Kreator – Hordes Of Chaos (2009, SPV)
- Hordes Of Chaos
- Warcurse
- Escalation
- Amok Run
- Destroy What Destroys You
- Radical Resistance
- Absolute Misanthropy
- To The Afterborn
- Corpses Of Liberty
- Demon Prince
Band Lineup:
Mille Petrozza – Vocals & Guitars
Jürgen Reil – Drums
Christian Giesler – Bass
Sami Yli-Sirniö – Guitars
Producer: Moses Schneider
Total Time = 38:32
Country: Germany
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It’s been four long years since Kreator’s last record, ENEMY OF GOD, and now the German Thrash legends have given birth to a new album titled HORDES OF CHAOS. I used to be a big fan of Kreator back in the ’80s but somewhere along the line I just stopped following the band. ENEMY OF GOD brought me back onto the path with it’s speed and brutality so I kind of knew what to expect from the band four years later. The speed is there, the power is there, so is the intensity. There is plenty of drilling riffs and searing guitar solos to satisfy the fastest of tastes but there are also some different styles that creep in that separates 2009 Kreator from the pack. What sets HORDES OF CHAOS apart from all the Thrash that seems to be coming out of the woodwork lately is that the band puts in some melodic touches to the overall package. The album is full on Thrash but, if you take a listen to the opening title track, ’Amok Run’ and ‘To The Afterborn’, you will definitely notice the melodies the band adds in to enhance the overall sound. There are also some Maiden-ish duelling guitar (parts of ‘Hordes Of Chaos’, ’Amok Run’, ‘Radical Misanthropy’, ‘To The Afterborn’, ‘Demon Prince’) surrounded by some hellacious double bass pounding that make things more interesting. Mille Petrozza’s vocals are still as aggressive as ever but there is more of a higher register this time around. Maybe it’s that extra touch of melody creeping in? Either way, I like the enhancements to the overall sound but it’s still Kreator.
Bottom Line:
I have been giving HORDES OF CHAOS a lot of airplay since it graced my desk late in December and I haven’t tired of it yet. I kind of feel the same way I did about last year’s Testament album THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION, it sets the standard for Thrash in 2009. It’s the album Kreator needed to make to stay ahead of the retro-Thrash movement that has taken center stage from the Power Metal resurgence earlier this decade. I know it’s early in the year but I have to say that this record will probably be in my year end best of list easily, I’ve enjoyed it that much. Now I have to go back and check out all the Kreator I missed in the ’90s!
Favorite Songs:
Let me go on record saying that I really liked every song but, if I had to pick a few…..’Hordes Of Chaos’, ‘Warcurse’, ‘Amok Run’, ‘Absolute Misnathropy’.
Steve, some of the 90s albums of KREATOR are not realy thrash metal, like ENDORAMA or OUTCAST. They are experimental albums with some gotic and even industrial sounds in it. Their come back to thrash metal was VIOLENT REVOLUTION. Buy those 90s albums Steve but dont aspect thrash metal.
that was very fucking speed thrashing…. its was really kreator trade mark…
[...] Kreator – Hordes Of Chaos (2009): The best Thrash album of 2009 without a doubt! I’ve had HORDES OF CHAOS since mid-December 2008 when the kind people at SPV sent me a promo and I have been playing it regularly for the entire year. I know that Megadeth, Slayer and Artillery all released great Thrash albums this year but kreator set the bar high early on and no one has matched it. The intensity is there, the blistering guitar is there, the brutality is there too but what sets HORDES OF CHAOS apart is that Kreator wasn’t afraid to expand their Thrash formula and add in some melodic flourishes to the overall sound. I hope we don’t have to wait another four years again between new Kreator albums. [...]