Teutonic thrash juggernauts Kreator needs no introduction or artist comparison, they stand on their own and have a longevity that most metal bands would kill for. With that said, the discography Kreator has given us has been relatively mixed with moments of greatness and moments of confusion. However, what can be said is that Kreator has never had a dull moment in their career leaving fans wondering what to expect next. Kreator’s latest release, Hordes of Chaos, picks up where the band left off on 2005’s Enemy of God, meaning quite simply, that this album is the thrash album to beat in 2009.
Enemy of God I thought was a great album by Kreator, showing off the chops that they hadn’t really displayed fully since before Cause For Conflict. Hordes of Chaos combines the devious aggression on Enemy of God with the full tilt simple catchiness of Cause For Conflict, all topped off with a bit more melody than one might be used to with Kreator. All in all, before getting into details, Hordes of Chaos is the best album by Kreator of the decade.
Unlike many of their peers who are regressing, for good or bad, back into the 80’s to a time when thrash was pure and undiluted, Kreator isn’t interested in reminiscing about old times, they are developing the Kreator sound further than they have gone before. Unlike the controversial Endorama though, the thrashy aggression that has made Kreator the quintessential Teutonic thrash band is alive and well. What makes Hordes of Chaos stand out from all of their previous albums is the enfusion of melody into virtually every track. In fact, Kreator has adopted the lifeblood of what made early examples of melodic death metal from artists such as Sentenced, Dark Tranquillity and Carcass great, which is pure aggression with just enough melody to give tried and true death metal riffs a bit more structure and depth. The only difference between those bands and Kreator, is that Kreator is cemented in straight up thrash metal rather than death metal. One thing can be said though, Hordes of Chaos is definitely good enough to be uttered in the same breath as Heartwork, North From Here, and Skydancer.
Truly, from beginning to end, Hordes of Chaos has the possibility of being album of the year for me, and it’s not even the end of the first month of 2009! For sure, Kreator fans will be more than pleased with this album, and new fans will inevitably be absorbed by the catchy hazardous melodies that is all the rage in mainstream metal right now. Mille Petroza and the rest of the band have outdone themselves in 2009, and unlike Cryptopsy’s foray into mainstream sounds last year, I foresee only great things for Kreator and its critics and fans alike.
MANDATORY OWNAGE
Top Tracks: No way I can pick, they all rock
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