Kreator
Krushers Of The World

THE REVIEW

Kreator need no introduction; they are simply one of the cornerstone bands of the thrash metal genre. Their discography boasts several albums considered great classics, but now, having reached their sixteenth studio album, what do they still have to say? The first track on this new record, released on January 16, 2026, is “Seven Serpents”. It opens with a melodic guitar harmony, only to be thrown into a flurry of typically thrash metal drumming; Mille Petroza's voice is as powerful as ever, as is the usual fierce performance we've come to expect from them—but the same cannot be said for originality. As we will see by analyzing the different moments of the album, every single note played on this latest work is something inevitably dredged up from already published tracks and albums; as I already said in the review of the latest (in all senses) Megadeth album, you can't expect excessive inspiration from bands with forty years of career behind them, but while lacking freshness is understandable, it's quite another thing to lack ideas. Continuing to listen to the album, we find “Satanic Anarchy”, a track that, like the previous one, had already been released as a single; in this case, the chorus turns a little more melodic, but the structure is the same as all the other tracks we'll encounter. As the listening experience goes on, it becomes clearer that the days of Coma Of Souls and Extreme Aggression are long gone; “Krushers of the World”, “Tränenpalast”, and “Barbarian” are generic songs that, although well played, don't have a single memorable moment, even after multiple listens. The influence of their most recent works is clear, starting from Gods Of Violence and shamelessly borrowing from the excellent Phantom Antichrist and Hordes Of Chaos; in my opinion, these two are the last albums truly worthy of the Kreator name. We can't expect a change of direction in 2026, also because already with the decent Outcast and Endorama the band tried, without the desired success, to evolve their sound. However, while for bands like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest sticking to their identity has been beneficial, the variable that determines the final result is ultimately the quality of the musical ideas offered. To be honest and objective, reaching the halfway point of the album, we certainly can't complain about the instrumental execution, nor can we criticize the vocals, which actually surprise in a positive way, but just as the first part of the record is lacking in ideas, so is the second. Heading towards the end, however, we finally hear brief hints of freshness in the tracks “Psychotic Imperator” and “Loyal To The Grave”, where moments that vaguely recall epic metal emerge from the ultra-generically thrash metal drumming and riffs of the rest of the work; but we immediately realize that the album is, in fact, coming to a close. Even if I don't consider this a total failure, given the excellent musical performance, I have serious doubts about both the desire to listen to it again and its genuine appreciation among fans; probably the most die-hard fans of the German band will still forgive them for this chapter, but I also think that when a band starts to stagnate in their own redundant ideas, wanting to carry on is just therapeutic obstinacy. Precisely because of the historical impact of this group, I believe it would be better for them to decide to end their compositional activity and focus on live shows as long as their energy and performance abilities are still going strong. It's much more dignified to bow out gracefully, like Slayer did, as soon as things become predictable, rather than carry on like (many) bands who, being legends, are still convinced they are the best in the world. Crowd at their shows get much more pumped with the old classics from Pleasure To Kill, Coma Of Souls and, if we must, the aforementioned Hordes Of Chaos and Phantom Antichrist; most likely, that's exactly what the fans want—it’s not necessary to churn out a new album every 3 or 4 years hoping to stay on top when the waters you’re sailing in are already at low tide.

Best tracks: “Psychotic Imperator”, “Loyal To The Grave”, “Satanic Anarchy”