Releasedates for HORDES OF CHAOS:

USA / Canada - January 13th
UK / Europe - January 19th

Artist info:

WWW.KREATOR.COM

KREATOR MYSPACE
 

  In the early and mid 80s, American thrash metal was dominating the underground and starting to gain mainstream success with bands like Slayer, Metallica, Megadeath influencing global metal heads.  Aroundthe same time came the German thrash movement, with bands such as Sodom and Annihilator.  At theforefront, waving the flag the highest, was Kreator.  (Widely hailed as being one of the most influential  bands in creating Death Metal.)  With a much more abrasive sound and theme than the previous generation, Kreator rose to become one of the top underground acts in Europe.  In 1985, Kreator released it's debut "Endless Pain", and have progressed over the years with an even more extreme approach.  The release of 2009's "Hoards of Chaos" proves that this band has gotten better with age...like a fine whiskey.

From the opening track onward, "Hoards of Chaos" knocks the listener back in their seat with the always present double bass and complex rolls, compliments of drummer J�rgen "Ventor" Reil, along with dueling guitar solos, thrashy, groove-filled riffs from Sami Yli-Sirni� (whose talents I never fully appreciated until listening to "Hordes of Chaos") and  Miland "Mille" Petrozza  guitar/vocals.  The vocal approach is what one would expect from Petrozza, with aggressive screams  and a few deathmetal grunts that are too few and too far between. Lyrically, "Hoards Of Chaos" is a very bleak delving into such topics as the escalation of violence in our world which plagues. The tempos shift from 0 to 100 with time changes that fit perfectly, and the production is very complimenting.  Some highlights on "Hordes of Chaos" are Warcurse, Escalation, Destroy What Destroys You, and Demon Prince.  The last track closes out strong with an anthem like "intro" that sounds a bit power metalish, but launches in to a full-on thrash attack.

 2008 proved to have many landmark releases, and 2009 is off to a great start with "Hordes of Chaos".  This is an aggressive and extremely energetic release from Kreator. I only hope that the new generation of thash fans will be taking notes from one of the bands that laid down the blueprint. This is not a disc thats going to be collecting dust on my shelf.

Rating:
8.5 out of 10.0

 Track listing:
1.  "Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)" - 5:04
2.  "Warcurse" - 4:10
3.  "Escalation" - 3:24
4.  "Amok Run" - 4:12
5.  "Destroy What Destroys You" - 3:13
6.  "Radical Resistance" - 3:43
7.  "Absolute Misanthropy" - 3:37
8.  "To the Afterborn" - 4:53
9.  "Corpses of Liberty" - 0:55
10. "Demon Prince" - 5:16

Bonus DVD Track listing:
"The Making of 'Hordes of Chaos'" - directed by Stephanie von Beauvais
"Awakening of the Gods" (Live at Summer Breeze Festival 2006)
"Coma of Souls" (Live at Summer Breeze Festival 2006)
"Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)" videoclip

Review by: Brandon Marshall