Aside from a slight wobble in the mid-1990’s, no other metal band has released such a consistently strong discography as German thrashers Kreator.1985 debut album Endless Pain put their particularly violent brand of thrash on the metal map and a succession of blistering releases ensured they never conceded an inch of ground. Their 40+ year career has seen various trends and genres come and go, yet the band have remained immovable and if they ever drop the nuclear bomb, expect to find Kreator cracking out tunes in the rubble. True to the band’s take-no-prisoners ethos album number sixteen, the aptly-titled Krushers Of The World, finds the band at the top of their game and ready to conquer the globe.
As you’d expect from a band of Kreator’s vintage, they don’t feel the need to arrive with all guitars blazing, rather opening track ‘Seven Serpents’ is a more insidious affair that slowly ingratiates itself into the listener’s psyche with an introduction that cuts the air like a steely knife and means that when the band kick in at the 45-second mark, they kick in hard. Vocalist Mille Petrozza is akin to an old bluesman, his voice has aged perfectly; gruffer and craggy, it adds an air of authority to proceedings and gives the album added weight. Around him the band swarm like a plague of locust; the guitars weave intricate patterns that tie the listener up in all sorts of knots whilst the rhythm section prove themselves equally adept and switch up rhythms effortlessly. In fact, they’re a vital component in the band’s attack as no two songs on this album in habit the same sonic space. After two thrashers that put us on the ropes, the band ease off the gas for the crushing title-track, a song so heavy it can barely be comprehended. It’s here that you’ll notice the bass and drums, the menacing swing that inches ever closer and readies itself for the final blow.
Those who fell in love with Kreator during the band’s heyday (say, 1989’s Extreme Aggression) will find a spiritual home in songs such as ‘Barbarian’ whilst those who joined the fold in the early 2000’s (with the highly rated Violent Revolution) will be equally enamoured by the cinematic ‘Combatants’. While it’s true that Kreator aren’t reinventing the wheel or covering new ground, they aren’t treading water either, and there’s enough variety on offer to ensure Krushers Of The World has a forward motion that will not only sate long term fans, but pick up new admirers, too.
As mission statements go, album closer ‘Loyal To The Grave’ pretty much says it all: Kreator have achieved a lot in their career, but they’re not ready to hang up their guitars yet and Krushers Of The World finds them marching boldly towards the future.
- Krushers Of The World is released via Nuclear Blast Records on 16th January 2026.
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Track List:
- Seven Serpents
- Satanic Anarchy
- Krushers Of The World
- Tränenpalast
- Barbarian
- Blood Of Our Blood
- Combatants
- Psychotic Imperator
- Deathscream
- Loyal To The Grave
