Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Kreator
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: year_month
Runtime: 51:43
Rating: 3.5/5
Five years is a pretty long stretch between two albums. Young bands definitely can’t afford that, because they’d fade into oblivion fast. But bands like Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden and Kreator have such name recognition that they can take a longer break from touring to put together a new album.
Kreator are back after the well-received Phantom Antichrist. This time the band once again went with the same producer. Jens Bogren is a respected name these days, and judging by his track record, he turns out a »rock-solid« album. Sonically, Bogren’s albums are powerful and clear, and the songs are mostly sensibly arranged without needless complication. So Bogren is the right choice to help the band record an album that works for a bigger audience, and Kreator are no exception.
On Gods of Violence, after a pompous intro, Kreator predictably hit you with the fast World War Now, where the band confirms it won’t stray from its thrasher nature. The follow-up is just as logical with Satan Is Real, which no longer stresses speed but melody and chorus, and the tempo calms down a bit. In short, the obligatory hit song, trying to hook you with the title alone. The focus on the chorus gets a little overblown here, though, since it’s more than obvious the crowd will be singing it back at gigs. The picture improves a bit with the faster and punchy, as thrash metal should be, Totalitarian Terror. But it quickly becomes clear where the catch is. Even though the lyrics deal with war, politics and human evil, those singable, melodic choruses laid over dark lyrics come off like some kind of parody. But all is not lost: the title track, with an interesting intro, proves Kreator still put real effort into the album. Its structure is also more interesting than the rest of the songs, and of course it’s all spruced up with the melodic guitar of Sami Yli-Sirniö, who also serves up lovely, polished solos throughout the album. Army of Storms is convincing too, and tops it off with a hard-hitting breakdown, a nice addition to the song’s dynamics. The aforementioned guitarist Yli-Sirniö has undoubtedly made Kreator friendlier to the listener by bringing in his »Finnish« melodic touch, reminiscent of melodic death metal or power metal. The problem is that the melody sometimes overreaches and comes off kitschy, folk-metal style.
Gods of Violence has its ups and downs. There’s the odd filler, and it’s full of clichéd refrains too, like Hail to the Hordes, which feels pretty forced and lacking real inspiration. Kreator hit peak cliché with Fallen Brother, a tribute to departed music legends. With its simplicity and sing-along chorus, the song is more than ideal for big shows. Kreator close out the album with Death Becomes My Light, where Mille Petrozza and company try one last time to convince us they can create something more epic too. The ending is solid enough, but it doesn’t match up to the rest of their albums.
There’s nothing to complain about in the execution. Jens Bogren captured it all brilliantly and sensibly, which is yet another proof that he’s worth recording an album with. That said, some things do stand out more than others. Petrozza’s vocals sound strong and suitably angry for the lyrics. The guitars are undoubtedly a strong point, and the rhythm section feels a bit reserved, but that doesn’t mean the whole thing doesn’t breathe.
In 2001, Kreator set a new milestone with Violent Revolution. Sixteen years and four albums later, it’s more than obvious that Kreator won’t stray from their ideology, which is in line with modern norms. Gods of Violence fits right in with that: a record with no standout peaks, but you can definitely feel the stability. Most people will take this album well, but it may leave old fans cold.
With Gods of Violence, Kreator show they’re enjoying their comfort zone like plenty of metal veterans who, after an experimental phase, found their core and simply won’t stray from it anymore. And they only keep making albums so they don’t slip into oblivion.
Line-up
Mille Petrozza – vocals/guitar
Sami Yli-Sirniö – guitar
Christian Giesler – bass
Ventor – drums
Production
Jens Bogren
Tracklist
01. Apocalypticon
02. World War Now
03. Satan Is Real
04. Totalitarian Terror
05. Gods Of Violence
06. Army Of Storms
07. Hail To The Hordes
08. Lion With Eagle Wings
09. Fallen Brother
10. Side By Side
11. Death Becomes My Light
