Kreator
Violent Revolution (Re-Issue)
Thrash Metal
Released 21 January 2022
via Nuclear Blast Records
When German thrash super-titans, Kreator want to treat their fans. They sure know how to do it. In these Covid times, you can’t just embark on a massive anniversary tour. So what can you do? Well, remind them of how good you are by re-releasing one of your most iconic albums and adding on a second part with live cuts to prove that you still rule the stage. Yeah, that would about do it. So we have Violent Revolution, an album that is widely considered to be the spark that kicked off the 2000’s thrash metal revival. Also, guess what, I’ve never actually listened to it until now, well not in full. I’ve seen Kreator live so I know they’re a top-tier band. However, I’ve never taken the chance to listen to this record in full. So now’s a better time than any.
The album is definitely something else. I can hear how this was so influential to the thrash metal community. The riffs are tight and the energy the album produces is relentless. The songs are really well constructed with excellent structure and creative guitar work. The bass and drums lay an excellent foundation and are perfectly in sync. Something that definitely translates to their live show. The pulse-pounding songs hit that sweet spot of heavy and melodic where you can feel every beat of the drums but it still has somewhat of an anthemic quality. Then when the lead guitar kicks in it just put the power levels over the top. Simply put, there are excellent examples of musicianship laced through every part of the record.
Then when you get to the second part of this reissue, aptly named Bootleg Revolution. You hear the band put all of that into practice. Living proof that it wasn’t “studio magic” that made them this good. You feel that genuine passion in each recorded live performance on the album. That musicality lives in them and you feel the energy of the crowd headbanging away. I must say that these are some of the best live recordings I’ve heard on any “live” album. You get just the right amount of live band, talking between the set and crowd noise. All are so well balanced. Looking at the list of places the recordings are pulled from, you really get a grasp of their impact on the metal community at large. Brazil, Korea, Istanbul & Wâldrock Festival. Hearing the reception and how loved they are, really speaks to the metalhead in me.
Obviously, the album is a 10. There’s a reason it still holds up and it is still so loved all these years later and something I would feel comfortable recommending to any newcomer to the thrash metal world. Keep rocking Kreator and I look forward to the next time I can get in a mosh-pit at your show.
10/10
Mick Birchall
Back to its original 2-day format, I sadly could only attend the second day. From what I’ve heard, Dark Oath did pretty well as the opening act. Not in front of the biggest crowd, but everybody knows how unfair playing first can be; still, it seems that a fair share of people enjoyed the symphonic/melodic death metal the national band had to offer, introducing the debut full-length “When Fire Engulfs The Earth”.
Now the second day, that I actually witnessed. I arrived around 15:20, the “Blackhearts” documentary was still playing on the video walls. There were a few people watching it but not many – I’ve mentioned the heat already, haven’t I?
Equaleft was up next and the national underground could hardly be better represented. I can’t find the right words to express how proud I am for them and their achievements in these past years. After opening for Gojira last month (see 
The promo pic of Schammasch on the festival page shows us four guys in bare upper-bodies. I bet they regretted deeply not going on stage like that – 34ᵒC is “a bit” too much to wear long robes. Singer/guitarist C.S.R., with black paint on his face and hands and whose robe included a hood, was probably who suffered the most, even if he barely moved throughout the whole gig. He even admitted at some point that it was “boiling” up there. So kudos for their resistance.
It’s always hard to distinguish a solo artist from a band when the latter is named after said artist – and even so when most of the setlist is comprised of songs the artist played with previous projects. That’s what happened with Abbath. With a 75-minute slot, I understand that even if he/they had played the only released album in full, there would still be plenty of time to kill. But playing four Abbath songs among one of I and six of Immortal… I know they’re not seen exactly as covers by the fans, especially when they were thrilled to listen to “Nebular Ravens Winter” (this one’s even recorded in “Abbath”, the album) and “Tyrants” and “All Shall Fall”, but it still felt weird. Apart from the weirdness, it was super. Black metal lovers were offered a great show of the genre – even if the sun was still high up – and those who didn’t like it particularly could always enjoy Abbath and bassist King’s “evil” faces.
As aforementioned, Paradise Lost made my day. Nick Holmes acknowledged the “beautiful new venue” of the fest and said how good it was to be back. And with such a rich and diverse setlist, I doubt someone didn’t feel the same way about their return. From recent songs like “No Hope In Sight” to tracks from “a time when most of you weren’t even born” like “Rapture”, we revisited some of Paradise Lost’s highlights through time.
When entering the photo-pit for Kreator we were advised to stay somewhat away from the stage during the first song – “Enemy Of God”, as it turned out – so we were hoping for some fireworks. Imagine our disappointment when it was just confetti… Oh well. On the other hand, I’m glad it wasn’t anything dangerous, as staying away meant closer to the barriers and that was nearly impossible – the mosh and crowdsurf began with practically the first riff and the security guys needed space to attend to all of them enthusiastic metalheads. Mille Petrozza did ask more than once for circles and screams “Portuguese style” but he really didn’t need to – he was already getting that from the start.
Valkyrian Music 