Kreator - Gods of Violence Review
Where do you start with Kreator? As you are (or should be) well aware they released a string of classic albums in the 80’s which made them one of the cornerstone Thrash bands from Germany alongside Sodom and Destruction. The 90’s were a bit wobbly or “experimental” as is the preferred term. 2001’s release “Violent Revolution” and the introducing of guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio was what placed Kreator truly back on the map and they have been on a winning streak ever since. 2005’s “Enemy of God” is a modern day Thrash masterpiece as is the bands previous album, 2012’s “Phantom Antichrist”.” Phantom Antichrist” saw the band reach a peak where they transcend all sub-genres and make a truly classic Metal album. That album was 45 minutes of air tight, not a second wasted perfection. 5 years have passed, so not only are fans hungry for a new album but the bar has been set pretty darn high.
So how do Kreator follow up a classic? Make another one of course! “Gods of Violence” carries on the tradition of Kreator. I would say this album is a little less anthemic than “Phantom Antichrist” and a little more brutal but the melodies are still intact and there is still plenty of room for crowd chants etc.
Starting with a short intro track before kicking into “World War Now”, this track sums everything up nicely and gives short, sharp bursts of everything that lies ahead. It’s fast, it changes its pace. It has a big chorus, fantastic melodies and lead work. What is all wrapped up in this track is then laid out and unraveled for the rest of the album. You have the fast and furious “Totalitarian Terror” which sees the band at their most chaotic and harks back to earlier albums such as “Terrible Certainty” and “Extreme Aggression”. You have the fantastic title track which has this brilliant leading melody under the chanted chorus. This track will have you in Heavy Metal heaven. You can just picture the band playing it at Wacken to the sea of metallers watching. The real highlight of the album is the closing track “Death Becomes my Light”. Starting off with a clean melodic section before kicking into an Iron Maiden style galloping riff. The song is fast and intense. The whole band throws themselves into the song and it builds up to a climax before letting you down with a slow beautiful yet dark end, closing the album perfectly.
All in all this album is just fantastic. The only small gripe I have is that the chorus to “Satan is real” has started to grate on me. It’s a great song but something about the chorus just plods along and isn’t quite as menacing as it intends and it falls flat. It’s actually got to the point where I’ve started to skip the track. That small setback aside it’s a gem. Exactly the album fans want and exactly what the band needed to release. A terrific addition to a terrific catalogue.
4.5/5
