| REVIEWS LIST | - K | ||||
K
KAT - ODDECH WYMARLYCH SWIATÓW (1988)
Compared to their debut "Metal and Hell" / "666". This follow-up is way more refined and the band now plays more regular thrash metal as the speed and heavy metal-tendencies are gone. On the debut the band almost sounded like Venom with their dark and utterly evil speed metal. I don't understand the polish language but I don't get the same black metal-vibes from this album at all. Roman's vocals are more assertive this time. He sounds good with his raw barking style with occasional falsetto screams.
If you thought the debut was unserious and childish this is the opposite. It's almost death / thrash at times. I get some late eighties Exodus-vibes from this album as well as some Metallica circa Puppets. If you exclude the raw vocals and the slavic language. But there is also a ballad called Mag-Sex. Oddech Wymarlych Swiatów is one strange title for an album but the music is good and you should give Kat a chance if you're into 80's thrash metal. KAT was one of the most popular metal bands from the east and it's time that they get the recognition they deserve here as well.
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Compared to their debut "Metal and Hell" / "666". This follow-up is way more refined and the band now plays more regular thrash metal as the speed and heavy metal-tendencies are gone. On the debut the band almost sounded like Venom with their dark and utterly evil speed metal. I don't understand the polish language but I don't get the same black metal-vibes from this album at all. Roman's vocals are more assertive this time. He sounds good with his raw barking style with occasional falsetto screams.
If you thought the debut was unserious and childish this is the opposite. It's almost death / thrash at times. I get some late eighties Exodus-vibes from this album as well as some Metallica circa Puppets. If you exclude the raw vocals and the slavic language. But there is also a ballad called Mag-Sex. Oddech Wymarlych Swiatów is one strange title for an album but the music is good and you should give Kat a chance if you're into 80's thrash metal. KAT was one of the most popular metal bands from the east and it's time that they get the recognition they deserve here as well.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KAT - 666 (1986)
Brilliant Polish speed metallers KAT released their second LP in 1986 titled 666. It was the same album as their previous "Metal and Hell", except for one thing, this time the lyrics was in polish. So the significance of this album is maybe not that big. 666 was a low-budget affair and a crude sound not that far away from the sound that Running Wild had on their debut "Gates to Purgatory". The guitars are often galopping and the riffs are quite catchy even if their message is dark and satanic. The album has been re-released lately with another artwork. Well, you can check out the "Metal and Hell" review for more info.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KAT - METAL AND HELL (1986)
Poland had a quite vibrant metal scene back in the day, but most of their talented bands never got any recognition outside the Polish borders. KAT on the other hand is metal legends in Poland and they debuted in 1986 with this Speed-infused Black metal classic titled Metal And Hell.
Musically, Kat plays satanic vintage thrash, with a grim touch to everything. The vocals are harsh and vocalist Roman Kostrzewski sounds like a tormented soul. Riffs are gloomy and catchy at the same time. Like Venom with a dose of Judas Priest and Tank, because the song Devil's Child is more or less the same song as Tank's "Struck By Lightning", but with other lyrics. Pure song theft there.
The rest of the songs are somewhat original but still heavily inspired by Venom and the whole NWOBHM-scene. KAT managed to be both melodic and at the same time very dark and evil. They were also one of the first extreme metal bands from the other side of the iron curtain. "Metal and Hell" hasn't got the intensity of the earliest works of Bathory, Sodom nor Hellhammer but "Metal and Hell" will be remembered as one of the most extreme bands at the time being. The album also has fragments of speed, heavy and thrash metal in it. Kat would later develop a more pure thrash metal sound, but this was their noisy beginnings. "Metal and Hell" was remade with polish lyrics and released under the name "666" a year later but it's practically the same album except for the lyrics. "Metal and Hell" is definitely a underground classic, but in terms of musicianship and quality of their songs, their best years was still ahead.
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The rest of the songs are somewhat original but still heavily inspired by Venom and the whole NWOBHM-scene. KAT managed to be both melodic and at the same time very dark and evil. They were also one of the first extreme metal bands from the other side of the iron curtain. "Metal and Hell" hasn't got the intensity of the earliest works of Bathory, Sodom nor Hellhammer but "Metal and Hell" will be remembered as one of the most extreme bands at the time being. The album also has fragments of speed, heavy and thrash metal in it. Kat would later develop a more pure thrash metal sound, but this was their noisy beginnings. "Metal and Hell" was remade with polish lyrics and released under the name "666" a year later but it's practically the same album except for the lyrics. "Metal and Hell" is definitely a underground classic, but in terms of musicianship and quality of their songs, their best years was still ahead.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KAZJUROL - DANCE TARANTELLA (1990)
Kazjurol was one of the first thrash metal bands from Sweden. These Swedish Vikings released Dance tarantella in 1990 on Active Records. Their sound is thrash metal with minor crossover tendencies, very fast from time to time. Bäsan's vocals is hoarse and he suits the music fine even though he doesn't possess the widest range I've heard. If anything, the other way around. rather boring and atonal vocals. Another thing to mention about his voice is his Swedish accent that can be annoying.
Kazjurols music at least some passages are really over the top, very fast others are broken in a late eighties Laaz Rockit fashion. Kazjurol's music is faster and a few catchy melodies are included. The very last song Stagedive to hell could have been taken from US thrashers Whiplash's debut album, the strongest track without a doubt. Dance Tarantella is a good album except the vocals and the production that must be considered as highly average.
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KING DIAMOND - GIVE ME YOUR SOUL... PLEASE (2003)
KING DIAMOND - THE PUPPET MASTER (2003)
This is the last truly great King Diamond album, a dark, meticulously crafted horror opera that rivals his best work. The Puppet Master is suffocating in its atmosphere, a slow descent into psychological torment rendered with chilling precision.
The story is about a man who travels to Budapest and visits a puppet theater theater just to discover that the puppets are made of humans and the narrator in the story becomes one of these human puppets. The story is one of King’s most disturbing, and the music follows suit: brooding mid‑tempo riffs, mournful melodies, and vocal performances that feel less like singing and more like confession. King's wife Livia Zita’s appearances add a ghostly, tragic dimension that elevates the narrative.
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KING DIAMOND - FATAL PORTRAIT (1986)
Guitarist Hank Shermann wanted to steer Mercyful Fate towards a more melodic
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Kazjurols music at least some passages are really over the top, very fast others are broken in a late eighties Laaz Rockit fashion. Kazjurol's music is faster and a few catchy melodies are included. The very last song Stagedive to hell could have been taken from US thrashers Whiplash's debut album, the strongest track without a doubt. Dance Tarantella is a good album except the vocals and the production that must be considered as highly average.
⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - GIVE ME YOUR SOUL... PLEASE (2003)
King Diamond’s final album to date is a polished, energetic record that shows the band still had plenty of fire left. The production is bright and modern, the performances tight, and the songwriting confident.
Yet there’s a sense of distance here. The story is compelling but not as emotionally gripping as The Puppet Master or House of God. The album shines in individual moments rather than as a complete narrative arc.
Still, when it hits, it hits hard: the opening run of songs is some of the strongest material of King’s late career, and the band sounds revitalized. It’s a good album, sometimes a great one, but not the grand finale King Diamond deserved. So let's hope for another King Diamond album... Please!
⭐⭐⭐
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This is the last truly great King Diamond album, a dark, meticulously crafted horror opera that rivals his best work. The Puppet Master is suffocating in its atmosphere, a slow descent into psychological torment rendered with chilling precision.
What makes the album exceptional is its cohesion. Every track feels essential, every transition purposeful. The band plays with a sense of unity rarely matched in the 2000s metal landscape. I personally often listen to this album around christmas time because the story takes place during the christmas. It's also the name of one of the songs on the album. The Puppet Master is a modern masterpiece. Bleak, elegant, and unforgettable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - ABIGAIL II: THE REVENGE (2002)
Creating a sequel to Abigail was a dangerous move, but King approaches it with surprising restraint and respect for the original. Abigail II doesn’t try to outdo its predecessor; instead, it expands the mythos with a heavier, more modern sonic palette.
The album is dense, musically and narratively. The arrangements are intricate, the riffs tightly coiled, the vocals layered with almost obsessive precision. At times, the production’s sterility works against the material, sanding off some of the raw drama that defined the 1987 masterpiece. But the songwriting is strong, and the band’s performance is razor‑sharp.
It’s a worthy sequel: not a replacement, not a retread, but a companion piece that deepens the lore and showcases King Diamond’s evolution as a storyteller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - HOUSE OF GOD (2000) House of God is one of the most emotionally resonant albums in King Diamond’s catalogue, a tragic, almost spiritual horror tale wrapped in some of the most melodic songwriting of his later years. King had also recruited Canadian axeman Glen Drover and another former Chastain alumni in bassist David Harbour. There’s a maturity here that sets it apart. The riffs are still sharp, the vocals still acrobatic, but the album carries a weight, a sadness, that King rarely allows into his work. The story’s themes of faith, betrayal, and existential dread seep into the music, giving it a somber undercurrent even in its most aggressive moments. Andy LaRocque is on fire throughout, delivering solos that feel less like technical showcases and more like emotional exhalations. The production is clean, perhaps too clean at times, but the clarity allows the album’s melodic strengths to shine. It’s an underrated gem. Not as flashy as Voodoo, not as iconic as the 80s classics, but rich, thoughtful, and quietly devastating.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - VOODOO (1998)
With Voodoo, King Diamond roars back to full power. Everything that felt tentative or unstable on the previous two albums snaps into focus here: the production is muscular, the riffs are confident, and the concept is tight without suffocating the music.
The Louisiana setting gives the album a unique flavor, humid, swampy, and spiritually charged. King leans into the atmosphere without resorting to caricature, and the band responds with some of their most inspired playing of the decade. The pacing is impeccable: the album breathes, builds, and erupts at exactly the right moments.
What makes Voodoo stand out is its sense of purpose. This is King Diamond reclaiming his throne, proving that the 90s hadn’t dulled his ambition or his theatrical instincts. It’s a late‑career triumph, and one of the strongest records he’s released outside the 80s golden era.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - THE GRAVEYARD (1996)
If The Spider’s Lullabye was a cautious re‑entry, The Graveyard is King Diamond sprinting headlong into madness. This album is grotesque, theatrical, and deeply uncomfortable and that’s precisely its appeal. The story is one of King's most deranged, and the music mirrors that instability with jagged riffs, sudden tempo shifts, and a sense of claustrophobic dread.
The production is murky, almost swampy, which works in the album’s favor more often than not. It feels like everything is happening underground, in damp tunnels lit by a single flickering lantern. Andy LaRocque’s solos cut through the gloom like surgical tools, sharp and cold.
It’s an album that refuses to be tidy. It sprawls, it rants, it lingers too long in dark corners. But that excess is part of its strange magnetism. The Graveyard is not a great album in the traditional sense, it’s too uneven, too indulgent but it is one of the most vividly atmospheric records in King’s catalogue. A cult object for listeners who enjoy their horror unhinged. For me this is amongst the weaker moments in King's career but still it's pretty good.
⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - THE SPIDER'S LULLABYE (1995) King Diamond’s return after a five‑year silence feels like a man relearning how to haunt a house he once ruled. The Spider’s Lullabye is leaner, drier, and far less ornate than the gilded horror operas of the 80s, but there’s a strange charm in its stripped‑down approach. The production is almost ascetic, guitars buzz rather than roar, drums thump rather than thunder yet the songwriting carries a sense of renewed purpose. The first half’s standalone tales show King stretching his legs again, rediscovering the pleasure of short‑form horror. Album opener "From the Other Side" in particular has a restless energy, as if the band is shaking off cobwebs. The album's back half, where the mini‑concept kicks in, is where the record truly finds its identity. The tension tightens, the melodies sharpen, and King’s falsetto is more controlled than in the late '80s. It slices through the mix with renewed confidence. It’s not a grand statement, nor does it try to be. It’s a craftsman returning to his workshop, dusting off the tools, and remembering why he loved the craft in the first place. The Spider's Lullabye is one of those underrated albums of the 90's.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - "THE EYE" (1990)
Like its predecessors, "The Eye" is a conceptual album rooted in horror. It doesn't continue the story of the previous two albums, however. This is not another ghost story but a tale of witch trials. And it's flawless. The story moves away from personal madness and into historical tragedy, focusing on witch trials, torture, and religious corruption. It’s less frantic than Conspiracy, but more focused and atmospheric.
The production is clean and sharp, built around tight riffing and a strong sense of melody. Andy LaRocque’s guitar work is the album’s backbone, delivering haunting leads and well‑crafted harmonies without the excess flash of earlier records. Tracks like “Eye of the Witch,” “The Trial,” and “Behind These Walls” show the band leaning into a more controlled, almost surgical style of songwriting. We also have a new drummer since Mikkey Dee decided to leave the band to join Motörhead. In came another Swede in Snowy Shaw who used drum pads to record the album but for me who is a drumming novice I couldn't even tell.
King Diamond’s vocals are more restrained here, used to support the narrative rather than dominate it. He still shifts between characters, but the delivery is tighter and more grounded, matching the album’s darker, more serious tone.
What sets "The Eye" apart is its consistency. It’s not as explosive as Abigail or as intense as Conspiracy, but it’s one of King Diamond’s most cohesive and well‑structured albums. Every track serves the story, and the pacing never slips. With "The Eye" King Diamond managed to create the greatest five records run in metal history. No band managed to be so consistent and excel in their field like King Diamond did from 1986's Fatal Portrait to 1990's "The Eye". This is metal perfection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - CONSPIRACY (1989)
Conspiracy continues the story from “Them”, but with sharper songwriting and a more aggressive edge. The album is tighter, heavier, and far more direct, showing King Diamond and his band operating with complete confidence.
The production is crisp and powerful, giving the guitars a cutting presence. Andy LaRocque and Pete Blakk deliver some of their most precise and technically impressive work, especially on "Sleepless Nights", "A Visit from the Dead" and "Victimized". The riffs are fast and intricate, but always controlled.
King Diamond’s vocals are intense and focused. He switches between characters cleanly, using falsetto, mid‑range, and spoken parts to push the story forward without overdoing the theatrics. The narrative is straightforward and darker than its predecessor, keeping the tension high from start to finish.
What makes Conspiracy stand out is its balance of strong hooks and tight musicianship. It’s a concept album, but it never drags. Every track has purpose, and the pacing never slips.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - "THEM" (1988)
With “Them”, King Diamond pushes deeper into psychological horror, delivering another tight concept album. The story is a descent into madness driven by voices, manipulation, and family terror, is one of King’s most disturbing, and the music mirrors that intensity.
"Welcome Home", "Invisible Guests" and "Tea" are built on rapid‑fire riffing and LaRocque’s signature melodic precision.
Worth noting is that Michael Denner and Timi Hansen had left the band prior to the release of "Them" and in came Pete Black and Hal Patino. King’s vocals are at their most elastic and theatrical, shifting between characters with unnerving ease. The production is crisp and an improvement on both Abigal and Fatal Portrait. Giving the album a sharper edge than its predecessors. "Them" may be less intense than Abigail, but it’s still one of King Diamond's finest moments. It's a whirlwind of paranoia and technical brilliance. I'll give this album five out of five grandmas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KING DIAMOND - ABIGAIL (1987)
The spooky atmosphere, the relentless pacing, the intricate guitar harmonies, and King’s unhinged vocal storytelling. The narrative is vivid and cinematic and the music never takes a back seat.
Abigail is THE masterpiece. It's one of the greatest concept albums in metal history and the definitive King Diamond statement. Everything is near perfect on Abigail,
It's like an old Stephen King movie coming alive.
That is also the key difference between King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. Mercyful Fate focusing more on evil and satan, while King Diamond focuses more on horror and storytelling.
"Arrival", "A Mansion in Darkness" and "The Family Ghost" are all classics,while "Black Horsemen" stands as one of the most dramatic closers ever made. Well, I could actually have mentioned every track on the album because this is one of those all killer, no filler records.
The production is rich and spacious, giving the album a haunting, almost theatrical presence. Abigail is the sound of a band at full power, crafting a world that feels both supernatural and emotionally grounded. It remains untouchable. Abigail is one of the greatest achievements in heavy metal history.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Guitarist Hank Shermann wanted to steer Mercyful Fate towards a more melodic
and commercial direction. King Diamond refused, and the group was laid to rest.
Shermann went on to form the AOR band Fate, while King launched his own namesake project. King brought Michael Denner and Timi Hansen with him from Mercyful Fate and he completed the lineup with two Swedes: guitar virtuoso Andy LaRocque and drummer Mikkey Dee. Andy Excellent choices since LaRocque's guitar work is already a revelation fluid, melodic and expressive.
Fatal Portrait blends Mercyful Fate’s dark melodicism with a sharper, more theatrical edge,
laying the foundation for the narrative‑driven style that would define King Diamond’s solo career. Unlike most of his later albums, Fatal Portrait isn’t a full concept record. Tracks 1–4 and track 9 form the "Fatal Portrait" storyline, while the remaining songs stand on their own.
"The Candle", "Halloween" and "The Portrait" showcase the band’s ability to fuse razor‑sharp riffs with operatic drama. The production is cleaner than Mercyful Fate’s early recordings,
giving the album a bright, cutting tone. Fatal Portrait may not yet deliver the full King Diamond
concept‑album experience, but it marks the beginning of a bold new era where the story-telling is moved to the forefront.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - GODS OF VIOLENCE (2017)
After a four and a half year long hiatus Kreator has returned and the long wait hasn't tarnished their popularity that much. It's quite incredible the journey Kreator has taken during the second half of their career. It wouldn't be a stretch to call the band the kings of European thrash these days. So, How strong is the 2017 edition of Kreator? Well, the lineup has been intact since 2001 and the sound hasn't strayed far from the path the band took on 2001's Violent Revolution. So expect tons of melody on Gods of Violence, almost to a point that it gets rediculous.
Kreator is almost leaving the thrash genre with all the melodic Iron Maiden wankery. There are a lot of Gothenburg death metal and Power Metal hints on Gods of Violence, which is quite sad when you think of a band that helped popularize extreme metal in the eighties, but metal has moved towards cleanliness and melody in general ever since the late nineties and Mille seems to be more in tune with the modern and darker sides of metal, than the NWOBHM-albums that helped influence their early work. So it might come as no shock that the album is produced by the Swedish producer, Jens Bogren. His production is modern and tight like I expected it to be. I'm no expert in production but the sound is pretty close to the typical work of Andy Sneap. Gods of Violence is an album filled with sharp riffs, quick double bass, and snarls, but at the same time, the songs are anthemic and majestic, with epic intros and symphonic instrumentation. But what lacks is the surprising moments that catches you off guard, I'm really missing the pure devastating thrash-gressions of the bands past.
Gods of Violence is too clean and not dangerous enough despite the somewhat satanic undertones. There's a reason why power metal bands seldom sings about hate and satanism, because it seems out of place with such melodic music. Sure there are some speed and cool riffs buried deep between the melody and the compressed vocals but in general I'm quite disappointed by Kreator's Gods of Violence, if they want to be the gods of violence, then show us some thrashing violence instead of this danceable post-thrash music. I'm sorry to say this, but I think this is their weakest album since their experimental nineties.
* Additional note: The album was released with two different artworks, one for the American release and another for the European release.
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⭐⭐
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KREATOR - PHANTOM ANTICHRIST (2012)
After Hordes of Chaos which I really liked it was time for Kreator to release their thirteenth studio album. It instantly strikes me that Phantom Antichrist is a more melodic effort. The production feels a bit different, it's noisy yet clean. In 2001 when Sami Yli Sirniö joined and re-vitalized Kreator's sound, just like Frank Blackfire did fifteen years ago. Sami brought his melodic and precise guitarplay into Kreators raw sound. Phantom Antichrist might very well be their most melodic album together with Enemy of God. Everything feels tight and modern, like expected from one of the leading acts of the genre. The melodic side of Phantom Antichrist makes me think of Iron Maiden.
This might be the sound that they would adopt if they went for a thrash metal sound. There are almost a sing-along feeling to the choruses and Kreator experiments within their closed framework. Phantom Antichrist might not be the most interesting album Kreator has released but compared to many new bands in the genre. Kreator really takes their time, skill and effort into their songwriting. If you like well-polished melodic thrash Phantom Antichrist will be very enjoyable. If you're more a traditional Pleasure to Kill-guy, then Kreator have taken it too far. Me personally think that Phantom Antichrist is allright, but it's not the first album I grab when I'm in the mood for Kreator.
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⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - HORDES OF CHAOS (2009)
In 2009 it was time for another Kreator album to hit the market. It was titled Hordes of Chaos and it was released through Steamhammer. The band has managed to accumulate some strong material here. I thought their comeback-album Violent Revolution was hard to top and the more melodic Enemy of God was also a good album, but I think that Kreator has outdone themselves here and perhaps released their best album since 1990's Coma of Souls.
With songs like Warcurse and Destroy what destroys you, Kreator shows how thrash should sound in this modern day, it's still more melodic than those early records, thanks to Sami Yli Sirniö's way of playing. But I think Hordes of Chaos is a little less melodic and more straightforward in it's approach compared to Enemy of God. Add to that Ventor's excellent drumming and Mille delivers some great vocal aggression here.
Even if the production ain't 100 % spot on I think that it's just a minor flaw, you can hear that it's a modern album but it's not something that disturbs the listener too much. Hordes of Chaos is one of the best thrash metal album's of 2009, if not the best.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - ENEMY OF GOD (2005)
Violent Revolution proved that Kreator wasn't finished as a thrash metal band, instead they have somewhat reignited their career lately. First they set the standard with "Violent Revolution" and now comes the highly anticipated "Enemy of God" and it further establishes the band as a leading act. The album has a thick and modern sound and Sami Yli Sirniö gives the revitalised Kreator a more melodic maiden-esque guitar play.
The album definitely has some Gothenburg styled-influences here with a few generic melodic riffs and breakdowns, which is a bit worrying. I can't really put my finger on it but I guess it's the overall song quality that doesn't reach the same heights as they did in the eighties. "Enemy of God" Is filled with punchy, heavy riffs with melodic, winding solos and gritty, rough vocals that are still enjoyable and nowhere near the modern metalcore field. To summarize "Enemy of God" I give it 3,5 out of 5. I'm very divided when listening to this album. Some things about this album is great and other's not so much. It's too much melodies and not enough aggression. Kreator has become a little too clean. Still it's a good album if you're into modern thrash metal.
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⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - VIOLENT REVOLUTION (2001)
Kreator has reconquered the throne as one of the leading thrash bands by releasing their best album in many years, titled "Violent Revolution". This is actually their first real thrash album in many, many years, and it is a great comeback, definitely up there with what their countrymen Sodom and Destruction has done lately. Songs like "The Patriarch" that leads into the title track "Violent revolution" is a killer, "All of the Same Blood", "Servant in Heaven - King in Hell", "Ghetto War" and "System Decay" are wonderful thrash songs, this is absolutely Kreators best album since the legendary 1990's release of "Coma of souls".
The the intro on the song "Replicas of life" takes you back to the memory when you first heard the intro "Choir of the damned" on their Pleasure to kill album, It's just shocking how they could finish of the acoustic part that leads into the brutal distorted riffing. To summarize the album I will say that it's great to have one of the greatest thrash bands back in business, and I'm already looking forward to their next release. Violent Revolution is a wonderful album, the "Coma of souls" of this new decade.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - ENDORAMA (1999)
In 1999 Kreator released Endorama, it was the last in a long line of experimental records during the nineties. The album has it's thrash metal undertones but Mille's industrial sounding vocals and the production is very nineties sounding. If Kreator went another way and started to play heavy metal or doom metal or something it would have been OK with me. But some type of gothic industrial metal was so hyped in the nineties. Endorama is accessible record with Milles melodic singing. It's not a very violent album. It has a few late nineties Megadeth-vibes going on. But I would say that this album has more in common with bands like Type O Negative and Paradise Lost than Kreator's violent past.
I think it's kind of a waste to have one of the genre's best guitarists in Tommy Vetterli aka Tommy T. Baron formerly of Coroner in the lineup without fully using his shredding skills. Speaking of Coroner, this album almost feels like a continuation of Coroner's Grin. Taking the gothic atmospheres and industrial feel up another notch. If I should fully open up my mind I must say that the production is at times good. You can hear all the instruments well and it's a clear sound and the album has a certain depressive and dark atmosphere. There are no real speedy thrashers to speak of on Endorama, everything moves forward slowly with a hypnotizing feeling over it. On their next album Kreator returns to thrash, so Endorama was the last in a row of experimental records together with Outcast, Cause for Conflict and Renewal. Endorama might be a sellout but it's at least better than Diabolus in Musica, Risk, St.Anger, Cold Lake and a bunch of others.
⭐⭐
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KREATOR - OUTCAST (1997)
Outcast was released in 1997 and it's a part of Kreator's experimental nineties. This time the songs are more simplistic and repetitive and the songs are often focusing on catchy choruses. If it wasn't for the trendy industrial distorted crap and the über-modern production this album might have been a cool thing to play when youre in the mood for some catchy metal. Songs like "Leave This World Behind" "Unemy Unseen" and "Phobia" are my favourites from this rather anonymous Kreator album.
Most people seems to agree that Outcast and Renewal are Kreator's two worst releases and I can agree with that statement. But I rather listen to this album than the terrible Renewal. But I've never been a fan of this experimental Kreator, I prefer the early days when it was thrash and nothing else mattered. It's nice to see Jürgen 'Ventor' Reil back in the lineup and Tommy Vetterli perhaps more known as Tommy T. Baron from Coroner has joined, but his extreme talent is unfortunately wasted on simplistic riffs here. I'm glad to see that Kreator got their shit together for the next release and stopped this experimental age and returned to thrash metal. Outcast is an outcast in the Kreator-catalogue for a reason. It's not of that high Kreator quality we were getting used to.
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⭐
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KREATOR - CAUSE FOR CONFLICT (1995)
Can there be a Kreator without original drummer Jürgen 'Ventor' Reil in the lineup? The answer here is yes and no.
Joe Cangelosi is definitely a very skillful drummer and he is most known for his time in New Jersey thrash metallers Whiplash. He fills Ventor's shoes nicely but that's not really the problem here. My problem with Cause for conflict is that there is so many modern ideas implemented here. I guess Mille wanted to keep up with the ever evolving music business. The album is heavily influenced by modern ideas and bands like Fear factory and Nine inch nails comes to mind.
There are also some modern Slayer-vibes going on here. The album is definitely violent and it has some musical quality but it's drenched in that awful production and Mille's voice sounds just about awful, but there aren't only bad things to say about Cause for conflict. New bassist Christian Giesler joins the band and the musicianship is good but what to expect in 1995, thrash metal was dead and if you where to survive you better change and Kreator did that.
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⭐⭐
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KREATOR - RENEWAL (1992)
Two years after the legendary Coma of Souls new trends swept over the metal scene and Kreator couldn't wait to jump on the next train to mediocreville. The thrash metal is replaced by some typ of thrashlike industrial nineties metal and it's horrible. I can't think of a band that has sunken lower between two album releases. From legendary to shit in two years, how is it even possible? Mille sings or shouts like a punk kid, this is by far Mille's worst effort. The riffs are monotonous and simple.
The production and especially the guitar sound is horrible, the riffs are pounding in a groove metal way and 'Ventor' must have mixed up his drum kit with those painting bucket's in his garage. But at the same time Renewal ain't as bad as St.Anger or God Hates us all or those kind of new albums. The album sounds OK at times when Mille shuts his mouth and Renewal goes into those instrumental parts. It's hard to satisfy fans of one of the best bands of all time but Kreator are hardly trying here, they want to go elsewhere and it's a kind of hypocrisy that they now have returned to thrash metal when it's cool again. Renewal was also Kreator's last album on Noise records. So this was the beginning of Kreator's more experimental nineties, their worst period as far as I'm concerned.
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⭐
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KREATOR - COMA OF SOULS (1990)
Kreator's fifth studio album and their last truly great album in over a decade. On Coma of Souls Kreator shows no signs of exhaustion, it's another classic masterpiece from the kings of German thrash.
This album is not as intense as Pleasure to Kill or Terrible Certainty but there is a more clean and epic side of Kreator, perhaps a bit more mainstream type of thrash without giving in an inch of the old Kreator feel to it. Coma of Souls is one of the best thrash metal albums of the nineties. It has everything; complexity, top musicianship, greatly produced, good vocals, hammering drums, intense solos. Coma of Souls is a masterpiece.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - OUT OF THE DARK... INTO THE LIGHT (1988)
Between the full-lengths Terrible Certainty and Extreme Aggression, Kreator released an EP titled "Out of the dark... Into the light". It has a higher collector value than a musical value as I see it, because there is only one new song here; Impossible to cure. It's a standard Kreator creation, nothing extraordinary here.
It's more interesting to hear Lambs to the slaughter that was originally recorded by my old NWOBHM-favourites Raven and Mille even uses his falsetto(!) on that song, which aren't often heard in Kreator's music. The three last songs are livetakes from their old classics and they are discfillers to me as I always prefer studio-versions. It's hard to rate an album like this, because it's really only one new song and the rest I've heard before in one way or another. For Kreator-fans this is plain fun but nothing necessary. There are more important albums to chase down.
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⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - TERRIBLE CERTAINTY (1987)
Pleasure to kill...Pleasure to kill...Pleasure to kill...., Aren't we all a little fed up with Pleasure to Kill? well...It's hard to say. And Terrible Certainty has always been in the shadows of the mighty Pleasure to kill.
But when you take a closer look on Terrible certainty and spins it a few times, I'll guarantee that you'll end up breathless. This time the classic Kreator-sound is more polished and it makes the instruments more hearable and in my ears it's way better. Another thing that has improved is Mille Petrozza's vocals, he is shouting louder and faster than ever before. A few songs doesn't match up to the high Kreator standard but "Blind faith", "Storming with menace", "Terrible certainty" & "Toxic trace" certainly does. On Terrible certainty Kreator shows that they are great instrumentalists and that they have improved a lot since Endless pain. Sometimes I wonder if it where some kind of magic behind Kreator's music because they just kept on delivering top class albums in the eighties. Perhaps THE greatest Kreator album, I'm terrible certain, are you?
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - PLEASURE TO KILL (1986)
Kreator had created a name for themselves in the German underground with their noisy debut Endless Pain and by this point they had already toured with Rage and Destruction. In 1986, the thrash metal scene was broadened and the competition was fierce. But Kreator outdid just about every band on the planet with eight outbursts of the just about the most extreme metal on the planet.
This album is Kreator's most popular album even though it's their most violent. But Pleasure to Kill ain't just aggressing, it's majestic. If other bands kill, Kreator brings a holocaust. It's on that level. I just love the intro, Choir of the Damned and after a while "Ripping Corpse" just blow your ears away. naming a few favourite tracks is hard, they are all of the same high class, but a little personal favourite is "Riot of Violence". a song that is standing out a bit with it's quirky main riff.
The three last songs are bonus tracks on the re-release, those three songs is taken from the EP "Flag of Hate". This album was released on Noise records. When Mille Petrozza roars out "Pleasure to kill", that is true evil caught on tape. Pleasure to Kill is such a hedonistic release and an incredibly important release for the upcoming wave of death metal bands that followed in Kreator's footsteps. It's a must have, maybe the most famous European thrash album. a true classic!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - FLAG OF HATE (1986)
Months before the release of the legendary "Pleasure to kill" Kreator recorded and released this three track EP. The song Flag of Hate is great, I love the drumming by Ventor. Take their lives is an underestimated Kreator song at least I think so. and Awakening the gods is another Kreator-classic.
Three great songs that should have been on any of their full-length-albums instead. Flag of Hate is indeed a great EP, one of the best I've heard actually. early Kreator just can't go wrong. brutal songs that could have been on Pleasure to kill, but this EP has a better production then Pleasure to kill. All three songs are included in the re-release of Pleasure to Kill as bonus tracks. On Flag of Hate the band shows that they are to be taken seriously.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KREATOR - ENDLESS PAIN (1985)
One year after the End of the World demo, Tormentor became Kreator and they were signed by Noise Records. In 1985 Kreator album debuted with this ten-track beast. In the beginning Kreator were a very primitive and noisy band, they lended ideas from Venom and Slayer and created something quite spectacular.
Kreator evolved as musicians later on and has become more melodic by each release. Endless Pain contains a few classics that makes this album essential for every fan of true old school thrash. Songs like "Total Death", "Tormentor" and "Flag of Hate" are all underground classics. The band definitely shows some potential here and the band later perfected their dirty sound on 1986's Pleasure to Kill. Sure the delivery is a bit sloppy and Mille Petrozza sounds like the cookie monster at times, but what it lacks in finesse it brings in authenticity. Even if this album is looked upon as a something of a bumpy starting point, one can't deny it's sheer brutality and importance for the growth of Death Metal in the mid 80's. Despite being a bit muddy and sloppy I think that it still stands the test of time quite well.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KRIXHJÄTERS - EVILUTION (1989)
The Krixhjälters freely translated into something like Warxheroers (Warheroes) released one weird LP in 1989 called Evilution. Their style was some type of thrash metal with hardcore punk and some strange poppy melodies and choruses. It even has a saxophone solo in one of their songs and a flute in another. Simply one of the strangest thrash metal albums I've ever heard. The Krixhjälters were probably more influenced by punk than of any thrash metal band at the time. It wasn't the best album recorded in Sweden at the time but it's still one of those few albums from the first swedish thrash metal wave along with Hexenhaus, Midas Touch, Agony, Mezzrow, Meshuggah and a few others.
But The Krixhjälters delivers a few songs that aren't tainted with that extreme amount of experimentation. Like the intro track Evilution - He Speaks which is a song that brings your mind to the heyday of Bay Area thrash. I would suggest that you start your quest for Swedish thrash metal elsewhere because this album is rather anonymous even if it has a few nice riffs and harmonies here and there.
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⭐
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KRUIZ - KRUIZ (1988)
Kruiz is one of Russias/Soviets most known and respected bands. They started out as a cheesy fluffy and puffy rock band but evolved towards thrash/speed metal in the mid 80's and in 1988 their selftitled album Kruiz was released. This is their only English album (at least until 2008's Culture Shock A.L.S.-album). Even if Gaina sings in English, the whole album just has a strong old Soviet-feeling to it, maybe it's Gaina's accent or the red communist star on the album cover.There aren't that many thrash metal trios out there but Kruiz sound like a full blown orchestra because Valeriy Gaina is a guitar god, everything he does is at the highest level, some real blazing guitarplay that would make Tipton/Downing jealous.
At times Kruiz sounds like Judas Priest and sometimes they make me think of the athletic type of rock that Raven played in the eighties. But with a little more straightforward guitardriven take and more aggressive lead and backing vocals. Kruiz decided to include a russian version of their hit song "In flames" a song that got some airtime on MTV strangely enough. Another song worth mentioning is the song Possessed, It's a real headsmashing thrash anthem, superb stuff. If you're curious about what the eastern metal scene has to offer I suggest you take a look at Kruiz because they were the Heavy! Heavy! Heavy! HEAVIEST IN TOWN!!!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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KUBLAI KHAN - ANNIHILATION (1987)
Kublai Khan from Minneapolis released just one album. The band was perhaps most known for having original Megadeth guitarist Greg Handevidt in the lineup. The sound isn't far away from early Megadeth in style, maybe a bit more intense, Annihilation was released in 1987 by New Ren. the musicians show great skills especially the extremely fast yet simplistic rhythm guitars, drummer John Fedde is a bit boring though.
My favourite songs are "Mongrel Horde", "Kublai Khan" & "Death Breath". This was as said before Kublai Khan's only album, they disbanded within a year after this release. I think Annihilation was quite a good albu, when you hear this album you might wonder why Greg wasn't allowed to stay with Megadeth. The riffing in the song "Mongrel Horde" are very Megadeth-ish. The album isn't extremely rare so you might find it around 30 dollars.
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⭐⭐⭐
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