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Kreator is a German
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
band from
Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's line-up has changed multiple times throughout its -year career, most noticeably with their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, although the latter had left the band in 1994 but rejoined in 1996. Yli-Sirniö has been the lead guitarist of Kreator since 2001, while Leclercq joined in 2019 as the replacement of Christian "Speesy" Giesler, who had been in the band since 1994. Kreator has released fifteen studio albums, two EPs, two live albums and three compilation albums. They gained a large underground fanbase within the international thrash metal community, with their second studio album ''
Pleasure to Kill ''Pleasure to Kill'' is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in November 1986 by Noise Records. Background ''Pleasure to Kill'' is widely considered a landmark thrash metal classic, along with ''Master of Puppet ...
'' (1986) regarded as an influential album of the genre. Many of their subsequent albums — including '' Terrible Certainty'' (1987), ''
Extreme Aggression ''Extreme Aggression'' is the fourth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator released in 1989. While the band had already gained a sizeable following in the US due to their 1988 tour with the crossover thrash band D.R.I., this album int ...
'' (1989) and '' Coma of Souls'' (1990) — were also highly acclaimed. Despite being an influential band, as well as one of the first European thrash metal acts to sign to a major label (signing to
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
in 1988), Kreator would not achieve mainstream popularity until later albums, including their thirteenth studio album ''
Phantom Antichrist ''Phantom Antichrist'' is the 13th studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released through Nuclear Blast on 1 June 2012. The album entered the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 130, selling 3,900 copies in the first week. ...
'' (2012) and its follow-up ''
Gods of Violence ''Gods of Violence'' is the fourteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released on 27 January 2017. This is Kreator's final studio album with bassist Christian "Speesy" Giesler before his departure from the band in 2019. Backg ...
'' (2017), both of which charted highly in many countries, with the latter reaching number one on the German charts. Their latest studio album, ''
Hate Über Alles ''Hate Über Alles'' is the fifteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, which was released on 10 June 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Produced by Arthur Rizk, it is the band's first studio album since ''Gods of Violence'' (2017), th ...
'', was released on 10 June 2022, and the band is currently working on new material for their next album. Kreator has achieved worldwide sales of over two million units for combined sales of all their albums, making them one of the best-selling German thrash metal bands of all time. Along with
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...
, Sodom and
Tankard A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. In recent centuries tankards were typically made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example glass, wood, ...
, they are credited as one of the "Big Four" of
Teutonic thrash metal Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated within German-speaking countries during the 1980s, and its title is a reference to the Germanic tribe. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, ...
, responsible for developing and popularizing the German thrash metal scene as well as pioneering the then-emerging
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
and
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
genres during the mid-1980s.


History


Formation and early releases (1982–1987)

The band was originally formed as Metal Militia in 1982 in
Essen, Germany Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
and then became Tyrant. Later they used the name Tormentor until 1984, when they changed to its current name Kreator. The original line-up featured lead vocalist and guitarist Mille Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, and bassist Rob Fioretti. Kreator recorded their debut album, '' Endless Pain'' (1985), in just ten days. The band hired then-future Sodom guitarist Michael Wulf for the album's tour to play lead, while Petrozza switched to rhythm guitar. Wulf was in the band for a few days but, contrary to the liner notes, he never played on the band's second album, ''
Pleasure to Kill ''Pleasure to Kill'' is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in November 1986 by Noise Records. Background ''Pleasure to Kill'' is widely considered a landmark thrash metal classic, along with ''Master of Puppet ...
'' (1986), which is widely considered a thrash classic and a big influence on the
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
genre. It would not be until 31 years after its release that ''Pleasure to Kill'' entered the German album charts. Produced by
Harris Johns Harris Johns is a German music producer, active since the late-1970s in the heavy metal and punk scene, working for a lot of big-name bands, such as Helloween, Coroner (band), Coroner, Tankard (band), Tankard, Sodom (band), Sodom, Voivod (band), ...
(who had also worked with Sodom,
Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...
and Voivod), the album showed the band growing in talent and technical ability. The song "Flag of Hate" became a concert standard, and the band became one of the most promising up-and-coming European metal acts. The band started their first tour ever (before the release of ''Pleasure to Kill'', they had only played five gigs total); they played their first shows outside of Germany during the fall of 1986, touring Europe with
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...
and
Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
, and in the spring of 1987, they toured North America for the first time, opening for Voivod on their '' Killing Technology'' tour. Kreator's first EP, '' Flag of Hate'', was also released in 1986, and around this time, Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski had joined the band.


Rising popularity (1987–1991)

In 1987, Kreator released its third studio album, '' Terrible Certainty'', which is often considered a high-quality album as the arrangements on the album were more complex and the tempos more varied. The album featured another hit "Behind the Mirror", and the band's popularity continued to grow and a music video for "Toxic Trace" received airplay on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. They managed to find enough time and money (coming from their concerts) to finance another EP, '' Out of the Dark... Into the Light'' (1988). By this point, Kreator had graduated to headlining their own tours, as well as playing at theaters and arenas with bands such as
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, Voivod, Overkill, D.R.I. and Holy Terror. Berlin-based
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
Noise Records licensed Kreator for the territories outside of Europe and Japan to the major-label
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, with whom the band signed in 1988. Their fourth studio album and debut with Epic (for limited territories) ''
Extreme Aggression ''Extreme Aggression'' is the fourth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator released in 1989. While the band had already gained a sizeable following in the US due to their 1988 tour with the crossover thrash band D.R.I., this album int ...
'', recorded in Los Angeles, became a metal hit in Europe upon its release in 1989; however, the album would not enter the German album charts until 28 years after its release. Continuing the ''Terrible Certainty'' formula while showing Kreator continue to progress musically, and with better production by the well-regarded Randy Burns (who had also worked with Megadeth,
Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...
,
Nuclear Assault Nuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast along with Overkill, Whiplash, ...
,
Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
, Dark Angel, among others), the album featured the band's first major singles, the title track, "Betrayer" and the radio-only "Love Us or Hate Us", gaining support from the Southern California radio station
KNAC KBUE (105.5 FM, "Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM") is a commercial radio station licensed to Long Beach, California, that serves the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is owned by Estrella Media and airs a Regional Mexican radio format. Studios an ...
, and the video for "Betrayer" receiving airplay on MTV's ''
Headbangers Ball ''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consists of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obsc ...
''. This – as well as playing with bands like
King Diamond Kim Bendix Petersen (born 14 June 1956), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto s ...
,
Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
,
Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
,
Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice, California, by vocalist Mike Muir. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Muir as the only remaining original member. Their current lineup includes ...
, Death, and
Sadus Sadus is an American thrash metal band from Antioch, California, active from 1985 to 2015, and reunited in 2017. Originally a quartet, the band's sound fuses thrash metal with death metal, featuring highly technical musicianship. They are know ...
– greatly expanded their popularity outside of Germany. Also in 1989, German director Thomas Schadt made a documentary about Kreator (focusing on the social aspect of heavy metal in the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...
area) titled ''Thrash Altenessen'' (named after the band's hometown, a suburb of Essen). Tritze left Kreator after the release of''Extreme Aggression''. In 1990, with new guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (then-formerly of Sodom), the band released their fifth studio album '' Coma of Souls'', again produced by Burns. The album was not quite as praised as the band's previous few albums (many felt it was "rushed" and repetitive), but it still managed sell and maintain popularity quite well, with the singles "When the Sun Burns Red" and "People of the Lie" becoming hits.


Experimentation (1992–2000)

The early 1990s brought a decline in the popularity of traditional thrash metal, which was replaced by
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
. By 1992, Kreator had been released from their American contract with CBS/Sony Music, then-home of the likes of
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...
and
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
. Their sixth studio album '' Renewal'' was released in the fall of that year, and featured heavy death metal and industrial influences. While reaching a newer audience, the band upset many longtime fans, accusing them of "
selling out To "sell out" is to compromise one's integrity, morality, Authenticity (philosophy), authenticity, or Principle#As moral law, principles in exchange for personal gain, such as money or power. In terms of music or art, selling out is associated w ...
". Kreator experienced a decline in popularity as the result of the backlash against the album. The line-up of the band had also underwent significant changes. Founding member Roberto Fioretti left the band after the recording of the album and was replaced by Andreas Herz. In 1994, Reil left as well, leaving Petrozza the sole original band member. Reil was replaced by Joe Cangelosi while Herz left the same year and was replaced by Christian "Speesy" Giesler. During this time, Kreator had ended their tenure with Noise Records and signed with
GUN Records GUN Records (''Great Unlimited Noises'') was a record label located in Witten, Germany, founded in 1992 by Bogdan Kopec ( DRAKKAR Promotion Musikverlag GmbH) and Wolfgang Funk. For a period, it was a subsidiary of BMG. Different artists on t ...
. The new line-up released the album '' Cause for Conflict'' in 1995. The songs bore a heavy influence of such bands as
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
and
Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses, and others, and ...
as well as the partial resemblance of ''Renewal''. Gosdzik and Cangelosi both left in 1996 and were replaced by Tommy Vetterli (then-formerly of
Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
) and a returning Reil, respectively. Kreator continued to experiment producing '' Outcast'' (1997) and '' Endorama'' (1999), with ambient and gothic influences, incorporated samples and loops. However, the record sales went down, and by the end of the 1990s, the band had reached commercial and critical nadir. Despite that, Petrozza was quoted as stating: "For us, success doesn't define in record sales. So all our albums have been successful for us, because we've achieved what we were aiming for."


Return in style (2001–2009)

In 2001, with new lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, Kreator released their tenth studio album '' Violent Revolution'', which saw the band returning to its classic thrash metal style. Despite containing a lot of melodic and so-called " Gothenburg metal" riffs, ''Violent Revolution'' was praised by fans and critics alike and benefited from the 2000s thrash metal revival movement, led by the likes of Overkill,
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
,
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, Exodus and
Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
. The tour was extremely successful and introduced Kreator to a younger generation of metal fans. Yli-Sirniö, who lived in Germany, was known to be a good guitar player, so the band recruited him. A live album '' Live Kreation'' and live DVD '' Live Kreation: Revisioned Glory'' were both released in 2003, and their eleventh studio album – emphasizing more on the Gothenburg influences – '' Enemy of God'' was released in 2005. This album also saw a special edition re-release in 2006 called ''Enemy of God: Revisited''. In early 2006, Kreator toured North America with
Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, in 1981. None of the band's original members have been in the group since 1986, but since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mi ...
, A Perfect Murder, and The Undying. There was a joint headline European tour with
Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
in 2007 with support from Watain, and Kreator were to tour in 2008 with
King Diamond Kim Bendix Petersen (born 14 June 1956), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto s ...
,
Leaves' Eyes Leaves' Eyes is a symphonic metal band from Germany and Norway. Formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, formerly the lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy, along with the entire line-up of Atrocity (band), Atrocity, the band has since released eight studio a ...
, and Cellador; however, this tour was canceled due to back issues with
King Diamond Kim Bendix Petersen (born 14 June 1956), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto s ...
. In March 2008, the ''At the Pulse of Kapitulation'' DVD was released, featuring ''Live in East Berlin'' and ''Hallucinative Comas'' on one disc. Both had previously been available on VHS only and were long out of print. The band had also begun working on their twelfth full-length album in late 2007/early 2008 and began recording in July 2008. Recording for the album, titled '' Hordes of Chaos'', was wrapped up in late August, with the album being released in January 2009. On 23 January 2009, the band began their "Chaos Over Europe" tour in Tilburg (the Netherlands) with Caliban,
Eluveitie Eluveitie ( ; )Chrigel Glanzmann: "Eluveitie is a name in Gaulish language, which is an ancient Celtic language. Since it's not a living language anymore, nobody really knows how it's pronounced like. All we have today of this language is scient ...
and Emergency Gate as other acts. In April 2009, the band embarked on a North American headlining tour, co-headlined by Exodus, and supported by
Belphegor Belphegor (or Baal Peor, Hebrew: בַּעַל-פְּעוֹר baʿal-pəʿōr – “''Lord of the Gap''”) is, in Christianity, a demon associated with one of the seven deadly sins. According to religious tradition, he helps people make discov ...
, Warbringer, and Epicurean. In late 2009, Reil was forced to sit out some tour dates due to personal issues, with Marco Minnemann temporarily taking his place.


''Phantom Antichrist'' and ''Gods of Violence'' (2010–2017)

Kreator signed with
Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...
in early 2010, before embarking on a North American tour in March to celebrate their 25th anniversary. A European tour with Exodus,
Death Angel Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone thr ...
and Suicidal Angels, entitled Thrashfest, took place in late 2010. On 1 June 2012, they released their thirteenth studio album ''
Phantom Antichrist ''Phantom Antichrist'' is the 13th studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released through Nuclear Blast on 1 June 2012. The album entered the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 130, selling 3,900 copies in the first week. ...
''. Kreator co-headlined a 23-date North American tour that fall with Nuclear Blast labelmates Accept. Entitled the Teutonic Terror Attack 2012 tour, they were supported by Finland's Swallow the Sun. Kreator performed alongside
Suidakra Suidakra (stylized SuidAkrA) is a German melodic death metal band from Düsseldorf, Germany. During their thirty-year career, they have performed over 200 live shows for several European and Russian tours, as well as a North American tour. The ...
in
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
on 16 June 2012. Kreator released a music video for "Civilization Collapse" on 28 November 2012. In a November 2013 interview, Mille Petrozza stated that Kreator would begin work on their fourteenth studio album after the ''Phantom Antichrist'' tour for a 2016 release. However, Petrozza said that the album would not be released until 2017. On 30 August that year, they released a two-disc live album called '' Dying Alive''. It contained 24 tracks recorded at Turbinehalle in Oberhausen, Germany. On 14 October 2016, it was announced that Kreator's fourteenth studio album would be called ''
Gods of Violence ''Gods of Violence'' is the fourteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released on 27 January 2017. This is Kreator's final studio album with bassist Christian "Speesy" Giesler before his departure from the band in 2019. Backg ...
'', and it was released on 27 January 2017. A music video for the album's title track was released on 18 November 2016. ''Gods of Violence'' received generally positive reviews, and was their first album to reach number one on the German charts. To promote the album, Kreator embarked on a headlining European tour in February and March 2017, with support from
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
,
Soilwork Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They have released twelve studio albums. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, the band was originally known as ''Inferior Breed''. In late 1996, they changed t ...
and
Aborted Aborted is a Belgian death metal band formed in 1995 in Waregem. The group currently consists of vocalist, founder, and only constant member Sven de Caluwé, along with guitarists Ian Jekelis and Dan Konráðsson. Although the band originally ...
, and co-headlined the Decibel Magazine tour with
Obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...
in March and April. In late April, the band announced an Australian tour with Vader, which took place in September. They embarked on two tours in 2018: one in Europe with Decapitated and Dagoba in January, followed by a co-headlining North American tour with
Sabaton A sabaton or solleret is part of a knight's body armour, body armor that covers the foot. History Sabatons from the 14th and 15th centuries typically end in a tapered point well past the actual toes of the wearer's foot, following poulaines, f ...
in February and March.


Split with Christian Giesler, ''Hate Über Alles'' and upcoming sixteenth studio album (2018–present)

About three months after the release of ''Gods of Violence'', Petrozza mentioned a follow-up album, saying, "Maybe we should work with a different producer. Maybe we should go to a different country to record the album. Maybe we should write a more metal or more full-on thrash metal. Whatever we feel, first and foremost, that is the most important thing. Time will tell." In a September 2017 interview with Australia's Silver Tiger Media, Petrozza stated that Kreator could do another album after ''Gods of Violence'' but "not yet." When asked in February 2018 about the band's future, Petrozza said, "I think we're gonna take next year off and write a new record. That's the plan at least. We'll see what happens. I don't put myself under pressure. Let's see how I feel after this tour, and if I have ideas for new music, I will book a studio and start working on demos as soon as I have the time. And then I'll come up with some new stuff." He told ''Guitar Interactive'' magazine in July 2018 that Kreator would take 2019 off to focus on writing the new album, which was planned for release in the summer of 2020. Petrozza later stated their new album was not expected to be released until the summer of 2021. In the beginning of December, Kreator embarked on a tour of Europe, entitled the European Apocalypse, with
Dimmu Borgir Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic lang ...
,
Hatebreed Hatebreed is an American metalcore/ hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album ''Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universa ...
and
Bloodbath Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup (music), supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air (in 2005) and Bloodstock Open A ...
. It was also announced that the final concert of the European Apocalypse in London would be filmed and produced as a live DVD in 2019; titled ''London Apocalypticon - Live at the Roundhouse'', this DVD was released on 14 February 2020. Kreator supported
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
on their final world tour, appearing at the Santiago Gets Louder festival in Chile on 6 October 2019, along with
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
and Pentagram Chile. On 16 September 2019, it was announced that Christian "Speesy" Giesler had left Kreator after 25 years as their bassist, and was replaced by Frédéric Leclercq, who had recently left DragonForce. On 26 March 2020, Kreator released a music video for "666 - World Divided", which marked their first song in three years and their first one since Leclercq joined the band. On 20 July 2020, Petrozza posted a picture of himself in the studio on his Instagram page, which indicated that Kreator was working on their next album. Petrozza confirmed two months later that Kreator had been writing new material "in the last couple of months", and that he was recording vocals for the album. In a March 2021 interview, Petrozza revealed that Kreator was supposed to start recording their new album in February, but added that this plan was interrupted by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. He also went on to say that he wants "the album to come out and go on a world tour right afterwards" and revealed that Arthur Rizk would produce it. The band announced in September 2021 that they had begun recording the album at Hansa Tonstudio in
Berlin, Germany Berlin ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of ...
with Rizk. In December 2021, Petrozza announced on his Instagram page that their new album would be released in the summer of 2022, preceded by a "new single SOON!". On 4 February 2022, the band released the title track from ''
Hate Über Alles ''Hate Über Alles'' is the fifteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, which was released on 10 June 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Produced by Arthur Rizk, it is the band's first studio album since ''Gods of Violence'' (2017), th ...
'' as the album's first single, and announced on the same day that the album would be released on 3 June; its release date was later pushed back to 10 June. A video for the second single from ''Hate Über Alles'', "Strongest of the Strong", was released on 8 April 2022, followed less than a month later by its third single "Midnight Sun". A fourth music video was released for "Conquer and Destroy" on 22 May 2023, though unlike the previous three music videos, this song was not released as a single. Kreator promoted ''Hate Über Alles'' with a world tour, including supporting Mercyful Fate on their first North American tour in over 20 years in late 2022, and touring Europe with
Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
and
Municipal Waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, a ...
, during the winter of 2023. They also co-headlined the Klash of the Titans tour throughout the spring of 2023, first in Latin America with
Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
, and then in North America with
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
, the latter supported by
Death Angel Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone thr ...
and SpiritWorld. The band continued to tour in support of ''Hate Über Alles'' throughout 2024, including touring Japan in January–February with
In Flames In Flames is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990 out of the Swedish death metal, Swedish death metal scene. Their lineup has changed several times, with vocalist Anders Frid ...
, co-headlining a North American tour with Testament in September–October (with
Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...
as the opening act), and co-headlining a European trek in November–December with Anthrax and support from Testament. They also headlined the Klash of the Ruhrpott festival at Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen in
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
on 20 July 2024, which saw all of the " Big Teutonic Four" bands (Kreator, Sodom,
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...
and
Tankard A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. In recent centuries tankards were typically made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example glass, wood, ...
) on stage together for the first time. Touring for ''Hate Über Alles'' continued into 2025, with the band headlining the upcoming Demonic Summer tour with Rotting Christ and Warbringer. By October 2023, Kreator had begun working on new material for their sixteenth studio album, which the band had planned to start recording in early 2025; however, Petrozza has stated that it will not be released until 2026. A documentary about the band, titled ''Kreator - Hate & Hope'', is scheduled to premiere on 2 July 2025 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and will receive a worldwide release on 4 September. Former Kreator bassist Andreas Herz died in December 2023; the news of his death was confirmed by Petrozza.


Musical style and influences

Kreator's musical style is similar to that of their compatriots
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...
, Sodom and
Tankard A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. In recent centuries tankards were typically made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example glass, wood, ...
, which is usually more complex and, since '' Violent Revolution'' (2001), has been more melodic. Along with those bands, Kreator has been referred to as one of the "Big Four" of
Teutonic thrash metal Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated within German-speaking countries during the 1980s, and its title is a reference to the Germanic tribe. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, ...
, and they are often credited with helping pioneer
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
and
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
by containing several elements of what was to become those genres. The band's style has changed several times over the years, from a
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
-inspired
speed metal Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It is desc ...
sound, later moving into thrash metal, and including a period of transitioning from thrash to industrial and
gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal music, heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different ...
throughout the 1990s. Eduardo Rivadavia of ''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'' assessed the band's early material: "Like many of their European
speed metal Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It is desc ...
brethren, Kreator fused the big four's thrash innovations with Venom's proto-black metal imagery, sparked it with
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
's terminal velocity, and capped it off with the
nihilistic Nihilism () encompasses various views that reject certain aspects of existence. There have been different nihilist positions, including the views that life is meaningless, that moral values are baseless, and that knowledge is impossible. Thes ...
outlook typical of heavy metal since the seminal days of
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
." Rivadavia assessed: "Kreator's career also mirrored speed metal's rising and waning fortunes: moving from strength to strength throughout the '80s. ..As the new decade gave birth to
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
, Kreator felt it necessary to evolve, spending most of the rest of the decade taking their collective foot off the
gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...
and exploring various combinations of industrial, goth crock, and
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
sounds resulting on 1999's
post-metal Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal music, heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis (band), Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture (music), te ...
''Endorama''." In the early 2000s, Kreator returned to its traditional thrash metal sound, which has continued to the present. Kreator has been influenced by a variety of music, such as
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
bands
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
,
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
bands
Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and ...
, D.R.I.,
the Exploited The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1978 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981,
, GBH and
Raw Power ''Raw Power'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges (credited as Iggy and the Stooges), released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two ...
, and 1970s and 1980s
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
and heavy metal bands, including Accept, Bathory, Black Sabbath,
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
,
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
,
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
, Mercyful Fate,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, Motörhead,
Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...
,
Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
, Rush,
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
and Venom.


Band members

Current members * Miland "Mille" Petrozza
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
,
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...
(1982–present),
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
(1982–1986) * Jürgen "Ventor" Reil
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
(1982–1994, 1996–present), co-lead vocals (1982–1989) * Sami Yli-Sirniö – lead guitar,
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
(2001–present) * Frédéric Leclercq
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, backing vocals (2019–present) Former members * Roberto "Rob" Fioretti – bass (1982–1992) * Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski – lead guitar (1986–1989) * Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik – lead guitar (1989–1996) * Andreas Herz – bass (1992–1994, died 2023) * Christian "Speesy" Giesler – bass, backing vocals (1994–2019) * Joe Cangelosi – drums (1994–1996) * Tommy Vetterli – lead guitar (1996–2001) Former touring musicians * Michael Wulf – lead guitar (1986; died 1993) * Bogusz Rutkiewicz – bass (1988) * Markus "Makka" Freiwald – drums (2000) * Marco Minnemann – drums (2009)


Timeline


Discography

*'' Endless Pain'' (1985) *''
Pleasure to Kill ''Pleasure to Kill'' is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in November 1986 by Noise Records. Background ''Pleasure to Kill'' is widely considered a landmark thrash metal classic, along with ''Master of Puppet ...
'' (1986) *'' Terrible Certainty'' (1987) *''
Extreme Aggression ''Extreme Aggression'' is the fourth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator released in 1989. While the band had already gained a sizeable following in the US due to their 1988 tour with the crossover thrash band D.R.I., this album int ...
'' (1989) *'' Coma of Souls'' (1990) *'' Renewal'' (1992) *'' Cause for Conflict'' (1995) *'' Outcast'' (1997) *'' Endorama'' (1999) *'' Violent Revolution'' (2001) *'' Enemy of God'' (2005) *'' Hordes of Chaos'' (2009) *''
Phantom Antichrist ''Phantom Antichrist'' is the 13th studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released through Nuclear Blast on 1 June 2012. The album entered the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 130, selling 3,900 copies in the first week. ...
'' (2012) *''
Gods of Violence ''Gods of Violence'' is the fourteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released on 27 January 2017. This is Kreator's final studio album with bassist Christian "Speesy" Giesler before his departure from the band in 2019. Backg ...
'' (2017) *''
Hate Über Alles ''Hate Über Alles'' is the fifteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, which was released on 10 June 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Produced by Arthur Rizk, it is the band's first studio album since ''Gods of Violence'' (2017), th ...
'' (2022)


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control 1982 establishments in West Germany Epic Records artists Essen German thrash metal musical groups GUN Records artists Musical groups established in 1982 German musical quartets Noise Records artists Nuclear Blast artists German political music groups Steamhammer Records artists