If Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax make up the Big Four of Thrash Metal in the United States, in Europe, specifically in Germany, you would have to look at Sodom, Destruction, Tankard, and the one and only Kreator as Europe’s edition.
Each offering the 1980’s Thrash Metal scene something different, Kreator were a force to be recognized with the release of their 1986 album Pleasure to Kill. The marriage of aggression and speed, Kreator continued to pillage all through the ‘80s with one standout album after another, including 1989’s Extreme Aggression. Continuing into the ‘90s, they turned out some excellent records as their sound grew, especially with the very unique Industrial Metal-leaning Outcast in 1997 and the Gothic Metal-rooted Endorama in 1999.
At their hearts, always Thrash Metal icons, even with the success Kreator attained in the ‘80s, the 2000s would become their most successful decade with records like 2012’s Phantom Antichrist and 2022’s Hate Über Alles charting around the globe, while 2017’s Gods of Violence would become their first ever to hit number one in German charts. A fantastic story that shows your best years can be later in life, now in 2026, Kreator looks to once again capture Metal fans the world over with Krushers of the World.
Kreator’s sixteenth studio album, Krushers of the World, arrives on January 16, 2026, via Nuclear Blast Records and looks to pigging back off the success of the band’s last few releases. Still fast and violent, Krushers of the World sees the band really go for the throat with ten no-nonsense Thrash Metal tracks. Produced by Jens Bogren (who worked with the band on both Phantom Antichrist and Gods of Violence), this new record has an immense energy that is hard to overlook.
By and large, songs defined by absolutely stellar grooving Thrash Metal riffage, each track is matched with a powerful, badass vocal performance by Mille Petrozza. Joined by a great lineup of original Drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil, long-time Guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and Frédéric Leclercq on bass, Kreator’s 2026 sound is tight and significantly direct. Headed by the singles “Seven Serpents,” the chant-along “Satanic Anarchy” and the very cool “Tränenpalast” (which features Britta Görtz of Hiraes as guest vocalist, while also paying tribute to Dario Argento’s 1977 film Suspiria, utilizing Goblin’s unmistakable theme melody), there is still much more to enjoy.
Going deeper inside, you also have the catchy title track, the assault of “Barbarian” and “Blood of Our Blood,” followed by the more classic Heavy Metal vibes of “Loyal to the Grave.” Coming together as an album that is genuinely all killer and no filler, Kreator concentrates on presenting you with refined, yet heavy guitars that match violent chops with sensational melody and a stadium-like fist-pumping sing-along atmosphere of the highest order.
An album that will find Kreator touring both Europe and North America from March into May, this is a great time to catch them live and enjoy a set list that integrates decades of their classics with these razor-sharp new gems. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Kreator’s Krushers of the World 4.5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment