Kreator // Hate Über Alles // Album Review

Kreator has been a mainstay in the Thrash world for nearly forty years now and still going strong, personally, they have to be one of my favourite bands, from hearing them for the first time on “Extreme Aggression” and then going back to the start, all the way up until the present time they are and always will be one of the best bands ever to hit the thrash scene.

Needless to say, I have been eagerly awaiting this new album and it does not disappoint, Kreator are back and in a big way. It may be the frustration boiling over at the fact that things were shut down for two years, but this album is faster, harder and heavier than anything they have put out in a while and it’s bloody amazing. Luring you in with a nice soft opening instrumental, “Sergio Corbucci Is Dead”, they then proceed to kick the ever-living shit out of you for the next forty-five minutes with some of the most blistering music you will hear in a long time. 

Lead single and title track “Hate Uber Alles” is an absolute barnstormer, opening with Millie’s trademark scream it takes off from there and doesn’t stop, Ventor’s drumming is unbelievably relentless with savage riffs and thumping bass, a brilliant opening that leaves you wondering if it can get much better than this, spoiler alert it does and it doesn’t take long for that in the shape of “Killer Of Jesus”. If you thought the first track was fast this will leave up in a heap, how they can keep the intensity up is beyond me but that is why you’ve got to love them, heavy as fuck with a barrage of drums, bass and Millie doing only what he does best, a great solo thrown in towards the end puts the cherry on top. “Crush The Tyrants” opens with a marching beat that is accompanied by some heavy chugging riffs with Millie snarling as only he can, a slightly slower but heavier tempo here as they mix things up a bit, a couple of cool solos, one slow and melodic the other faster, break the heaviness midway through before it drops back down as the track plays out to a close. “Stronger Of the Strong” is one of, if not, the best track on the album; trademark Kreator riffs and drums kick it off with a massive wall of sound, and the song rips along with a subtle bass line underpinning the whole thing creating what is one of Kreators specialties, a killer anthemic sing-along song that simply crushes. “Become Immortal” has a Maiden/ Priest like sound with bass very much to the fore aided magnificently by crashing drums and deadly guitars, Millie snarls and sneers his way through the song, another phenomenal solo at the backend of the track gives it the little kick needed to top it off.

“Conquer And Destroy” blows you away with its speed and power, a thrash masterclass with sharp riffs and thunderous drums, a kicking bass blast away in the background giving it that extra oomph while a shredding solo will get the air guitars going big time, another Kreator classic for the ages. The second single from the album, “Midnight Sun”, is a killer tune packed with ripping guitars, hammering drums, a massive singalong chorus and some haunting female vocals that mesh nicely with Millie’s snarl, simply brilliant. For pure savagery look no further than “Demonic Future”, a blistering drum and bass beat drive the track with unstoppable force, chugging riffs interspersed with a killer melodic rhythm section that has no place here yet it fits perfectly, Yli-Sirnio’s guitar work is incredible and his solo is out of this world, much like everything he has done on this album, this is up there for track of the album, an absolute cracker. Once the calm intro and Millie’s spoken lyrics are done on “Pride Comes Before The Fall” you will feel like you have been smashed in the chest with a sledgehammer as Ventor pummels his kit to devastating effect as the rest of the band row in behind him with Millie roaring his way throughout as Leclercq’s bass rumbles away and Yli-Sirnio slays it on the guitar, another monster track. Closing out an incredible album is “Dying Planet” a slow black metal style track that is fucking unreal, down-tuned guitars and a pulsating drum beat drag you through a fraught horror infused beast that underlines Kreator’s ingenuity in the ability to change things up.

For me this is one of the best Kreator albums ever, putting up there with the likes of “Endless Pain”, “Extreme Aggression”, “Coma Of Souls” and more recently “Violent Revolution”, “Enemy Of God”  and “Gods Of Violence”

 

 

 

 

 

Kreator are:

Millie Petrozza Vocals/Rhythm guitar

Ventor Drums

Sami Yli-Sirnio Lead guitars/backing vocals

  

Frédéric Leclercq Bass/Backing vocals

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