Kreator
Past Life Trauma (1985-1992)

Usually, it's difficult for "best of" collections of a band to truly contain the best tracks. Moreover, it's hard for these to be of any help for those trying to make a first approach to a band.

You can find a pleasant exception with this collection by Kreator, "Past Life Trauma - 1985-1992". It indeed contains 18 of the most important songs by the essential German band, from the beginnings with "Endless Pain" to the start of their experimental turn with "Renewal": from the raw and intense "Pleasure To Kill" and "Tormentor" to the more thought-out "When The Sun Burns Red" and "Terror Zone", including the frontal assault tracks like "Betrayal" and the beautiful "Terrible certainty". Additionally, there are various live "gems", and the booklet is very rich, with lyrics, many photos, and a comment by Mille Petrozza for each song.

The only flaw might be the few (two) songs taken from their historical album 'Pleasure to Kill'. On the flip side, they included the best ones and also the best from the equally excellent "Extreme Aggression".

Highly recommended for those unfamiliar with Kreator and who don't want to risk buying a random album (potentially the worst) or downloading at random, potentially obtaining the most insignificant songs.