Coma of Souls

Kreator stands out as the biggest and most renowned band among the European 'Big Four' of thrash metal. Despite my slight personal preference for both Sodom and Tankard over Kreator, I must acknowledge that Kreator not only holds a superior position in terms of commercial success but also stands out as the most artistic band among them all. The band has demonstrated an open-minded approach to various genres, consistently striving to experiment and evolve musically. Furthermore, Kreator has proven to be the most technically proficient of them all.

I chose to review this album because it is widely regarded as a masterpiece, but I have always struggled to see it that way. In the hypothetical world of metal justice, my opinions would probably land me in a trial right now. However, let me be clear – I'm not dismissing this as a bad album. Rather, I just find it a bit overrated based on my personal taste. Allow me to elaborate on why I hold this viewpoint.

Fresh from the release of one of the best albums ever created, 'Extreme Aggression', Kreator persist in their philosophy of evolution, presenting an album that is even more technical and sophisticated than its predecessor. The band continues to elevate their musicianship, growing tighter as a unit. Musically, the album takes a serious glance at the other side of the Atlantic, leaning more towards US thrash than European. The production remains almost identical to the previous album, courtesy of Randy Burns, who served as the producer for both, with a slightly flatter and drier sound, at least to my ears.

My primary concern with the album is that it fails to captivate me from start to finish. I don't find all the songs equally engaging, but rather a couple of anthems and some great moments scattered throughout. The tracks lack aggression, speed, memorable and outstanding solos, as well as the expected violence. The prevalence of mid-tempo and even slow parts is an instant turn-off, diminishing the overall enjoyment and fun. The riffs don't match the cool and memorable standard they used to set. It appears that Frank Blackfire may have overlooked his role and skills as a guitarist, providing riffs that were intended to be technical and advanced but ultimately fall short in terms of being truly technical, groovy, melodic, or headbangable. The same sentiment applies to the drumming, which lacks the necessary violence, energy, and groove, coming across as boring and even uninspired, failing to serve as effective headbanging catalysts.

There are some songs on the album that I genuinely enjoy, such as 'When the Sun Burns Red', 'Coma of Souls', 'People of the Lie', 'World Beyond', and 'Hidden Dictator'. These songs make up about half of the album. The intro riff of 'Coma of Souls' stands out as one of the best riffs ever written in metal. However, the remaining songs have parts that I absolutely love, as well as sections that leave me uninterested or even turned off. Some segments are very slow or mid-tempo, lacking the desired violence, speed, melody, or fury. They may also come across as pseudo-technical. 'Coma of Souls' is not my first choice when selecting an album from their discography. I prefer many others over it, such as 'Pleasure to Kill' (which is my favourite), 'Terrible Certainty', 'Extreme Aggression', 'Violent Revolution' (by the way, 'Terror Zone' gives me strong 'Violent Revolution' vibes), 'Enemy of God', 'Hordes of Chaos', and even their latest one, 'Hate Uber Alles.

"People of the Lie" stands out as a metal anthem like no other. Even if the music fell short, the song would still be a masterpiece and hymn, all thanks to its powerful lyrics. It serves as an anti-fascist and anti-racist manifesto, a stance that all bands should adopt. I deeply respect bands that express their political views from the left, taking a stand through their lyrics. I find it disheartening that the metal scene contains Nazis, nationalists, or elements of political neutrality, which I consider equally troubling. It should not be acceptable to tolerate fascism and state violence, and true artists should boldly denounce it. Fortunately, thrash metal is a genre where many bands have a political voice, and I greatly appreciate that. In general, the album is rich in lyrics that delve into social and political issues, provoking thought. This commitment to addressing important themes is a significant positive for Kreator, a band that has consistently stayed true to this approach.

The album cover is a classic and a trademark for the band, showcasing their iconic mascot and striking a perfect balance between a distinctly metal aesthetic and artistic expression.

In summary, I consider "Coma of Souls" to be a good album, but I hesitate to label it the masterpiece that some people claim it to be. While it has its standout moments, it's not without its flaws. With the right conditions, it could have potentially been much better. Although I find enjoyment in parts of it, when compared to other Kreator albums, it ranks relatively low in my personal preferences.

There's always been vacant spaces on Kreator albums: stretches where the music loses focus after being red hot efficient for a time. Here, every thrasher knows what's good. It's obvious what people come to this for. They come for the irreducibly barbaric power chord sections ('Coma of Souls' intro riff, 'Agents of Brutality' verse) or the contagious thrash grooves ('People of the Lie' verse). Those are the good parts: they're utterly focused and there's no possible doubt as to what purpose they serve. They have a clear identity to the point nobody would confuse them between themselves, they bring out a primal instinct within the listener and their intensity is immediately palpable.

However, these are merely exceptional, in an otherwise fairly average thrash affair. At worst; and there's plenty of this; the songs just go completely neutral, losing that focus and as if existentially confused. The power chord section at the end of 'When the Sun Burns Red' is like this merry little dance. It's in the "happy" major scale, and fits on this album like Santa Claus would fit in a Cannibal Corpse band picture. The 'Agents of Brutality' chorus is strangely jolly too, considering the song title. And the odd thing is: there's plenty of such moments where the aesthetic direction goes aimless and surprisingly bland.

Many parts will simply be expressing nothing: for example, the 'World Beyond' verse riff (when the voice comes on) sounds like it doesn't have a clue what it's about. Is it expressing angst, joy, sadness...? And the chorus is the same way. 'When the Sun Burns Red' (chorus), also. Rudimentary thrash sections, with a white flag waving. 'Terror Zone' has that harmonized melodic intro/outro: it's a linear, mid-paced generic picking up the minor scale that follows one of the standard chord progressions. Although by contrast, the rest of the song has a proper sinister feel to it, with a strongly written and recognizable hook that's definitely ominous.

As a symbol, Kreator at the very start of the 90's decade like many of the thrash giants would lose a lot of its edge and organic intensity. It's like simply having the release year start with 199_ -something is detrimental to a thrash album from a well established 80's force. The production is gorgeous, and it's impressive the guitar tone would sound this good as early as 1990: round and full, with precision and an exact balance. Composition wise, though, this may be tidier in a sense but it's not as captivating as a 'Terrible Certainty' from a purely technical and aesthetic point of view. In comparison, it's more accessible and artistically neutral, to not say neutered at times.

One fascinating aspect that made many thrash metal bands great was their ability to evolve within a style that clearly has its limits. Sodom started with their outbreak of evil, cleaned up their act by the time they became a proper thrash metal band, before taking things up a notch with their raging inferno of Tapping the Vein. Kreator, too, were no strangers to approaching thrash from different angles and in 1990, they would deliver their most melodic and harmonious album by far.

Coma of Souls points out several disastrous events and dangers of humanity, yet the lyrical themes never overshadow the musical qualities that we’re dealing with. Arguably hotter than Extreme Aggression, Coma of Souls marks a return to the high-quality riffs that made Kreator’s earlier works so memorable, but that’s not all there is. You’ll stumble upon expanded and sometimes harmonized guitar leads that won’t forget anytime soon and ‘Hidden Dictator’ makes an excellent example. Whereas the first solo goes by like a raging inferno, the second one slowly squeals in a sexy manner. I’m a sucker for note-worthy guitar solos and that’s one aspect that makes Coma of Souls stand out. Still, this isn’t a one role-only record where the leads overpower everything else. The acoustic guitars highlight the gloomy mood of ‘When the Sun Burns Red’ (probably not a song about getting sun burned while visiting the beach, but what do I know?) and quickly leads to a berserk chorus. Mille sounds in top form here and demonstrates his last great vocal performance, while the riffs around him could surely make one’s head sweaty once you’ll play this track loudly enough! ‘Agents of Brutality’ features some slow-burning chords that cut next to Mille’s howl of terror, before an adventurous ride begins. Seriously, with verses this thrilling, a scream-worthy chorus and a guitar solo that’s memorable note for note, what’s not to like about this tune?

It's far from perfect, but even so, the lowlights are by far less embarrassing than those of Extreme Aggression. ‘People of the Lie’ is undeniably catchy and could have been a hit to my ears and yet, it sounds a bit too safe for my taste. With some verses that are hardly overpowering to begin with, I could have done with more riff-worthy chorus instead of a sing-along kind of chorus where the guitars aren’t doing too much. ‘Terror Zone’ takes you back to the atmospheric side of the record; as it introduces a morose landscape of doom and gloom with its minor-driven guitars. Unfortunately, the tune doesn’t flow as well as it should; meaning that some of the slower riffs prevent the track from building momentum and even though I generally enjoy it when thrash metal bands slow down, it doesn't work in this case. Presenting something way different, ‘World Beyond’ is a brief, yet determined offering that should be great on paper and yet, I can’t help but think it sounds somewhat rushed. It’s the only track without any redeeming values whatsoever, but given its short runtime, that’s not too much of an issue.

As funny as it may sound, certain highlights resemble some of the lesser exciting tracks on the record; they just seem to be executed far better. ‘Material World Paranoia’ reminds me of ‘Terror Zone’ and demonstrates some forceful leads taking action, before taking you on a mindful journey of thoughtful riffs that only a thrash metal fan would encounter in his/her wildest dreams. ‘Twisted Urges’ does what ‘World Beyond’ tried to do far better, even if some of the riffs in store aren’t necessarily reminiscent of Kreator. It promises some clinical thrash/death mayhem àla Pestilence circa Malleus Maleficarum at the start and that Sepultura-esque riff at 1:45 sounds surprisingly unexpected, if savage; like a raging bull that’s determined to wipe your ass in the most painful manner imaginable.

Coma of Souls is arguably Kreator’s last great record and I wish they had kept on going in this style instead. The experimentation that followed has never excited me too much and I can’t say that the band’s Gothenburg branch of thrash works in my book, either. It’s rather unfortunate, but you know how the saying goes; all good things come to an end.

This review was originally written for antichristmagazine.com

Kreator lived in 1990 one of their most splendid, wild and authentic moments. The extreme scene had seen the teutonic band grow, and now, entering on last decade of 20th century, the thrash world was giving its last throes, before becoming extinct as we knew it, and then mutating. Discs like "Seasons in the Abyss" by Slayer, "Rust in Peace" by Megadeth or "Persistence of Time" by Anthrax, all they closed the genre as if it were a kind of testament of an era, and Mille's warriors were not stay behind. Kreator were going to deliver a record at the height of biggest ever.

For me, one of the keys to this final result is Frank Blackfire. The ex-Sodom is one of the best thrash guitarists and he does an enormous job. He came from recording with Sodom, Agent Orange, a true thrash classic, and Kreator did snatch it from Sodom. Blackfire marks the road with his riffs and solos, both powerful and technical as hell. It may be Kreator's best album along with their firsts two and of course, their last great work which is an improvement in comparison with previous two. The best thing about Kreator is their beginnings, then when we got involved in the 90's we notice that they lost the north. I also like the lyrics, they're pretty committed; the first song, for example, talks about global warming. Great riffs, full of claws, with those accelerations in drums according to Blackfire's varying riffs, virtuoso and technical as always. Another curious thing is the opener which has an acoustic intro, perhaps inspired by the intro of Battery or Moonchild, both great openers from others legend albums.

The album contains a very melodic riffing; at least for their style it begins to cook, but hey, false alarm, in a few seconds you'll discover that the thing was a cool intro and then, it moves on to a devastating killer lead. Furious riffing, an ardent Petrozza as always; a Frank "Blackfire" which debuts on a disc with a high note; and a magic "Ventor", fast and with a so overwhelming technique. Songs with lots of aura like their two previous works, but with a novel touch. Kreator did mature, yes, but they're still murderers, children of a bad mother. A huge magnum opus, which unfortunately closed the most glorious cycle of the band. Mille Petrozza has always known how to produce masterpieces of an indisputable quality (even the most discussed and vilified ones), but his band never sounded as devastating as in 1990-1991 despite continuing today to a level that few ones have. Few, just not to mention almost any.

I don't get it... what would I do, if I don't have this cute disc under my pillow.

Of course, you think that this is a review about "Coma of Souls". My dear friends, I must disappoint you. Instead of Kreator's fifth full-length, I have to put myself in the focus of this review. I beg your pardon for being so egocentric. Yet I have seen the incredible average of 96% after remarkable 19 contributions and I ask myself what the hell is wrong with me? Either my brain does no longer work correctly (did it ever?) or my ear canals have an allergy against this album. I don't hate it, no way, but I do not see even the slightest indications of a milestone. Perhaps my copy is flawed and I am listening to the recordings of unknown musicians who intend to sound like a bad imitation of Kreator? Anyway, it's a mystery.

As always, Mille barks and nags uniformly, but the riffs do not achieve an outstanding level and dynamic is written in small letters. This does not mean that angry outbursts like "World Beyond" lack of speed, but velocity is not a synonym for dynamic (wise finding, I know). Moreover, Kreator do not offer something new, it's just a prolongation of the approach that formed "Extreme Aggressions", for better or for worse. Let's stay at "World Beyond" which represents the category "short and simple". I like a lot of tracks that are based on this idea, but the quality of this kind of songs stands and falls with the accuracy of the riffing. And the pretty decent "World Beyond" cannot hold a candle to comparably designed eruptions such as "Piece by Piece" or "Sinner 666" (Iron Angel).

There are naturally also more complex pieces. "Agents of Brutality", for instance. To be honest, this number is a little bit boring. Despite its tempo changes, it leaves me completely cold. It has no hooks, no catchy lines and it also fails to deliver flattening, impressive brutality. And the more I think about it, I come to the conclusion that this is the general problem of the album. Too many songs come and go without implanting the wish to press the repeat button. Even worse, the album lacks atmosphere. Of course, thrash metal does not primarily focus on atmosphere, but this is no carte blanche to record a more or less emotionless work. A small number of rather soft guitar sections tries to evoke some feelings, for example the intro of "When the Sun Burns Red" which marks a strong opener, although the part after the second chorus cannot fully convince. Yet these rare emotional sections do not get through. From my (obviously unprofessional) point of view, the vast majority of songs appears as an incoherent juxtaposition of parts that were forced to liaise with each other in order to create another song.

No doubt, now you are surely convinced that I do not understand this output. I hate to say it, but I guess you are right. I cannot find access to the compositions of "Coma of Souls" and the proper yet expressionless production is therefore of minor relevance. Kreator's thrash offering lacks of fury and determination with the effect that everything sounds a little bit stale. Of course, legions of albums have lost their energizing freshness after 27 years, but believe my: this is my point of view since the release of the full-length. To mention a final example, the title track is kicked off by a strong riff cascade, but this riff does not shape the song sustainably. It just marks the introduction and reappears at the end. Nevertheless, the title track belongs to the better representatives of the album. Yet, alas, another opportunity has been lost to pen a really strong number. - Enough written. I want to apologize once again, it's all my fault. I know it for sure, because my wife has analyzed the situation in the meanwhile. She says that my disc does not suffer from any production errors, my ears are slightly dirty but basically functional. Only my brain (or what is left of it after more than 48 years) is giving cause for alarm.

Ah ze Germans are here. These guys have to be my favourite thrash band from Germany along with Destruction and Sodom. While Destruction was widely known for the infamous buzz-saw guitar tone and Sodom has an infectious punk vibe mixed in with their brand of Teutonic thrash, Kreator were the crowning jewel of Teutonic thrash, starting off as pure aggression while slowly incorporating other elements into their brand of thrash. This album arguably represents them at their peak of innovation, with every track bursting to the seam with badass melodies, scintillating riffs along with every member of the band locked into the groove with the precision of a sniper, from the moment the acoustic intro of “When The Sun Burns Red” fades out. This song is arguably one of their best containing a freaking truckload of riffs enough to fill two songs and an amazing solo to boot. The thrash-fest is just beginning folks, so prepare your back and neck already. You’re about to get the beating of your lives with this.

The first thing that stands out is the superbly varied guitarwork. Now Kreator in the beginning was the main band waving the flash of brutal thrash with the Endless Pain EP and their sophomore debut. Post “Terrible Certainty” they started introducing more elements of melody and technicality into their music as opposed to the straightforward brutality of “Pleasure To Kill”. This album is the perfect mix of all those elements into one sparkling diamond of thrash. The fist-pumping guitar tone is massive and will carve you up into little slices of flesh only to shit and piss on your remains. Most of the songs are faced paced with a few mid-paced moments which are there, but are few and far between. One of the very few thrash albums where there are equal parts melody and brutality and neither of the two elements are compromised for the sake of one another. There are so many thrash/death metal albums that just seem to follow “Extremity for extremity’s sake” syndrome making them plain unmemorable and boring after a few spins. Not this one. Even the solos are not at all the usual chromatic flurries of thrash and death, resembling more of the classic feel of NWOBHM, making for yet another delightful contrast.

Mille Petrozza’s vocals have certainly improved by leaps and bounds compared to the raspier vocals of the previous albums only to unleash his inner beast within on this album with the vicious snarling of black metal coupled with the traditional death metal growl. Needless to say, the vocals sound punishing and venomous as hell. Every single effing song is a standout people from the vicious technical riffs and choppy rhythms of “Coma Of Souls”, “Hidden Dictator”, “Material World Paranoia” (one SICK outro!) and “Agents Of Brutality” to melodic thrashers like “Terror Zone” and “Mental Slavery”. When you’re struggling to pick standout tracks, you instantly know that that’s the sign of a classic album. Even to this day with kickass albums like Enemy Of God and Phantom Antichrist, Kreator have yet to surpass the brilliance of this album IMO, which is a testament by itself as to how damn good this album (still) is.

All in all, one of the classics of thrash. And seriously, what more could you want? If you are a thrash fan and are yet to hear it, you honestly should be ashamed. Kindly get your ass moving and do the needful. Oh and before you do anything else, listen to one of the best, most brutal thrash songs ever, namely “People Of The Lie” with one of the most amazing guitar solos I have ever heard. God-bustlingly epic and overflowing with melodic ecstasy in every sense of the word. Can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve put this track on repeat. The headbanging that ensues is guaranteed to cause permanent spine and neck trauma. Take my word for it.

Teutonic thrash metal band Kreator is known as being one of the more aggressive and violent groups of the 80's. It's easy to see why, as they exploded onto the scene with the aggressive debut, Endless Pain, and the unrelenting insanity of Pleasure to Kill. Their sound would continue to develop through the latter half of the 80's with Terrible Certainty and one of my personal favorites, Extreme Aggression. As the band progressed further, they learned to hone their incredible energy. They would begin to add more melodic sections and more mid paced thrash parts to their compositions, which is very evident on Extreme Aggression; but while that one was a little more developed than the previous three, their more focused sound would reach near perfection on their 1990 masterpiece: Coma of Souls.

The song structures of Coma of Souls tend to vary from track to track, but they tend to each contain a blend of both aggressive, speedy, and sometimes frenetic sections and more focused, mid paced bridge sections. One would think to use the word "Restrained", but that isn't a very good adjective at all for this. Truth is, the album never actually runs out of steam. While the tracks go through their various parts, they never let up on the creativity or ingenuity, making use of a myriad of different timings, riffs, and drum fills. One of the album's greatest assets is its outstanding diversity that doesn't sacrifice consistency. It is easy for an album to give up consistency to attempt to throw in some unique songs here and there. A lot of times, this can really hurt an album. A great example of what I mean is Testament's New Order. That album tries to add dimension and atmosphere by placing a handful of spacey clean interludes throughout the album. In the end, it really damages the album's structural integrity, and it leads to the skipping of a few tracks here and there. Coma of Souls never gives up its brilliant heaviness and aggression for creativity; it brings character and creativity to the table naturally through lots of unique melodic sections and creative riffing resulting in a very enjoyable thrash experience that never seems forced.

The general sound of the album can be seen as akin to the previous releases; there is no shortage of super heavy and sometimes complex riffs. Also, the general brutality and anger, while a little tamer, is still alive and well here. Even the simplest song on the album, "People of the Lie", is kept on the level of the other songs with Mille's angry vocals and excellent drum work with the addition of a great solo. Songs like "World Beyond" or "Twisted Urges" would fit right in on with some of the old Kreator albums, but these two are kept a cut above due to the extremely focused musicianship and the absolutely fantastic production. Songs like the energetic and riveting "Agents of Brutality", and the uniquely constructed mid paced "Terror Zone" show off Kreator's new, enhanced sound at the time; both of which, of course, feature more of Mille's signature harsh vocals. "When the Sun Burns Red" even starts off with an acoustic intro, something of a cliché when it comes to metal album intros, but it quickly changes colors as the song blasts into a fast and frenetic alt-picked riff with blazing drums and then a fitting (and rather menacing) scream from Mille. The song ends with some melodic soloing and mid paced riffing, and it overall sets an example of greatness that the album will follow until it finishes.

It's remarkable how well the songs transition from aggressive sections to more mid paced sections, and sometimes the very melodic solos act as a perfect means for the songs to flow from section to section. Never will you hear any abrupt stops or awkward transitions, the album is built fantastically and as a result, it's pretty freaking great from start to finish. On some other thrash albums, you can tell that the musicians were caught up in trying to force a certain sound or try to get a specific effect that ends up undermining the final product in the long run. For instance, an album might be violent for the sake of being violent; or the other way around if a band tries to sound more commercial and it ends up sounding weak, or worse, like an effort at selling out. I definitely could've have seen Kreator musically derailing after their first few albums, either trying one or the other of what I previously described, but what we have here is pure, aggressive yet focused talent and musicianship. When I listen to Coma of Souls, it's astonishing to hear how developed it is without sacrificing even the smallest fragment of aggression; truly a feat to behold.

The production, as I said earlier, is spectacular. There is a sublime clarity to the mix that is not present enough on the vast majority of metal (especially thrash) albums. Often times clarity and overproduction can lead to a record that sounds weak, thin, and I like to use the word "papery". There is no such papery here as the album retains a badass punch to the guitars and drums, with the solos soaring above with near perfect sound quality. Even the bass, which is not usually a staple of this band's music, is prominent and gritty sounding. Whenever Rob does get to snag a little spotlight ("Hidden Dictator" intro), his bass sounds fantastic. Overall, the production value on Coma of Souls is one of the best I've ever heard, and I'm usually pretty effing picky about production.

The musicianship on Coma of Souls is nothing short of fantastic. Ever since the beginning of this band, they have showed incredible musical prowess and stamina, but on here that sheer energy is tempered with an impressive focus that really knocks this out of the park. Nobody is weak here, the addition of Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik of the Sodom fame is the icing on the cake too. The addition of Frank adds an element of more technical string work and brilliant soloing. In my opinion, someone like this is exactly what the band needed. In addition to him we have the other three members: Mille and his wicked riffing and pissed off vocals, Ventor's insane drumming, and Rob Fioretti's adept and tasteful bass playing. The result is a far above average thrash metal outfit.

The biggest barrier that might keep someone from enjoying Kreator's music is definitely Mille Petrozza's voice. He has a very thick, higher pitched, aggressive, and sometimes scary sounding vocal approach. Ventor doesn't sing on this one like he did on some of the old stuff, so it's Mille handling the vocals completely. I can't lie at all, I hated the vocals at first, but now I love them. His angry raspy voice fits the music and makes you wanna punch a tree. Totally awesome thrash vocalist. I find that his approach is masterfully pulled off here, even if he doesn't actually sing by definition, he is a beast of a vocalist and I have to give him huge props. Also, if you are new to Kreator and don't mind his voice, definitely check out their previous records, they're amazing.

Mille also contributes to the guitar work of the album, a role in which he previously performed single-handed. His riffing is creative and heavy, and his solos aren't bad at all. Usually it will be him going nuts or handling the slower, more melodic bits while it is Frank taking on the masterfully played high speed melodic solos. I don't quite know who is the primary riff writer, but regardless, each are fantastic. Some of my favorite solos are the ones from "When the Sun Burns Red" and "People of the Lie". While there are so many that I can't really pick favorites, but I will say that the last few minutes of "When the Sun Burns Red" and most of "Terror Zone" are some of my favorites.

The rhythm section is fan-flipping-tastic, if not a little bit lopsided. Ventor is an absolute drumming monster. His skills are undeniably profound, and his incredible stamina, speed, and dexterity of fills really sets the bar high. His ridiculous energy from the first couple albums, like the other members, has been focused and tempered, resulting in a masterful performance that never overdoes anything. He never abuses blast-beats or double bass or anything like that, and when the songs really pick up, his percussive brilliance keeps up magnificently. Ventor's got one of my favorite thrash performances right here. Rob is quite out-shined by his fellow rhythm man, but that doesn't mean he is bad. His playing can be likened to maybe Ian Hill, but a lot better. Rob Fioretti tends to play more basic bass lines and stick to the game plan, and while this isn't my favorite type of bass playing, he gets the job done well. His tone is thick and crisp, with an ability to punch through the music without overpowering anything. A very solid performance from him. Overall, fantastic rhythm section.

So there we have it, Coma of Souls is more than worthy of its legendary status as one of the very best thrash metal albums ever. Even though it is not as popular as some other thrash albums, it stands up to the best of them. The sheer consistency of this alone makes earns it high points, but consistency isn't everything. This record combines that fist-clenching, angry aggression with which Kreator made a name for themselves with a focused and powerful melodic sense that makes this album just golden. Add the top-notch production, and you really cannot get too much better than this; it really comes down to personal preference. I strongly recommend this to thrash metal fans who have not heard this, it is utterly brilliant. Fans of lighter thrash metal, if they can learn to like Mille's voice, would enjoy a lot of this as well, as it is a great mixing of aggression and melody that I think most thrash metal fans will enjoy. If you have not yet gotten into Kreator, this should probably be your first listen. Coma of Souls never gets old the more and more I listen to it, the talent and musicianship behind this is insane. Definitely snag this if you can, it's one of the best.

"Spirits on ice
they'll never be free!
One dimensional lives
will the coma of souls outlive eternity?!"

I just realized it’s been a while since I wrote a review with a hundred per cent rating. It’s not that I believe in that “100% is only for God” bullshit. I’m definitely not a prickly self-righteous cunt who believes perfection can’t be achieved in music. No, I actually love metal, so for me there are A LOT of metal albums that deserve a perfect score… so many! I had been focusing in new or relatively newer releases, most of which come short of the mark. So it was time to turn back to the classics for a change. My choice to review Kreator’s masterpiece instead of something else is based on pure chance. Maybe the fact that I just listened to it yesterday and will listen to it today as I write this also helps. The fact that matters though, it’s that this is one of thrash metal’s greatest records ever, from one of thrash metal’s greatest bands ever (and I won’t fail to mention it, my favorite one).

Before the launching of their fifth long play Kreator were already a powerful entity of the Teutonic thrash scene, with a couple of outstanding releases under their bullet-belt; the seminal Pleasure to Kill, of course, and the more complex but equally punishing Terribly Certainty. The rest of their catalogue didn’t fall short in quality either, from the obscure, primitive pummeling of their debut and the somewhat simplified, restrained thrash of Extreme Aggression to the pair of solid EPs released in those years. Yet all their work from the past decade was but the build-up for Coma of Souls, which is in fact an amalgamation of the best elements in their career, an exercise in perfection of the form they’d never surpass. The crowning jewel of Kreator’s discography, and probably of the whole Teutonic thrash scene, is composed of high-octane riffage tempered with magnificent shifts in tempo, masterfully placed breakdowns and NWOBHM-inspired soloing cranked up to 11 that guarantee flawless excellence in the ten compositions here.

It all starts with one of those classic thrash acoustic intros in the vein of Metallica’s “Fight Fire with Fire” that heralds “When the Sun Burns Red”, a condemnatory tune about Mankind-induced global warming. Mille sings on this opener with crude and honest rage, as his ideologies have always been an integral part of Kreator’s lyrical themes, Coma of Souls more that other albums being constantly nurtured by his ecological, religious and political beliefs. It’s soon followed by the amazing titular-track, and on this one the undisputed star for me is Ventor. He has never been the fastest, or the most complex of drummers, but he compensates by a great sense of timing, precision and classy use of the double bass. This is true for each track here, but I love his playing on “Coma of Souls”, its just spot on. Things get simpler, though not less spectacular with the catchy as hell anti-Nazi three-minute rager that is “People of the Lie”. This tune usually makes me remember my first Kreator gig in 2005; there was an older guy behind me yelling the title of the song at the top of his lungs since the beginning of the concert. When Kreator finally fucking started playing it, he became a whirlwind of black leather and spikes thrashing everything in its path, myself included. I was only familiar with their post-Endorama material at the time, but that short ‘n’ sweet hymn stuck on my head forever. So after the concert I bought this treasure, and it blew my mind. It still does.

For those complaining that Coma of Souls doesn’t have enough speed and aggression, Dr. K prescribes the couple of two-minute trail blazers “World Beyond” and “Twisted Urges”, whose clinic battering will leave your skull as pretty as Kreator’s mascot on the iconic cover artwork gracing this record, provided by the great Andreas Marschall, the first of many similarly styled demon head portraits. For those preferring a more epic and complex approach, fan-favorite “Terror Zone” is a must listen with its ominous Maiden-esque mirror intro and outro, and marching pace with sudden bursts of speed. The rest of the tunes on the second half of the record are a more similarly styled attack than those on the first half, but that doesn’t mean the voyage becomes dull or predictable, and the fatal energy levels never descend below 100%. “Agents of Brutality” has really brutal lyrics about totalitarian control, whilst boasting an eerie uplifting solo. “Material World Paranoia” and “Hidden Dictator” are riff-fests on top of which Mille spits some excellent jagged-edged chorus whose message resounds as loudly today as they did in 1990:

“Concrete coffin breeds lunacy
Cold steel skeleton
Desperation in the factory
Crank out oblivion

Material world paranoia
Corporations dominate earth
Material world paranoia
Enslavery begins at birth”

Finally, mid-tempo closer “Mental Slavery” has winding riffage with an almost Middle Eastern feel and it’s a marginally more laid back song that those before it. Nonetheless, it won’t stop you to feel the urge to bang your head. It stands as one of my favorites along with the title-track, “People of the Lie” and “Terror Zone”. I should add that I also love that bass plucking intro on “Hidden Dictator”, one of the few spots on which Roberto Fiorentti’s four strings are clearly heard, usually buried beneath Mille and Frank’s onslaught of stellar, breakneck riffs. Its sad, but it really doesn’t affect the output. Now that I think of it, the production reminds me a lot of Master of Puppets, a classic thrash sound that discards much of the low-end bass while highlighting the guitars, only here Ventor’s bass drums are way punchier than Lars Ulrich’s on that seminal Metallica release. But the melodies on both records have that distinct nostalgic eighties sound that also reminds me of ‘87-‘91 Sepultura. A sound I really dig even though I was a kid when it was invented, a sound that no retro-thrash act nor the current incarnation of those classic thrash bands have managed to achieve again. There’s a part of thrash metal that died with modern day production standards, but fortunately that sound will never die as long as we own and enjoy thrash-terpieces such as this one.

The price of achieving such a peak in creativity, delivery and virtually all artistic areas cost Kreator dearly. Perhaps they knew themselves unable to surpass this record, perhaps it was the change of tastes in the thrash world, but probably it was their own very desire to experiment and broaden their musical palette that made them embark in an experimental phase, lasting from 1992 to 1999, which resulted in a handful of good tunes but a streak of very poor albums. There’re some who hold Renewal in high esteem, but I’ve never been able to enjoy that album much. It doesn’t help to know that it might have been a continuation of the greatness of Coma of Souls had the band opted to do what they did (and do) best. But the past can’t be changed, unless you get yourself a Delorian or a similar artifact. The rebirth of this band wouldn’t come until eleven years have passed with Violent Revolution, which happens to be my second favorite album from the band, their “Second Awakening”. So there’s no need to change the past, we have Coma of Souls for eternity. Only two other albums from 1990 I deem even better than this one, Painkiller and Rust in Peace, but the fifth Kreator album is just as MANDATORY listen to any serious metalhead as those two.

Sheer perfection. It can't be used to describe many metal albums. Sure I don't mind handing out higher ratings like cheap candy at a parade - if I like an album, I like an album, but that doesn't mean I think it's perfect. However, Kreator's 5th full-length studio release, "Coma of Souls", is pretty much perfect. From the strong lyrics to the songs' structures to the sense of melody and catchiness to...of course...the fucking RIFFS! OH YEAH!

The band was at the top of their game at this point, and arguably are still pretty damn close to this point currently. Mille Petrozza is killer as he ever was, growling and shouting like a madman but mixing it up with that sense of melody that this band can pull of so well. His guitars skills get mixed with fellow axeman, then newly-recruited Frank Blackfire, most well known for his kickass work with fellow teutonic titans Sodom. He and Petrozza make for a tour-de-force of intricacy, soloing and merciless riffage. Let's just say if you've heard his work on "Agent Orange" (of course you have), then you'd know you're in for a treat. Roberto Fioretti rips it upon the bass. He's never been better; his bass lines are equally intricate and just sizzle below the guitars and drumming. Speaking of which, how about Kreator's longtime drummer, good ol' Ventor? He has slowed his usual frenzy into a more technically proficient style, though some of his traditional thrash drumming nicely blares out during some of the more vicious tracks.

The production is really solid and simple; it's loud but not in your face. No Pro-Tools, none of that shit. It just sounds really good. There's 44 minutes and 45 seconds wholesome, crushing goodness to be found on "Coma of Souls". The songs take the heavy but more melodic and mid-paced structure that was started way back on "Terrible Certainty" and makes it...you guessed it...perfect. There is some raving heaviness still to be found, though, like on opening track "When The Sun Burns Red", a neck-snapper detailing our disintegrating ozone. Beginning with some melodic riffing and acoustic work, one starts to feel mellow, even relaxed...until the 55 second point when Kreator reminds you this is a fucking THRASH album, and the song never lets up in its relentlessness. The title track is oh so slightly slower, still clipping along viciously with its catchy riffs. Then we have the great "People Of The Lie", mid-paced little crusher with a catchy chorus and highly simple, but very catchy riffage.

The album never stops with the quality. We treated to "World Beyond" and "Twisted Urges", a pair of hyperactive speeders that don't even hit the three minutes mark, but still pack in all that aggression and riffage. I quite like the closer "Mental Slavery" for its lengthy, "hollow"-sounding solo and the hooky chorus. But there is one song on here that goes past perfection, that goes past being incredible and climbs to the position of, in my opinion, the best Kreator song. That song is "Terror Zone". This sucker should have been the album closer. It has everything a perfect thrash song should have. The chorus is stupid simple, but well executed. The lyrics are just glorious. The riffs are a thrilling mix of more melodic moments and hyper thrashing. The two main solos are just perfect, particularly the catchy 2nd ("God I'm all alone, OH NOOOOOOO!!!"). Well worth a purchase for this track alone.

Overall, yep, this album is perfect. The band's performance, the quality and consistency of the songs, the riffs, the aggression; all spot-on. If for some sick reason you have only a passing interest in thrash, this album belongs in your collection. Hell, even if you're someone who just appreciates good music, regardless of genre, then you need to hear and own Kreator's "Coma Of Souls".

Kreator doesn't really need a lengthy introduction because they've been in existence in the thrash metal community since 1984. Their lineup on this release features Mille Petrozza on guitar/vocals, Frank Blackfire on guitars, Roberto Fioretti on bass, and Ventor on drums. Every musician on this release contributed nothing but good on here. This is the type of thrash metal album you can analyze and listen to in pure amazement. I think that this release was the best one in the whole genre during the year 1990. Metallica was making a change in their style of music after "...And Justice For All" so Kreator put forth their unbelievably excellent contribution to the Metal community with this release of theirs.

The guitars feature a lot of different rhythms composing tremolo picked frenzies, bar chords galore, palm muted open notes, plus leads that were amazingly fast and technical. The music is memorable, every single song on here deserves a whole ton of praise because of it's innovation and creativity. They really made this album with a fresh start in songwriting that is entirely invigorating. Tempos of the songs change rapidly, but that doesn't replace the awesome and amazing capabilities that they were able to amass on this release. About 44 minutes of mind boggling thrash metal to the core. I don't think any of Kreator albums surpass this one.

I enjoyed all of the songs because every one of them feature thrash metal genre perfection. I'd have to say that "When the Sun Burns Red", "Coma of Souls" and "People of the Lie" are the best tracks. But all of them are worth checking out if you don't own this album. The leads were the best performed by Frank, Mille's were a tad sloppy and I think that he's better equipped on rhythm guitar not lead. To me, it sounds like he's a self-taught musician. His vocals are innovative and memorable. No one vocalist can emulate his voice, it's totally original and sticks with you. That's what sets apart Kreator from the rest of the thrash metal bands. His vocals are among the best in this genre.

The production/mixing was done with precision. Every instrument was mixed in with perfection. No instrument was left out. The guitars were filled with plenty of distortion, the bass was audible to the core, vocals didn't drown out the music, and the drums were well heard. The lyrical content features them talking about death, religion, politics and war. There were no Satanic or mindlessness in the words they all had to deal with real life issues. So on that front it was good. It would've been great if Frank Blackfire was still with the band though because he sure could shred on the guitar. Their replacement doesn't come close to his talent, but he's out of the band and has been out for years now.

Kreator put forth something astounding here. Not to say that they aren't a good thrash metal band anymore, but the rhythms in the music are their best ever created. This is not only my point of view, I'm looking at other people's opinions on this release and they came up with the same answer: perfection. Their previous releases to this one don't even come close to achieving more success in the songwriting capabilities of the band. They must've really wanted to come out with something totally amazing and "Coma of Souls" is what they came up with. If you're a fan of thrash metal and you don't own this album, YouTube the songs that I mentioned so that you can hear what they sound like. Buy it now if you haven't already!

While Extreme Aggression felt like a right lane breakdown for the career steamroller that was Kreator in the 80s, it was at least an important transition piece, because without that effort, I'm not sure they would have evoked the flawless masterpiece that is Coma of Souls. This is hands down one of the best German thrash recordings in history, and the career peak for one of the most riff oriented firing squads ever to explore the genre. From front to back, it's loaded to overflowing with creativity, quality, and oddly enough, emotion, borrowing little but from themselves. Honestly, this could just be called Extreme Aggression II: This Time With Flavor, and it would make no difference to me. I am a richer man for having owned this, and it's spot fucking on.

This was once again released through the CBS/Noise deal here in the States, but sadly it made almost no difference, because human beings are in general ignorant, and by 1990, many had already stopped paying attention to thrash metal altogether (they somehow managed to let Artillery's By Inheritance slip as well), or at least outside of their backlogs of Metallica and Megadeth albums. Grunge hadn't quite hit its full stride yet, but people were certainly creaming their shorts over Janes Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers and all manner of new sounds that were starting their push through the airwaves. It sucks, but alas, it is the way of the world, and thrashing masterworks have always been left by the wayside. Fortunately for us, none of this means a shit, and Kreator's fifth full length is just as epic today as it was twenty years past, with its pristine production values and deep roster. There is no 'going to the bench' with this album, because all ten tracks are contracted to kick your ass at all times.

Speaking of 'epic', the album is inaugurated with perhaps the most fantastic global warming warning in all of thrash metal, "When the Sun Burns Red", which opens with a beautiful clean guitar sequence, then lightly glazed with leads that lead to the inevitable explosion before the minute mark. The Germans cast aside the lace, then firmly re-assure us that, yes, this is a Kreator album, and you will be now be face planted into oblivion. Perfect verses lead us by the throat to an amazingly catchy chorus, and it really does not get much better than this in this genre of music. "Coma of Souls" picks right up from the ashes of the first track with sheer, escalating riff brilliance, and leads to another vicious conflagration of swirling leads, hostile but melodic notation and Mille Petrozza's unmistakable bark. And then, as if toying with us all, they break into "People of the Lie", which features hilarious but great anti-Nazi lyrics that step perfectly alongside the album's ultimate 'thrash' riff (in the verse) which Exodus probably slapped themselves wishing they had come up with for.

As an example of the album's excellent pacing, they next veer into the hyper, 2 minute piece known as "World Beyond", a flash of glorious, popping melodies with Ventor laying into his kit. Then comes the stretch of the immortal "Terror Zone", somber melodies collapsing into a march of warlike percussion and more quality guitar riffs than most thrash albums have period. The song is amazing, and it's no wonder the band have incorporated the title into their web address. "Agents of Brutality" follows a similar tactic, slowly building from a lurch to a frenzy of hurtling melody that explodes with the fibrous, twisted mutes beneath the chorus. "Material World Paranoia" returns to the belligerent drumming that first arrived with "Terror Zone", as the guitars paint hostile rainbows across the pre-verse atmosphere, and then unto another ejaculate inducing verse/chorus manifesto with a turbulent momentum.

By this point in an album, the band might have just attached a few filler pieces, maybe some dumb cover song and be through with it, but in Coma-land, the thrills never cease. We are next assaulted with the surgical opening melodies of "Twisted Urges", which rapidly transform into another majestic flight of riffage bordering on death metal. "Hidden Dictator" waltzes forth into a swaggering gallop, and even when they're developing up to the chorus, they're STILL inventing unforgettable guitars. "Mental Slavery" ends the show with a cyclic, clever notation that almost seems to imply to us 'you've had enough by now, so we'll let you off easy'. Only, it's not really that easy, just another fully kick ass Kreator track with maniacal riffs and anti-establishment lyrics, even though its slightly less energetic in tone than the rest of the disc.

Coma of Souls is the end of an era, as Kreator were no exception to the trend of reinvention that enveloped most of the thrashing spectrum come the 90s (the next 4-5 albums vary highly in quality with one another), but what an end it is. The amount of organization that went into the arrangements, the thought put into the (admittedly leftist hippy) lyrics, the clean and sleek finish to the studio mix. Trickling down through the years, I've heard various complaints that the album isn't as brutal as Pleasure to Kill, nor as ambitious as Terrible Certainty. These are both true, but neither has any impact on the quality here. The band had successfully collected and honored all of the steps leading to this, and somewhere along the way, learned how to be phenomenal songsmiths. I would kill for more bands out there writing at this level, taking thrash metal where it belongs, not sulking in derivation or the pathetic, recalcitrant humor manifest through misplaced nostalgia, ironically bludgeoning themselves into a coma of creativity.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

If you love thrash, you have to like Kreator. What thrash metalhead couldn't get on board with such tempting aggression and speed that can give you a case of whiplash from headbanging to classic stuff as found on this album? Coma of Souls is one of those genre defining albums and they had other classics like it besides this one but this one will be remembered too. Perhaps the most striking detail about the record is the band's fresh ability to infuse melody into these tracks while ripping and blitzing just as bestially as Slayer did at the time. Of course, this is Teutonic thrash metal. Which means Sodom must get mentioned in any such discussion. 1980's Sodom was good but they just weren't as talented as Kreator and Coma of Souls pretty much convinces me of this. I can get lost in these riffs all day! That was the dealmaker for me. Earth and all her humanity seem primed for wreckage when listen so closely to these blazing riffs and screams by Mille Petrozza. The intensity is all right here: solos, blasts, vocal prowess and tightness of songs. It's one tootsie roll wrapped with Teutonic treatise in thrash and the lesson learned is this: death metal and thrash metal is a very thin line when you listen to these Kommandants of Kick Ass Metal and what better album to showcase it than Coma of Souls? And yet, to hail it just on the premise of mere display for those genres would be obtuse.

But what else is there that makes this album so rich while staying true to thrash and death? Well, let me pose another question to get down to it: Do you like Iron Maiden? Why, yes you do. You at least certainly must appreciate their influence if you enjoy this album because the Maiden quotient figures quite prominently in much of this as well. I have heard this Iron Maiden-ish configuration in other continental thrash bands. Notably Coroner. It's in that added layer of epic melodism where I notice this bent. I realized it with the opening riff on Terror Zone and three quarters through the track with the the legato and closing riff as another example. And doesn't the acoustic guitar part in the first song remind you that of Moonchild's opening? These Iron Maiden decals displayed in the sound are mostly small and florid but indeed present. Where the genius lies is how the band can so fluidly transition into that relentless death metal sound i.e. When The Sun Burns Red with its hellish riffs styled just like on Altars of Madness by Morbid Angel. Agents of Brutality has riffs that sound just as violent and picked at a more visible sounding speed than them however. Mille can alternate pick with the best of them.

Veil's blasting beats cannot be overlooked either. His playing is just a strength as anything else. On Twisted Urges or Material World Paranoia, his furious skinning cued for the wicked death metal guitar solo add much fire. You really get the vibe for the destruction touted by the lyrics. How the band plays this is a technical wonder and they are superior to their thrash peers on both sides of the Atlantic in this regard. This line-up play spectacularly together. Each of the songs from top to bottom basically boil down to one singular speed in general. There's no diversionary clutter like Master of Puppets had or some of the slight silly moments that littered Agent Orange. And it doesn't have a couple of the filler tracks that Reign in Blood has.

But is this album perfect? There is not a song I don't like on Coma of Souls. It is mostly perfect in execution. Do I love it? I think "really,really" like and "very impressive" would be how I myself would judge it. As good as the drumming is, some of the slower progressions are not as I prefer for thrash metal. The production is not as raw as once was and hence I would like this more if it had that. Many of the songs also tend to end in a repeated fashion. All these are design choices anyway. The pluses outweigh them. I award this classic status for thrash metal and the album is worth your hard earned cash without question.

Kreator takes huge steps up in songwriting and deliver their most mature effort to date. All the songs have variety in them, all are highly technical, yet they are effective, coherent, catchy and grounded. The production is much polished compared to other Kreator’s efforts, but this is polished in the best possible way. All the three departments (guitar, vocals, rhythm) are highlighted equally well in the mix. The guitars are pure sledgehammer, slicing the listener into pieces and forcing him to bang his skull against the wall until the end.

This album marks the debut of ex-Sodom axeman Frank Blackfire. With Mille he forms one of the best guitar units in thrash history. Together they put to record some of the most maniac thrash riffs which are executed to perfection. You won’t notice even a single weak or sloppy riff. All of them are violent, technical, and catchy at the same time. The lead work of these two is practically flawless. Never before in any thrash metal album were such great solos present with equally great riffs. Ventor improves tremendously in his skill in using his kit, especially his use of double bass. Ventor establishes himself as one of the best thrash drummers right up there with Lombardo or Hoglan through this album. The bassist mostly follows the guitars and also you don’t expect to hear bass in this guitar, drum fury. But still the bass plays a good role in this album. The vocals are great, violent and tailorly made for this album

Songs range from being practically flawless to being very good. The album features 10 songs each no less triumphant than the last. I won’t go into pick up highlights or describe each song as all of them are excellent and there is no weak track. The songs have a great tense atmosphere in them. Here we have short, straight forward, all-out thrash metal songs which are specially crafted to beat the listener senseless (World Beyond, Twisted Urges), we have longer, more developed songs which go through many sections (When The Sun Burns Red, Coma of Souls, Agents of Brutality, Hidden Dictator, Material World Paranoia), we have three of the best midpaced songs in thrash history (Terror Zone, People Of The Lie, Mental Slavery). The choruses of most of the songs are complex, in which the song either slows down or changes pace dramatically. People of the Lie and Hidden Dictator include some of the best choruses in thrash history.

This according to me is not only the best thrash metal album ever recorded but also one of the best album recorded in all of metal. Hence I recommend this album to any one listening to heavy metal. This may not be the most extreme record ever, but the song writing, riff construction, rhythm section, and execution is really outstanding. Hence I will conclude that you waste no time in adding this stellar album to your collection and I hope you will never regret your decision.

By the turn of the new decade, Kreator had already put out more than a few thrash metal classics at this point. They all had top quality instrumentals, The sharpest guitar riffs, The fastest drumming and great production. But what they seriously lacked was in the vocals and lyrics department. You could see Mille writing good lyrics in his previous albums, It's just that his accent wasn't good enough. He still had his powerful screechings but the impact of the lyrics was softened.

So what's the big step up on this album?. I think Petrozza took some english classes here and maybe even took some help from people fluent in english. Maybe his english just improved. The lyrics are certainly Impactful and intelligent. They will leave an impression in your minds. His vocals are not as annoying anymore, His vocals are less harsher and this time he tries to sing everything unlike in 'Terrible certainty' where he just uttered out the last words in a line. The production values on this one are mind blowing to be honest. The Drums just sound perfect, They are damaging and don't have the weak 'click' sound that Exodus and Overkill had at this point of time. The vocals feel raw and fresh and aren't over produced like you see on Megadeth's albums in the 90's.

'When the sun burns red' embodies all the best qualities of german thrash metal, We have really technical and intricate guitar work, The breakdowns are original, The lyrics go out to prove a point, The solos are technical masterpieces. Mille's an excellent guitarist as he's always been. While Sodom can be too unoriginal at times and Destruction can sound too american. Kreator fly the flag of German thrash metal very high. The title track is a classic kreator song, like the ones found in 'Extreme aggression'. The lyrics are politically charged without being funny like Sodom. The drumming, Well what can i say?. This isn't the fastest or the hardest drumming I've seen but they way sound through the speakers is perfect. The production on this album beats that of the more popular thrash bands at this time.

'Agents of brutality' and 'Twisted urges' are the two best tracks on this album. The lyrics deal with slavery of a girl by the evil organisations. Twisted urges has a really good breakdown and the solo here is a good one, Mille's vocals express the horror of being captured, tortured and beaten etc.

Best thrash album of the 90's?, Could be. Most bands adopted a commercial approach by this time and Kreator where no different. Their albums after this one are far more simpler and influenced by bands like Pantera and machine head. Pretty much everything they produced in the 85-90 period is a classic, With coma of souls being the best of them all. If you enjoy Thrash Metal with dark lyrics, Harsh vocals and grim political and philosophical themes, It doesn't get better than "Coma of Souls".

Now, that’s how a band reaches the top. I’m not talking about albums sold, popularity or anything like that, but quality and the impact the music can cause on a fan of the genre. Anyone that likes thrash should listen to this one. I hope I make myself clear why they should with this review.

Coma of Souls is their best album and it is on the top five best thrash albums ever. There are no flaws here. The band has grown on a musical level that very few bands can compete.

First notable thing here is that riffs are better than ever and there’s a strong use of melody, which makes this album very diverse. Second thing you should note is Mille. He has improved his voice and vocal melodies. Some of his most memorable choruses are here (‘Coma of Souls’, ‘When the Sun Burns Red’).

Lyrically with have a winner. There are no more problems with grammar or childish lyrics that you would find on the first two albums. Compared to the previous two (”Terrible Certainty” and “Extreme Aggressions”) it is also better. Check out ‘People of the Lie’ for a strong use of lyrics.

Bass is not really the highlight here, but in ‘Hidden Dictator’ it assumes a far more important play. On other songs it just fits perfectly to the music. Drums are far more audible. Ventor gives us an impeccable performance and even better than on “Extreme Aggressions”.

Songs structures are also very good. For example, ‘World Beyond’ and ‘Twisted Urges’ are short songs, which is important because they are very fast speed/thrash assault and would get boring with four or five minutes. ‘When the Sun Burns Red’, ‘Terror Zone’ and ‘Mental Slavery’, on the other hand, are bigger but much more developed.

Then there’s another great thing: soloing. Very few thrash bands have come up with albums that had so great solos. This is an exception.

Best songs? All of them. It really just depends on your taste. If you’re into straightforward thrash ‘bang your head against the stage’, you should be pleased with a couple of songs here. If you’re into more developed thrash with some cool melodies, you would like too. If you’re into both (like me), then you realize this is something special. That simple.

Everyone's always talking of the Pleasure to Kill album, or the Endless Pain. Personally I think they're fucking wrong. Those two were incredibly great thrash releases, but like every other release, they have to bow down towards this champion of thrash. Everything that thrash stands for is used, and perfected in this album.

Although I don't like to combine music with math, I have to say that each song on here has more riffs than a Killswitch Engage (or Metallica if anything) album ever had. Some are lighting fast, looking more like the riffs Endless Pain had while some are somewhat slower, like Outcast (with the difference that Coma of Soul's riffs are actually fucking awesome and brutal as hell). The difference in speed is just the diversity this album needs, and it works very well.

There is this gem called People of the Lie, which is quite slow compared to the usual thrash songs. It's still very headbangeable, and destroying your house still works fine with this song. Terror Zone and Mental Slavery are the other slow-paced tracks. That means that the other 7 are fast, and fast they fucking are. There are still slower breakdowns and bridges in those songs, but generally the songs feel like a riot gun sticked in your heart with the trigger pushed relentlessly.

Although the album is brutal as fuck, it's also quite the melodic one. Intro's of Terror Zone, Twisted Urges and When the Sun Burns Red are all about the melodies but it is the solo's you should care for. This album contains some of the greatest thrash solo's ever. Just listen to the second part of Coma of Soul and feel the adrenaline spouting out of your eyeballs.

This release is not only unique of it's original way to combine the melodies and the pure thrash but also in quality. No song is less good than decent, and the first 7 songs are anthems that belong in the great book of thrash. Yeah, it's THAT good.

Recommended tracks: Agents of Brutality, Coma of Souls, When the Sun Burns Red, People of the Lie, World Beyond, Terror Zone, Material World Paranoia

The last 3 songs are also great

That’s right, someone left a window open and Mille is being savaged by a disgruntled crow! But little did they know that this aviary-come-studio related mishap would contribute to one of the best thrash albums around. Technical, yet not for the sake of it, Kreator’s ‘Coma of Crows’ is one of the highlights of the whole thrash scene, hell, I’ll even let them off for technically being members of Thrash for Conserving the Rainforest. What does the rainforest have to do with thrash? Do the weird-cong live there?

This is the first album to feature the rather trouser tightening combination of Mille and Frank ‘Blackfire’ Gosdzik. I must say they do an excellent job and deliver some memorable riffs and solos. Perhaps, Mr Blackfire is more suited to Kreator’s technical, melodic yet still savage approach to thrash as he never seemed truly content with Sodom’s more austere slant on the genre. The leads are particularly of note and certainly aren’t merely playing second fiddle to bludgeoning riffola. It’s not just a calculated and sterile shred-fest either, the solos contribute to the over all conflict, drama and tension of the album, ‘When the Sun Burns Red’ being a particularly excellent example of this, as the leads break through the stormy onslaught of riffs like a brilliant sunshine. So yes, they make me thing of pleasant Sunday afternoons in the park feeding the crows…CAW CAW! Technicality, is thankfully never overdone, this isn’t one of Chuck Schuldiner’s unadulterated wankathons. Even better is this is a technical album which actually manages moments of great atmosphere, those storm clouds in ‘When the Sun Burns Red’ being a particularly spine-tingling moment and recalling what is quite possibly the most metal moment ever in ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.

In terms of quality ‘Coma of Souls’ never really lets up at all, riff after riff, the scars I bare are the wounds of thrash! ‘When the Sun Burns Red’, a cautionary tale of the dangers of global warming, is a clear winner. Although I can’t say I care much for its lyrical sentiment. I live in Yorkshire, melting polar icecaps and such will only flood the south, creating some sort of Atlantis out of all those chimney sweeps, Lords and Ladies, with their manor houses soon to be a haven for all sorts of colourful sea life; the mighty cod! The exquisite fish finger! The fierce haddock! The triumphant whiting! Hail to thee British sea life! Anyway, it’s a marvellous song, setting the tone for the rest of the album with brisk and breezy riffing (it’s about the weather, I can use weather girl terms!). ‘Agents of Brutality’ is another clear stand out with the sing-along refrain of ‘Manic! Panic!’ and frantic riff work. ‘Coma of Souls’ is the most straight ahead thrash metal song here, and all the more effective for it. Mille’s vocal patterns are particularly pleasing in this one- lethal, vicious and effortlessly catchy. ‘People of the Lie’ has some quirky parallel harmonised riffs that rather than somewhat gimmicky as Death’s approach, actually make for a great listen. Also of note is that Carcass would lift the chorus from this song into their own ‘Heartwork’ and one can be sure Mr Steer and Amott lent their ears to Mille and Frank’s twin guitar approach.

Detractors of this album, strange fellows they are, rely on a comparison to Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’ and ‘Master of Puppets’ albums. I never really got a strong Metallica vibe here, one of the riffs does sound similar to the title track of ‘Ride the Lightning’ but other than that nothing jumps out and screams Metallica. Also, stating a Metallica comparison as a negative thing is ignoring the fact that those records, despite Lars Ulrich being one of the most evil men in existence and a complete moral despot, are actually good. So borrowing from them effectively is hardly a bad thing. If anything the unashamed technicality combined with a brevity in song length is a nod to Megadeth’s more agile approach. ‘Coma of Souls’ is the perfect partner to Megadeth’s proficient and much loved ‘Rust in Peace’. But whatever the influence ‘Coma of Souls’ is far from a bland thrash album, if it was wouldn’t it be Korma of Souls?

In short ‘Coma of Souls’ is a fine thrash album, it turned me into a far greater Kreator fan than I once was. It’s an exercise in technically proficient state of the art thrash and while it may lack, ahem, some of the extreme aggression of say ‘Pleasure to Kill’, it makes up for it with stronger song craft and a more acute sense of melody…but don’t take my word for it, Mr Crow?

CAW!

One could say on this album Kreator made the least progress compared to the previous release. They only slightly improved some elements. Especially the production. The sole reason this album is not my favorite Kreator album is because Extreme Aggression was slightly more aggressive and had a less polished sound. Apart from that almost everything is perfect on Coma Of Souls save a few lesser interesting songs.

The first 5 songs are all brilliant. ‘When The Sun Burns Red’ is a typical up tempo opener. Fast, catchy and filled with riffs and great leads. Welcome to Frank Blackfire. ‘Coma Of Souls’ is an excellent sing-along title track. ‘People Of The Lie’ however is the best mid paced song Kreator has ever written in their career. Hell, the chorus was so good even British gods Carcass actually stole the essence for their own song ‘Heartwork’!

One thing you can’t deny about ‘World Beyond’ is that the song sounds happy. There’s something funny about it. The vocal line, the polka beat. It’s a happy tune but a good one. This is followed by ‘Terror Zone’ which compositionally is reminiscent of People Of The Lie approach but has more up tempo moments, is slightly extended and to be honest a highlight of Kreator’s career.

The second half of the album is superb as well but not with the same grandeur as the first half. ‘Agents of Brutality’and ‘Material World Paranoia’ just continue the awesome thrash metal assault and I’ve always had a soft spot for the incidentally groovy ‘Hidden Dictator’.

What can I say, it is their second best album ever and I wonder if that will ever change.

In 1990 the thrash scene had almost completely died. Band A sounds exactly as band B which sounds like band C which sounds exactly like almost everything else out there. There was nothing new to create, and except for the pioneer bands and some really outstanding cases, the thrash was full with unimaginative bands which did the same idea but always in a more boring way and sounded like a second rate poor imitations for themselves. But then we got Kreator, which released in that year their best album after a series of some serious killers thrash monsters.

This album is a really classy one. The production- flawless, the riffs- creative, the vocals- merciless, the drumming- brutal as hell! I mean, there is nothing bad with this album, it sounds like the final step in the development of a great musicians with a pretty creative minds, and the result is far beyond brilliance or outstanding album, here it's a fucking great one with a unique feeling and different mind which really sounds like something else and inventive.

'When the Sun Burns Red' begins with clean guitars in a mysterious interlude which suppose to prepare you for a massive attack of brutal riffs and total mania, you know, it's like the calm before the flood in a way, then the distorted guitars comes in and a thrilling scream cut the air and the thrashing annihilation begins!
Each moment is excellent, each riff sound like it were written punctually, each note sounds like it has been placed in his perfect position after a long thought and they all creates together a flawless riffs. 'Coma Of Souls' begins with a catchy power chords riff and then it becomes much faster with some buzzsaw riffs which sounds piercing and overwhelming. In 2:39 there is a great lead break, which sounds pretty shreeding and then becomes more melodic in the end. Then there is a cool tempo break and the song becomes more moderate with some palm muted riffs, and then it returns to the great main riff with some creepy screams: "COMA OF SOULS!!"

The vocals are pretty evil, Petrozza has a voice which sounds like half low grunt death metal growl and half black metal scream, and he still sounds clear and you can understand the lyrics pretty well. The lyrics are also have a real meaning.
'People Of The Lie' is an anti nazi song and Petrozza doesn't hide his opinions about them ("you are to me the waste of flesh and blood ").

Another worth description track is 'Terror Zone'. It's the longest track here (6 minutes) and has the darkest atmosphere in the album! It begins with a riff which sounds like the apocalypse, then it becomes more aggressive with a moderate riff and some backing guitars and then it becomes a merciless killer! It has a great drums work and excellent riffs, and also there are some great shredding solos and then it takes a full speed ahead in 250BPM and then slowly backs to the first riff in 80BPM and then it's over...damn, you must listen to this stuff! it's absolutely one of the best thrash songs ever!

If you never heard thrash before, take this album first and listen to it carefully!
It's definitely not for wimps or posers because it's has unstoppable riffing which will blow them away till the terror zone...and than the whole way back!

Highlights: 'When The Sun Burns Red", "People Of The Lie, "World Beyond, "Terror Zone" and "Material World Paranoia".

This is Kreator at it's peak. This album is the result of years of striving to reach a certain point on the part of Kreator. Although the previous albums were excellent in their own right, Coma of Souls takes it to another level altogether. Even Kreator itself cound not produce anything better than this.

This album consists of 9 of the best Thrash tracks you'd ever get to hear. The formula is simple - Thrashy but paced intros to every song, followed by fast, relentless riffs. Add in some mind-blowing solos with bends coming in from all over the place - what more would you want? Although the formula is the same for each track, as it has been with almost all Kreator albums, every track is unique. This is another thing that makes this album great. Too many times, a lot of riffs in different songs start to sound similar but Kreator's managed to come up with great individual songs this time around.

The German-accent vocals are absolutely mind-blowing. Although you won't find as my growls as you did in Extreme Aggression, you won't be dissapointed here with the swift Blackish vocals. The drumming is up to the mark and is well co-ordinated with the guitars and that's evident from the first track with Coma of Souls.

All in all, this is a must-have for anyone who claims to have any interest in Thrash Metal. Although Thrash is, more or less, dead, they're albums like these that still make if a lot of people's favourite genre.

I don't care if Kreator hadn't musucally "moved forward" with this album because if you just give this a listen, you'd realize there was no need. This album is for REAL Thrashers, not poseurs.

Albums just don’t get much better than this. From start to finish, this is one of the greatest thrash albums ever. Ultra-heavy, blazing riffs with shredding solos combined with crushing bass licks and scorching drums make this one vicious recording. Mille’s vocals are outstanding, with him spitting, snarling and screaming like his life depended on it! There isn’t a single weak song to be found here. How do you even begin to review a masterpiece such as this, an album that every self-respecting metalhead should already have heard?

The first two tracks, When The Sun Burns Red and Coma Of Souls are speedy, bruising pieces. Both contain riffs upon riffs and solos of the highest caliber. They command you to bang your head! The drum work is amazing, with it’s precision and aggression. The music so unbelievably tight.

People Of The Lie is a personal favorite. I love the crushing feel. It’s mid-paced and heavy as a train loaded with steel. If that chorus doesn’t get stuck in your ear all day, you’re deaf. With that riff running behind it, it doesn’t just get in your head, it opens your skull up and climbs inside!

World Beyond goes back on the throttle, simply blitzing the listener with it’s speed. At just over 2 minutes, it is short but gets the job done. Caution, whiplash may ensue! It’s followed by Terror Zone, which kicks off with a somewhat melodic riff, while the bass and drums crash away. Nice drum fill afterwards leads into some chainsaw guitars and a stomping slower pace. Kreator uses a broad array of tempo changes throughout the song to keep it flowing along.

The highlight of the album for me is Agents Of Brutality. If one were giving away a truth in advertising award, this song would get it! The band come after you seemingly with the intention of beating the piss out of you with the music.

Material World Paranoia and Twisted Urges continue to pour on the speed and fury. Material World Paranoia is the longer of the two, and uses a few tempo changes throughout. It’s still a fast and furious track, though. Twisted Urges is shorter, at only 2:45, and has a mid-paced section right in the middle. As usual, the vocals are venomous and aggressive. Riffs just rip all over the place and the leads shred.

Hidden Dictator starts in with the bass thumping and a cool, heavy riff comes in over it. After about thirty seconds things turn deadly serious with some all-out moshing! I just can’t get enough of this stuff. I am a sucker for thrash!

Mental Slavery comes last, and it seeks to give you a final beating on the way out the door. The riff at the beginning is heavy and has a monster hook. Not quite as fast as some of the songs present, it’s still upbeat and heavy enough to smash bricks.

If you’ve never heard this album, you should be shot where you stand. This is cornerstone of the thrash genre. No one can call themselves a metalhead without having this album in their collection in SOME format.

You will be thrashing it around nonstop.

First of all, if I had to sum up this album in a few words: Fast, loud, guitar harmonies, killer vocals.

Most of my exposure to thrash vocals prior to listening to Coma of Souls is more in the vein of Steve Souza or Chuck Billy. DAMN! This is something else. They're kind of like BM vocals, but better. They're raw, they're raging, and articulate, for the most part. No studying the fucking liner notes so you can sing along here.

As per almost every thrash album in existence, this one has an intro with acoustic guitars. Then a distorted melody line... THEN DEATH AND PESTILENCE TO ALL! The riffs are fast, and have an odd atonal melody to them. I know "atonal melody" sounds complete nuts, but it makes total sense with this riffage. The opening track, When the Sun Burns Red, for me, is the biggest standout. Even the verse riffs kick ass, thats how good this song is. And the chorus riff is nuts. Then things slow down and solos rip your eyes out of your sockets and play ping pong with them.

The title track is pretty fucking sweet, too. Brutal opening riff. Did I mention you can hear the bass? You can. And it's nice and rumbly and stuff. It'll make your floor shake right good. The rhythm section is rounded out by fucking precise drumming. I mean laser guided missile into an air vent precise. The bass drum is tight without sounding like some fuckhead tapping on his desk in Calculus.

My only real complaint about this monster is that, in the end, it all goes by too quickly. It's fast, it's slow, it's heavy. It's fucking Kreator and they're the best thing to come out of Germany since Oktoberfest. Also, in some songs, like People of the Lie (which has an awesome drum fill in the middle), the vocals are a little too quiet. Oh yea, and People of the Lie has a killer melodic solo.

The Scene

After rising to the top of the German Thrash scene with their first four albums, Kreator were riding high, even having a video for their song Betrayer in rotation. After parting ways with lead guitarist Jorg "Trizte" Trzeblatowski, they recruited ex-Sodom six-stringer Frank Blackfire (a.k.a. Frank Gosdzik) to record their followup album, Coma Of Souls

The Result

The result is arguably the best thrash album of all time! Slowing the tempo down slightly compared to their more frenetic previous works (Terrible Certainty in particular) made for the albility to make even more crazy riffing thatn they had attempted previously, resulting in a fast, ripping and vicious album that will kick your arse from start to finish.

The Cast

Miland "Mille" Petrozza (guitars, vocals) - Petrozza is in the finest form of his career, composing some of the most maniacal thrash riffs ever written, all tightly executed. His harsh growl seems a little more subdued on this release, but his screams are still as potent and bonechilling as ever.

Frank Blackfire (a.k.a. Frank Gosdszik) (guitars) - Frank takes a more melodic and structured approach than his predecessor Trzeblatowski, lending a nice counterpoint to the chaotic nature of the riffing.

Rob Fioretti (bass) - Rob prefers to play basic root notes rather than follow the guitars, and locks in with Ventor to produce a nice tight rhythm section.

Jurgen "Ventor" Reil (drums) - Ventor slows down slightly from his previous works. This results in a tighter performance. He also becomes more proficient in his use of double-bass drums, using them more often than in previous works.

The Sound

The production job is nice and clear, with the drums sounding clear and not drowned in hi-hat, guitars full and crunchy, a nice smooth lead tone with just a hint of reverb to make it fuller, and bass at a reasonable level.

Choice Cuts

When The Sun Burns Red - Starts off with a clean guitar intro which is very rarely heard from Kreator. Then the song starts up with Mille's piercing "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!" and it's on for young and old after that. Violent thrash riffing, numerous time changes and a nice melodic lead section from Blackfire leading into a dual lead section before a violent finish. A hellraising cut from start to finish.

Coma Of Souls - More of the same from Kreator, with fast obscenely precise picking, brilliant riffing, fast drumming and excellent melodic leads from Blackfire.

People Of The Lie - A mid paced number with an excellent headbanging riff and some genuinely searing work from Blackfire around the middle of the song

World Beyond - Short, vicious and efficient, Kreator waste no time beating the listener senseless with this murderous little cut.

Terror Zone - Starting off with a melodic twin-guitar intro, this cut seems more subdued than the other, only to pick up halfway through with some thoroughly brutal riffing and demented leadwork, and some of Mille's most caustic vocals on the disc.

Agents Of Brutality - Excellent fast paced work, but the best part is when it slows down for the chorus, which contains some nice double-bass from Ventor and one of the best riffs on the album. Also features a nice extended lead section.

Off Cuts

Not even one! All of the cuts on this album are violent and punishing and the album would probably be WORSE if any were removed.

Raw Sewage

Not on this album.

Pros

- Dangerously precise
- Whole band has never been more cohesive
- A more varied and tighter performance from Ventor
- Frank Blackfire's finest leads appear here

Cons

- Mille's voice may be a little off-putting

Closing Comments

To me, this is the be-all and end-all of thrash. Everything thrash should be. In short, BUY THIS ALBUM AND BUY IT NOW!!

This album is the culmination of five years of Kreator's development into a riff producing monster with fangs. Their first album (Endless Pain) was pretty raw death-thrash, and then Pleasure to Kill stepped it up a notch with the riffs being very memorable. And they were undeniable classics. Then they went for a slightly less brutal sound, and the riff quality suffered a bit. Then, they came storming back. This one is not Pleasure - but the riffs are even fucking better! This is their thrashiest album, and their best.

There are really only 2 or 3 moments on the album which are NOT absolutely and amazingly awesome: some of Material World Paranoia starts off a bit silly, but dear Lord does it make up for it or what with that final riff set: "Promise of a better future is a lie!" [insert here probably the best riff on the album - total fucking headbanging material, feel free to run into walls and break your house into a million pieces too, it's allowed.] That right there is the greatest thrash riff ever written. Trust me. I did many hours of research (man, research fucking KICKS ASS!!) and I came to this conclusion in a scientific way.

Other highlights include Coma of Souls, Terror Zone (again, that final riff set... "God I'm all alone! Oh no!") and the absolutely incredible "People of the Lie". THIS right there is the thrash equivalent of "Hell Bent for Leather": short, sweet, and contains pretty much everything a thrash song needs to have. It's three minutes of headbanging that is sufficently furious as to cause orgasm.

In people five miles away.

And one more thing - the lead guitar on this album is practically flawless. It's almost Tipton/Downing at work here sometimes. Best lead guitar on a thrash album, ever. Usually lead takes a backseat to rhythm in thrash (notable exception: Heathen) but here the two are integrated flawlessly into awesome songs. No wankery, just memorable riffs and memorable solos. Just check out Agents of Painkiller. I mean Brutality.

Total fucking greatness here - if you had to only get one Kreator album (why you would do such a dumb thing is beyond me, but hey, for the sake of argument), it is this one.