Band:	Kreator
Album:	Gods Of Violence
Style:	Teutonic thrash metal
Release date:	January 27, 2017
A review by:	ScreamingSteelUS

Disc I [CD]
01. Apocalypticon
02. World War Now
03. Satan Is Real
04. Totalitarian Terror
05. Gods Of Violence
06. Army Of Storms
07. Hail To The Hordes
08. Lion With Eagle Wings
09. Fallen Brother
10. Side By Side
11. Death Becomes My Light

Disc II [Digibook bonus DVD/Blu-Ray - Live @ Wacken 2014]
01. Mars Mantra
02. Phantom Antichrist
03. From Flood Into Fire
04. Warcurse
05. Endless Pain
06. Pleasure To Kill
07. Hordes Of Chaos
08. Phobia
09. Enemy Of God
10. Civilization Collapse
11. The Patriarch
12. Violent Revolution
13. United In Hate
14. Flag Of Hate / Tormentor

Over the last decade or so, Kreator has embraced a much fuller, more melodic style that, paired with remarkably consistent material, has kept the band at the forefront of the thrash scene with such veteran grace and wisdom that it's almost impossible not to appreciate Kreator from a professional standpoint as well as a musical one. Gods Of Violence continues the band's 21st-century trend; the album is more melody-driven, with the characteristic guitar leads aiming for flashiness over aggression and taking over increasing proportions of the songs. Mille's vocals move closer to center stage, feeling out the borders of hooks and single-ready choruses as much as possible while remaining largely monotone and distorted. Gods Of Violence aims for glory and prestige over corpse-ripping anger, as the dramatically symphonic introductory track indicates.

Fuller, louder production has granted Kreator a much larger and more enveloping sound, a perfect playground to experiment with melody and broaden their appeal; however, unlike a lot of colleagues who have broken down into passe pop metal or phoned-in thrash-by-numbers with the advent of wider success, cleaner sounds, and barren fields of inspiration, Kreator's thrash remains as compelling as ever. The production and refocused sound have worn away the edges and dimmed the brutality, it must be said, but Kreator still writes ferocious thrash songs with all the ingenuity and acumen that should be expected of a thrash legend. Perhaps we can sing along to Gods Of Violence in a way that seems alien to Pleasure To Kill or Terrible Certainty, but "World War Now" and "Totalitarian Terror" still scream with the frenetic rawness that once upon a time made Kreator a name to be feared. Coma Of Souls still echoes in the riffs.

The epic final chorus of "Satan Is Real" and tribal bounding of "Hail To The Hordes" prove that Kreator is feeling very comfortable with its new role and is as capable of delivering bombastic spectacles as any power metal band; indeed, songs like "Totalitarian Terror" remind me very favorably of Blind Guardian's principle of turning leads into riffs. The explosive adrenaline of "World War Now" and "Army Of Storms" remind us that Kreator still has one foot firmly planted in the realm of its origin. Gods Of Violence feels very much like an album full of gripping singles, with more consistent, fast-paced songwriting and slightly more menacing production than Phantom Antichrist; the album stacks up so well against Hordes Of Chaos and Enemy Of God that my preference could be subject to daily change.

There are countless bands, especially among the old guard, that are consistent and reliable in middle age, putting out solid, if unsurprising and unadventurous, material to keep fans appeased and onlookers moderately respectful. How many bands can take that state of existence to the next level, cranking out with such faithful vigor albums that never sink into mediocrity, albums that continue to impress even as we feel we've grown comfortable with the sound? When other thrash titans of yesteryear falter, Kreator remains proudly enthroned, crowned with a string of impossibly consistent albums that carry the torch of the genre. When those other bands get lucky and hit back with a return-to-form album or two, Kreator merely laughs, never having left. Kreator started a riot of violence three-and-a-half decades ago; now, in 2017, they are still the gods of violence.