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The Face of Fear continues where the good Penalty by Perception (2016) ended in terms of songwriting and atmosphere, which comprises intertwining elements of the traditional Euro Thrash Metal scene and some of their particular tricks with large chunks of the Bay-Area style of playing, especially when it comes to pace and riff selection. The classic Artillery side comes out to play right away as the album starts with the title track. The song is fast, prolific and heavy enough to remind us of the band's heydays. Songs like "New Rage" and "Through the Ages of Atrocity" are somewhat different than other punchy, faster tracks, but also do their job well; the pair is heavier, more cadenced and Peter Thorslund's bass lines have an outstanding role here, kind of what D.D. Verni is used to doing with Overkill.

Some strange choices and uninspired sections unfortunately are also present. "Thirst for the Worst" is just passable. Weird and melodic, has some cool riffs and leads, but is a little different from what Artillery commonly delivers. The weakest point of the album, though, is when the duo "Pain" and "Under Water" comes in. The movement of Americanizing the band's sound feels a little bit like marketing rather than a natural course in songwriting. "Pain" is not bad, but this pasteurizing of music can be a little far-fetched. The sense of brutality and even some Power Metal elements added to Artillery throughout the years are somewhat neutered to fit this formula, and "Under Water" is just a filler instrumental song with nothing to add.

All in all, the Stützer brothers deliver a good effort on The Face of Fear, with some strong moments and catchy songwriting, but it's clear that Artillery won't even touch their classic albums from now on with this sort of songwriting.