Kreator marks 2026 with its new album!
Pioneers of German Thrash Metal, the band led by Mille Petrozza (guitar/vocals), Ventor (drums), Sami Yli-Sirniö (guitar, ex-Barren Earth, ex-Waltari) and Frédéric Leclercq (bass, Loudblast, Sinsaenum, ex-DragonForce…) proudly celebrates its forty-four years with its sixteenth album, Krushers of the World, released with the support of Nuclear Blast.
After a gentle melody by way of intro, Seven Serpents comes crashing in at full speed, offering furious riffs complemented by Mille‘s roars, which have lost none of their superb quality, barely calming down to offer unifying passages accompanied by the backing vocals of his comrades. There are even a few orchestrations that will serve to intensify the live shows, but the song quickly gives way to Satanic Anarchy, which in turn delivers a jerky but rock-solid rhythm that will undoubtedly break necks while also softening for the choruses, letting a few leads slip through. The atmosphere darkens for the eponymous track Krushers of the World, which is both martial and yet almost more accessible with its mid-tempo rhythm and haunting guitars, then Britta Görtz (Hiraes, ex-Cripper, ex-Critical Mess) lends her screams to the band on Tränenpalast, the next track, which unsurprisingly borrows from Melodic Death Metal, their guest’s style. The horror-themed title is also very catchy, as is Barbarian, which follows suit at a good pace and naturally provokes a few accelerations, such as the one just before the final, which returns to its Old School violence before becoming more majestic, giving us a brief moment of respite before Blood of Our Blood kicks into high gear. We find that 80s rage almost infused with Speed Metal, which continues to corrupt the singing choruses and chaotic solos, then Combatants offers us a moment of respite before leading us to the front and asserting its catchy riffs, as well as its snarls filled with aggression, which don’t hesitate to go high-pitched. The song slows down before its final chorus, then with Psychotic Imperator, the band offers us a touch of neoclassical before returning to violence and placing simple but effective riffs interspersed with instrumental parts reinforced by samples and majestic choirs. We return to raw fury in Death Scream’s opening moments, a very vindictive track with devastating double kicks, unhealthy choirs, and a break that seems to be infused with Hardcore. Loyal to the Grave closes the album with very accessible symphonic touches that seem to have everything it takes to become one of the band’s next anthems, as found on each recent album.
Kreator continues on the path it has been following for years, rooted in the Thrash Metal it helped shape, but incorporating slightly more modern touches into the perfect mix. Krushers of the World is already making waves, and it will easily find its way onto your turntables!
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