Band:	Kreator
Album:	Violent Revolution
Style:	Teutonic thrash metal
Release date:	September 2001

01. Reconquering The Throne
02. The Patriarch
03. Violent Revolution
04. All Of The Same Blood
05. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell
06. Second Awakening
07. Ghetto War
08. Replicas Of Life
09. Slave Machinery
10. Bitter Sweet Revenge
11. Mind On Fire
12. System Decay

Kreator being the biggest European thrash metal band fell victim to the painful decline of the genre in the 1990s, releasing albums which experimented with industrial and gothic elements with much backlash and little praise from critics and fans. Violent Revolution signals Kreator's return to the band's thrash roots which made them so successful in the 1980s with almost no trace of their experimental material from the previous album Endorama.

To start off, this album is much more aggressive and technical than their efforts from the late 1990s but do not expect another brutal album such as Pleasure to Kill. The vocals of Mille Petrozza are excellent sounding pissed off about the world and can only be bettered by those on Kreator's first five albums. The vocal delivery style does change on the beginning of the track "Replicas of Life" in which Mille showcases his clean vocals which is a perfect match for the song. Kreator's new guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio offers a melodic sound which gives the band a template to work upon for their future albums. I say this as his melodies do not sound as complete or mature as those of the follow-up Enemy of God - not saying they are not enjoyable but Sami's work on that album is just a step above. The capable and experienced Ventor delivers drum patterns which match the rather melodic theme or atmosphere on this album.

The most commendable feature of this album is the quality of the songs written, there are absolutely no fillers and each one is very well thought-out. The title track is a testament of the quality of this album becoming a permanent song on Kreator's setlist. "Ghetto War" gives the feeling of atmospheric sound of Endorama - in the way that it retains the positive qualities of that album. "Replicas of Life" is another example of Kreator's songwriting abilities making a 7 ½ minute song sound interesting and progressing from clean acoustic guitars to electric guitar very seamlessly.

The production by Andy Sneap is very good with all instruments heard clearly except for the bass but this production does not feel suited for Kreator at the first listen - sounding too sterile and boring in some instances.

Violent Revolution is an excellent comeback album for Kreator with almost immaculate songwriting and performance but hindered only slightly by a sterile production. The inclusion of Sami Yli-Sirnio is a fantastic decision giving them a melodic sound akin to that of Coma of Souls - which is a very unique and highly regarded thrash metal album. While this album may not be the best among the highly regarded albums Kreator have written, it certainly holds its ground in a very stable manner in Kreator's more than 25 year discography.