180 gram black vinyl. One thing’s for sure: There aren’t many bands with a history as long and eventful as Kreator’s, who fascinatingly succeed in exploring new horizons while challenging and reinventing themselves time and again, resulting in high impact results - as is perfectly illustrated by their record »Gods Of Violence« . With this 14th studio album of their impressive career, the thrashers from Essen, Germany have crafted a work of art of utmost vigor, drawing its unfailing power from the pounding heart of one of the greatest, most versatile metal bands of all time. »Gods Of Violence« lives and breathes! As is often the case, it all started with a good idea. Kreator mastermind Mille Petrozza had followed the latest news with growing concern. Especially the November 2015 Paris attacks made him realize that there had to be a a continuum of human malevolence, running like a thread through the ages, from ancient times up to the present day. These thoughts led Petrozza to interlocking current events with tales from Greek mythology, eventuating in the song »Gods Of Violence« that was consequently chosen as the album’s name giver. “Currently, religion has regained a level of importance that I would have never considered possible 20 years ago”, Mille states. “An extremely dangerous polarization is taking place, giving rise to growing hate among us all. That’s what I wanted to write about.” Like this, a key note of the album was found that is also reflected in the sheer brutality of »World War Now«, among others. The song’s deriving from the observation that we’re in the middle of a World War III of sorts, but not in the way we’ve always feared: A-bomb dropped, humanity wiped out. “These days, our weapons of mass destruction are called hatred and religious delusion”, says Petrozza. It’s a vertical war, being fought by the media as well as by fanatics of all shades. The intro leading to the opening track »Apocalypticon« is already setting the proper bombastic pace for the album’s basic idea: Marching drums and a Wagnerian choir are opening an extraordinary metal masterpiece that’s contrasting brutality with fragility, excelling in an exemplary handling of momentum and dynamics. Even »Death Becomes My Light«, the final eight-minute-epic dealing with a near death experience, is not a single second too long: »Gods Of Violence« flashes by like greased lightning. The ability to form universally comprehensible messages out of such sophisticated trains of thought as found on »Gods Of Violence« has always been one of the traits of a man whose pop-cultural universe ranges from Hannah Arendt, Pink Floyd and Tocotronic to Slayer. Mille Petrozza was born and bred in the metal scene. Nevertheless, he is and always has been open to inspiration from various sources, which is why his lyrics on this album are by no means merely based on corny genre templates but offer trenchant observations of our time combined with a witty advance towards inflated cliches: One of the best songs on »Gods Of Violence« is really called »Satan Is Real«. Finishing »Gods Of Violence« took the band - featuring Petrozza, Sami Yli-Sirniö (guitars), Christian »Speesy« Giesler (bass) and Jürgen »Ventor« Reil (drums) - about three years. After Petrozza had pre-produced all of the eleven tracks in winter of 2015, Kreator went to Sweden in order to team up with legendary metal producer Jens Bogren in his Fascination Street Studios once again. What emerged from the recording sessions was bound to fundamentally redefine what Kreator is all about. An opus that surprises with some lines in German and an unexpected guest in the form of indie pop artist Dagobert. Moreover, Italian death metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse lent a hand with the orchestral parts of four songs and 12-year-old Tekla-Li Wadensten played the harp for »Gods Of Violence«. Keeping the show rolling: That’s all it’s been about since 1985. And in this respect, German thrash metal icons Kreator have succeeded big-time with »Gods Of Violence«!
