Violent Revolution

Kreator fucked up! Kreator fucked up! Let the chant go high in the air! Poor Kreator...they go wandering off in their frontmans interest in goth metal and soon find themselves at the mercy of the most judgemental music community on earth. How do they fix the problem? JUST LIKE ANY OTHER LOST THRASH ACT! THEY TRY TO RE-VITALIZE THE GLORY YEARS! Sadly, the band has put together a collection of "ok" tunes but they have HARDLY erased the junk previously released by stunning us with something so amazing we'll be convinced that they are "back".

This CD is extremely well produced, and it makes the middling material listenable to an extent it might not have been had someone else handed the recording duties. The band themselves are lyically on top of the game, sounding smarter than any thrash band has in years BUT the bottom line is that the songwriting is still somewhat tame, the overall atmosphere is somewhat tense and lacking in confidence. Songs like "Ghetto War" and "Reconquering the Throne" work well but the overall record sounds too smooth to have any real impact. The hooks aren't deep and the pandering nature just lends someone on the outside of the Kreator fanclub (being me) to go "meh". I adore earlier records like "Endless Pain" and "Coma of Souls" but this is the kind of simmering "good" music that plays it far to safe to keep me listening.

This being said, the Kreator fanboys should be highly pleased with this. They've gotten an "almost" return to form that keeps the longtime (and dedicated) fan happy. I know the feeling, some of my favorite bands have done the same thing and I've been pleased...so...if you LOVE Kreator I won't attempt to shoo you away from this record. If you DON'T love Kreator...this won't turn you to the cause.

Overall, I'd say this did some of what the band hoped it would. Even so...it will probably end up in the "who cares" bin eventually as the classic records keep getting time and press that the newer attempts at kicking ass may very well lack.

I say...buy it...for the few killer tracks...but don't expect me to say this ten years from now when "Endless Pain" is the only Kreator disc running in my player.