Kreator – Gods of Violence

While there are still many great thrash bands from the 1980s putting out enjoyable records, few bands have managed to reinvent themselves as successfully as Kreator. The German Kings of thrash have been putting a melodic spin on their face-ripping brand of thrash for 16 years, and with “Gods of Violence”, have done it successfully for the 5^th time. On the whole, this record stacks up very well against the band’s more recent releases, both in terms of the overall sound and quality.

“Gods of Violence” is an extremely front-loaded record, with some of the best and heaviest-hitting songs kicking things off. “World War Now” is the highlight of the album, as its speedy main riff will cause just as much carnage as anything on “Pleasure to Kill”. Interestingly, this riff shows a slight nod to Vektor, with its dissonant tendencies. Kreator doesn’t mess around with melody on this song as much as they do elsewhere, but the more moderate bridge makes this track an undeniably modern Kreator track. Both “Totalitarian Terror” and “Gods of Violence” offer similar combinations of brutality and speed, with an increased emphasis on melody (particularly on the title track).

A surprising gem on this record is “Satan Is Real”. This song offers little in the way of aggression or energy, but has an infectious chorus. Mille’s shouts of the title are simplistic, but enthusiastic enough to sing along to. This track really shines because the band’s melodeath tendencies come through much more effectively than they do elsewhere on the record. The band tries a similar approach on “Fallen Brother”, but fares less successfully.

The latter half of the record lacks true hits. “Hail To The Hordes” was clearly written as an anthem to Kreator fans, but doesn’t inspire some of the war chants the band had previously conjured on a track like “Hordes of Chaos”. “Death Becomes My Light” is the strongest cut on the second half of the album, in part due to its epic nature and lengthier runtime. To be fair to Kreator though, they have an incredibly high standard to be judged against. Simply because some of these tracks can’t match up to “World War Now” or “Totalitarian Terror” doesn’t mean they’re bad at all. “Side By Side”, as one example, rages with sufficient authority to make any fan of nu-Kreator happy. 

And that’s really what “Gods of Violence” comes down to: how much you enjoy Kreator’s new sound. This album has its slight nuances; there are some more experimental moments, and far less emphasis on clean vocals than we have seen on other more recent records, but it’s ultimately a modern Kreator album. The rhythm playing is insanely tight, with Ventor and Mille once again leading the charge. Sami’s guitar work still feels like the natural combination of putting a Finnish guitarist in a German thrash band, and Petrozza’s vocals are as fatal as ever. The production is perfect, and this is ultimately a very professional sounding record. Whether you prefer this album to any of its four predecessors is pretty much a toss-up, as they all offer similarly enjoyable Gothenthrash. Regardless, it’s impossible to imagine a modern Kreator fan being disappointed with this album!

Be sure to check out and like Kreator on Facebook!

Highlights

"World War Now"

"Satan Is Real"

"Totalitarian Terror"

"Gods of Violence"

Final Rating

4.7/5 or 94%. 

Written by Scott

Scott's Top 10 Metal Albums of 2012

2012 has been one crazy and awesome year for music. I've heard more new releases than I ever have in one year, but most of the choices in my top 10 were fairly easy to make. If you've read most of my reviews this year, many of these choices will be obvious. For some reason, my choices tend to be a lot more mainstream than most other lists I look at, but the reality is that these are really great albums. Sometimes (read: most of the time) metal is way too serious. If you can step back and enjoy records that are fun, you are going to get a lot out of my top 10.

#10. Unisonic - Unisonic (Heavy/Power Metal)

Unisonic's debut could have been very disappointing if you had hoped it would sound exactly like Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1/2. There are only a few tracks that are pure power metal, and while they are the best ones, there is still a lot of other quality material here. Kiske still sounds amazing and is the definite highlight of this album. A couple of the songs are a bit too light for me "Star Rider" and "No One Ever Sees Me", but this is still a killer album.

Highlights - "Unisonic," "Renegade" and "My Sanctuary"

#9. Rocka Rollas - Conquer (Speed/Heavy Metal)

"Conquer" is a completely different beast from this band's first album; however, it manages to be even better. This release is like the reincarnation of Running Wild. Galloping rhythms and soaring melodies are everywhere on this 4-track EP. It seems like the genius behind this band already has a large amount of material written for the future, so make sure to get this EP while it's still new from Stormspell Records.

Highlight - "Bloodbath"

#8. Sabaton - Carolus Rex (Power Metal)

Although this is among Sabaton's weaker releases, "Carolus Rex" still ranks among the best of the year, simply because of how good this band is. The title track is one of Sabaton's best anthems. The rest of the album has some unique tracks for the band. 2012 was definitely the year that Sabaton became one of my favourite bands and "Carolus Rex" definitely helped add to that hype!

Highlights - "A Lifetime of War," "Carolus Rex" and "Killing Ground"

#7. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth (Thrash Metal)

This is where this list really starts to get serious. Testament have come back with an album that really surprised me. Most of these songs are beyond heavy and are filled with riffs. Even though Chuck Billy mainly uses his clean singing voice, he still manages to sound brutal. Skolnick (and surprisingly, Peterson) are shredding all over this record. The only downfall of this album is that some songs sound like they are trying too hard to sound like Metallica. In particular, the title track and "Cold Embrace" have some very "new-Metallica" moments (I love new Metallica, but it doesn't fit this record). Still, "Dark Roots of Earth" is one of the best of 2012 and needs to be heard by every thrasher.

Highlights - "Native Blood," "True American Hate" and "Last Stand For Independence"

#6. Lich King - Born of the Bomb (Thrash Metal)

I have never come across a band who has improved so substantially on each album more than Lich King. I was introduced to the band by "Toxic Zombie Onslaught", which is an enjoyable record that is marred by poor production. 2010's "World Gone Dead" fixed the production and was an excellent thrash release by a promising band. "Born of the Bomb", however, is on a whole other level. The songwriting is still hilarious but is much more intense than it has ever been. The Agent Steel cover proved that Tom Martin is an even better singer than I had ever thought. Warning: not for those who are against fun in metal.

Highlights - "We Came To Conquer," "Wage Slave" and "Combat Mosh"

#5. Cauldron - Tomorrow's Lost (Heavy Metal)

Over the course of their last couple of CDs, Cauldron have really found a special sound. Their brand of hypnotic, solo-infused heavy metal has been occupying a lot of my time. "Tomorrow's Lost" is definitely an appropriate follow-up to "Burning Fortune" (though a bit weaker). The band has an amazing ability to take songs that could be quite boring (because they are mid-paced and don't have a ton of riffs), but turn them into really catchy tunes. If there is one band that I really struggle to describe, it would probably be Cauldron. With that said, if you like any form of simple heavy metal, this is for you.

Highlights - "Summoned To Succumb," "Burning Fortune" and "Tomorrow's Lost (Sun Will Fall)"

#4. Cannibal Corpse - Torture (Death Metal)

Cannibal Corpse is by far the best death metal band around today. They are consistently releasing records that compete with their classic material and "Torture" is no exception. This is one of their heaviest albums and definitely has the most memorable songwriting that the band has ever provided. Erik Rutan did a killer job with the production and all of the band members stepped it up on "Torture". The best moment is definitely the killer bass solo on "The Strangulation Chair"! Overall, this record was beyond satisfying and an appropriate addition to Cannibal Corpse's great legacy.

Highlights - "Encased In Concrete," "As Deep As The Knife Will Go" and "The Strangulation Chair"

#3. Wintersun - Time I (Melodic Death Metal)

"Time I" was possibly the most hyped album of the year and I think it actually did manage to live up to the expectations. I like guitar riffs as much as the next guy, but if you go looking for them here, you will end up disappointed. This album is all about creating epic moods and atmospheres that bring you into a wintery time. This album is mainly driven by the opener, "Sons of Winter and Stars". It is by far the best song on the album (and the best song to come out this year). I would buy this album for this song alone, but if don't mind very produced albums with lots of keyboards, check out "Time I".

Highlights - "Sons of Winter and Stars" and "Time"

#2. Dragonforce - The Power Within (Power Metal)

It is no secret that Dragonforce is one of my favourite bands. They take everything that is great about power metal and make it just a little bit more extreme. I found their previous effort, "Ultra Beatdown", to be the only album of theirs that was not amazing, so I was skeptical about another new album (with a new singer too!). The good news is that Marc Hudson is a killer singer. It didn't hurt that Sam Totman rediscovered how to write brillant songs. The tracks are a bit more concise, but they still sound like Dragonforce. This is an absolute necessity for all fans of power metal.


Highlights - "Fallen World," "Give Me the Night," "Seasons" and "Heart of the Storm"

#1. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist (Thrash Metal)

I wasn't sure if 2009's "Hordes of Chaos" was an anomaly in Kreator's catalogue, or if it was the start of Kreator's dominance in the thrash metal scene. Although their last two records have not been stylistically different from "Violent Revolution" and "Enemy of God", they display by far the best songwriting of any thrash band in recent years. All of these songs are beyond infectious and the melodies are triumphant. If you don't own this, you are missing the best album of the year.

Highlights - "Phantom Antichrist," "From Flood Into Fire," "Civilization Collapse" and "The Few, The Proud, The Broken"

Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

Very few metal bands will ever be as recognized or as important as the mighty Kreator. They have written numerous masterpieces across their 30 year career. While it’s not my favourite release, there’s no doubt that “Pleasure to Kill” is one of the most insane, fast, brutal, and influential records of all time. After enduring the 90’s, the German gods of thrash returned with a more melodic sound. Combining elements of melodic death metal with thrash turned out to be a fantastic sound that no one else can replicate as well as Kreator. One by one, they cranked out three fantastic albums, culminating with my personal favourite, “Hordes of Chaos”. The only thing left for the band to do at this point is to make the thrashy parts faster, and the melodic parts even more epic, and that’s just what the band did on “Phantom Antichrist”.

After a short intro, the album kicks off with the title track. Much like on “Enemy of God”, you are immediately pummeled with riffs. It isn’t too long, however, until the melodic elements begin to surface. Some of these lead parts sound like Iron Maiden epics, except that they have the classic Kreator riffing underneath. With that said, it does mean that this album isn’t as fast as its predecessors. Every song definitely has break-neck speed in it, but it isn’t as consistent, because some songs go through several tempo changes (“From Flood Into Fire” and “Until Our Paths Cross Again” are the two most noticeable tracks). On the plus side, when things get fast, they get really fast. Some sections from songs like “From Flood Into Fire” and “Civilization Collapse” are among the quickest in Kreator’s entire catalogue.

The best parts of this album are by far the individual performances of each musician. It goes without saying that Mille Petrozza is among the best thrash vocalists, but he really goes above and beyond on this record. He does throw in some more clean singing, and it's actually not bad. It’s isn't great technically, but he gives a passionate performance which satisfies the listener until his trademark throaty screams kick in. In addition to his great vocal display, Mille and second guitar player Sami Yli-Sirniö have finally mastered the art of writing guitar solos. They haven’t completely moved away from the reckless, insane, atonal soloing from their past, but they have found a better sense of melody and theory in their solos. It is a perfect fit for the sound that Kreator has embraced for the past decade. Finally, Ventor gives his absolute best effort to make all thrash drummers give up. There are tons of fills all over the album, and they’re far superior to anything he’s done in the past. The highlight is probably his fill right at the end of the opener, "Mars Mantra". As one would guess, the bass is relatively non-existent, but that’s not an issue on “Phantom Antichrist”.

In the grand scheme of Kreator’s career, this record marks yet another milestone. While some may not like it because of its excessive use of melodic lines, it is still a logical extension of their past 3 albums. The only real downfall of this record is that it isn’t thrashing 100% of the time. This doesn’t hurt any of the songs – which are still well written and enjoyable - but it does take away from the overall intensity of the album. Regardless, Kreator have graced us with yet another classic that will definitely be topping many year-end lists (including my own).

Be sure to check out and like Kreator on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/KreatorOfficial

Highlights:

“Phantom Antichrist"

“Death to the World"

"Civilization Collapse"

“Victory Will Come”

Final Rating:

4.6/5 or 92%

Written by Scott