Band:	Kreator
Album:	Live Kreation
Style:	Teutonic thrash metal
Release date:	2003
Guest review by:	Justin

Disc I
01. The Patriarch
02. Violent Revolution
03. Reconquering The Throne
04. Extreme Aggression
05. People Of The Lie
06. All Of The Same Blood
07. Phobia
08. Pleasure To Kill
09. Renewal
10. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell
11. Black Sunrise
12. Terrible Certainty
13. Riot Of Violence

Disc II
01. Lost
02. Coma Of Souls
03. Second Awakening
04. Terrorzone
05. Betrayer
06. Leave This World Behind
07. Under The Guillotine
08. Awakening The Gods
09. Golden Age
10. Flag Of Hate
11. Tormentor

When Kreator launched themselves upon an unsuspecting metal crowd in the early eighties, they were one of the many bands spearheading the early influential Thrash sound that the whole movement is based on today. Since then, Kreator have created some classic albums [such as 1986's Pleasure To Kill, 1987's Terrible Certainty, 1989's Extreme Aggression and 1990's Coma Of Souls], before losing momentum in the nineties to a certain degree. In 2001, Kreator returned to form in a major way with the Andy Sneap produced Violent Revolution, renewing interest in the German Thrash act. The association continued with Sneap helping out with Kreator's first venture into the live arena with this new double album, Live Kreation.

This double set was recorded in Korea, Sao Paolo and Brazil last year, with the same line up that recorded the Violent Revolution album [guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza, drummer Jurgen ?Ventor? Reil, bassist Christian ?Speesy? Giesler and guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio].

As you would expect, the set list that makes up Live Kreation is spread over the bands ten album history, with plenty of old school classics bringing back memories from bands glory days from the early eighties, through to now. In supporting Violent Revolution, there's bound to be quite a few tracks lifted from it, and making an appearance are their modern day Thrash classics ?Reconquering The Throne?, ?The Patriarch?, ?Violent Revolution?, ?All Of The Same Blood [Unity]?, ?Servant In Heaven/King In Hell? and ?Second Awakening?.

All tracks sound particularly brutal, and blend in well with older classics such as ?People Of The Lie?, ?Pleasure To Kill?, ?Terrible Certainty?, ?Coma Of Souls?, ?Under The Guillotine?, ?Flag Of Hate?, ?Riot Of Violence? and the groundbreaking number ?Betrayer?.

Of course, no live album is perfect, and there are some moments where the band sound a little uninspired. For whatever reason, some of those tracks lack that special something. The only other obvious weak moment is the inclusion of ?Black Sunrise? from 1997's Outcast. Don's get me wrong, the track is great, but tends to slow the live material down just a touch.

But for all the holes that could be poked in this, this is still classic Kreator the way they should be experienced - live in all their Thrash-like glory!