today…….But there shall be no doubt that I listen to a lot of the new Thrash bands….but still I have to say that I prefer the bands that play Old School Thrash Metal and sometimes I listen to Punkrock which I also like a lot…….The crowd is still some crazy metal freaks, and the biggest difference nowadays, is the mix of people that we see to our concerts, which contains of a lot of different people….the one wearing the “metal uniform” and people that you’ve never expected to be into Thrash Metal….to me it feels a lot like the metal scene in Denmark is mostly underground but with a lot of activity going on at  the internet…but it is only my opinion. 

In 2007 Artillery got a New Vocalist, Soren Adamsen.  Why did you choose him and what happened to Fleming Ronsdorf?  How do you think Soren fits Artillery’s image and sound?

Carsten: Flemming has a lot of projects going on….so he wasn’t interested in playing in Artillery like the rest of us was, so there was nothing to do, but finding a new frontman for the band, and we chose Søren, because we thought that he matches the profile perfectly that we wanted for the band and there is no doubt in my mind that it really feels like the strongest line-up in the history of Artillery.

Artillery has several gigs planned for 2008.  Is it just as fun Playing live these days as it was back in the 80s and 90s?

Carsten: No doubt….and you can be 100% sure that if we didn’t have fun playing live we just wouldn’t do it.

Last year Metal Mind released the Through the Years Boxed set.  Can you tell me how this release came into existence?  What does it consist of and where did all that extra material come from?

Carsten: Well! – During the spring 2007, Michael got a call from a guy from Metal Mind Production, that they had bought the rights to re-release all the cd’s that Artillery has released during the years…..so he explained Michael about the plans and Michael agreed to help finding something that could be used as bonus materiel in the boxset….so you can say, that it properly consists of everything Artillery has ever recorded. Demos…rehearse tapes etc..

In the recent past there has been a Thrash explosion.  Not only of old bands reuniting but also a new wave of thrashers.  Have you noticed this trend?  What do you think has caused this thrash revival?  Do you still follow the metal scene?

Carsten: Yeah! I have noticed the trend, but I’m not to sure what have caused that…but I still remember that the Punk rock bands also had a massive revival in the early 90s with bands like: Green Day – Offspring – NOFX – Bad Religion etc…so maybe things just go around in circles…

And yes! – I still follow the Metal Scene….You know what they say: When you’ve first starts listening to Metal, you will always be listening to Metal

I noticed Artillery has plans for an Upcoming DVD.  What will be featured on this DVD?  Will we get a look back at some early material or will it be all new stuff?  What made you decide that the time was right for a DVD?

Carsten: Again I have to say that Metal Mind has a lot to do with our decision about making a Dvd….I mean Metal Mind has shown a lot of interest in the band, and they have sent a lot of mails, telling us about the great interest people are showing to the band…So when they invited us to play the MetalMania 2008 festival in Katowise – Poland, and telling us that they had this plan, that the show should be filmed and release as a DVD…there was no doubt in our minds…..I mean everyone in the band are between 40 – 47 years old and how many people at this age get’s opportunities like this??

It will be a full length DVD with a live concert with mostly early materiel, interviews, and some special bonus materiel, planned to be release worldwide during May/June 2008…Probably entitled: One foot in the grave – the other one in the trash.

The time around the release of Terror Squad must have been frustrating for the members of Artillery.  Can you tell me how you dealt with the delays of its release, the break-up of Artillery and the subsequent release of the album and the reunion?  I am sure there must have been a lot of strong emotions involved.

Carsten: You’re absolutely right; there were a lot of frustrations in the band at that moment and I think that it was the reason why the band was starting to fall apart and some of us just gave up and quit the band with major frustration and broken dreams, and it still hurts and making me feel sad thinking about that period of my life – but suddenly we got an offer to do a tour in the former USSR back in 1989 – and the reunion was a reality but with some changes in the line-up – Jørgen left and Peter joined.

Artillery has been involved with several break-ups and reunions, what made the timing right for the reunion in 1998?  How do you view the BACK album in regards to the earlier material?

Carsten. This a hard question to answer because I was not involved in the band at that time,, but I know it was started by a an offer we got to release all of our demos on CD (Might Music Records) , and suddenly out of the blue there came an offer from Die Hard Records to make a new album. Which Michael – Morten & Flemming made.

I’ve have first recently heard the BACK album, when the boxset was released, and I feel it is a lot more different than the earlier releases…..

Stepping away from music for a minute, what do you think of all this political and religious drama around the cartoon that supposedly defames Muhammed?  Do you think the situation is blown out of proportion or is it justified?  Why are people so sensitive to these matters?

Carsten: Sorry! But no comments!!!

You have a poll up on your website asking people what their favorite Artillery album and it is basically a tie between By Inheritance and Terror Squad.  That presents and interesting question, what is your favorite Artillery album and why?

Carsten: My favorite album is the Terror Squad album, because it symbolizes the kind of Thrash Metal that I prefer listening to….You know in the area of Exodus – Metallica etc.

Raw power and a lot of energy and a whole lot of punk attitude.

How has your website helped you get back in contact with your fanbase?  Are you excited to get emails and interact with your fans again?  Have you established new friends and been able to get back in contact with some of your old friends from the early days?

Carsten: Well! First of all our fans now got a contact address they can use writing mail to Michael and of course I’m very excited reading the guestbook and I personally is very thankful of the interest in the band and I really appreciates the nice words people are writing to us. And yes we are getting many mails from old friends and new ones as well, which of course is very nice for the band.

So what are the Upcoming plans for Artillery?  Are we going to hear a new album anytime soon?  Any new gigs or other projects that are coming down the pipe towards us?

Carsten: Our plans for the moment is to enjoy ourselves playing in the band again, without forgetting our responsibility to our wife’s and kids – and then playing some gigs across Europe - and we are planning to start working on some new materiel during the summer and maybe start recording during the fall 2008 – but one thing is for sure: we will not rush things through.

Final Words are yours by Inheritance.  I can’t take that away.  So by all means leave anything you wish to as a closing.

Carsten: Thanks for the great interest people around the world are showing the band – I’m very thankful and I really appreciate it a lot and for some reason, it feels very unrealistic to me…. 20 years after recording the first album – there’s still a huge interest in the band – (A very strange feeling)

But I will enjoy every moment of this adventure that I’m experiencing for the moment and I’m just riding along and see what’s happening in the future.

Who know?? – What’s going to happen?

And last but not least – despite the fact of our age - there is still plenty of steam in the old “Artillery Thrash-machine”

Thanks again for your great interest in the band…….

Carsten N. Nielsen – Drummer of Artillery