Kreator
Phantom Antichrist

Many things have been said about this album, often shooting without knowledge of the facts. Some speak of Kreator's latest work as a "commercial" effort, while others appreciate its heavy nuances.

The truth is that "Phantom Antichrist," the thirteenth studio album, released on the first of June of this 2012, is a work unlike any other ever created by the Teutonic band. This particular CD indeed sees a marked approach to heavy metal, especially to NWOBHM. Echoes of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest recur in the grooves of PA, just as melody reappears in a very soft and "clean" guise, having already appeared in works such as "Outcast" and "Endorama". The mistake lies in considering Kreator's new creation as a poorly managed rehash of those CDs: in reality, "Phantom Antichrist" is a different work, drawing only some elements from the aforementioned platters, to remodel them according to new stylistic criteria.

Therefore, the basic premise for understanding this new album is to accept that it is different from anything else the Germans have ever done, both in style and in results. The thundering assaults present in "Enemy of God" and "Hordes of Chaos," which had people talking about Kreator as the "European twins" of Slayer, are almost entirely lost here, except for the majestic title track, powerful and with an absolutely destructive rhythm. What distinguishes Kreator's latest effort is the melody, both the typically heavy one that permeates much of the CD and the unusual acoustic openings that suddenly tear through the black and cruel skies of these four Germans. This is the case with "United in Hate" and the closing "Until Our Paths Cross Again", enriched by the muffled sound of Sami Yli-Sirnio's acoustic guitar, precise and convincing even in all the various solos of the album.

If one really wants a title to understand this possible "new" direction of the Germans, how can one not mention "From Flood into Fire"? A song that fully embodies the spirit of "Phantom Antichrist": the thrash rhythm accompanied by a renewed heavy vein, on which an underlying structure of melody is grafted, easily noticeable in the splendid chorus, even indebted to the Teutonic power metal of the late '80s.

It's true, the latest work by Mille Petrozza and his Kreator, at least upon a first distracted listen, leaves one bewildered, as it was hardly foreseeable a melodic twist in our sound. But frankly, the work performed by Kreator mixes with wisdom and class with the typical style of the Essen band: the melodic search in "Phantom Antichrist" is not an end in itself, but rather closely connects with the "classic sound" of Kreator, that defined by almost thirty years of career.

Certainly a "different," new album, which precisely because it brings novelty, can be classified negatively. The major criticism being leveled at PA is the easy and catchy appeal of the tracks, almost as if to underline that Kreator is heading towards "commercialization." Nothing could be more wrong if one does not understand that an album like this is the continuation of an artistic journey that began now 15 years ago with "Outcast".

1. "Mars Mantra" (1:19)
2. "Phantom Antichrist" (4:31)
3. "Death To The World" (4:53)
4. "From Flood Into Fire" (5:26)
5. "Civilization Collapse" (4:13)
6. "United In Hate" (4:30)
7. "The Few, The Proud, The Broken" (4:37)
8. "Your Heaven, My Hell" (5:53)
9. "Victory Will Come" (4:14)
10. "Until Our Paths Cross Again" (5:48)