Kreator's 'Krushers of the World' - Album Review

January 2026 is turning out to be a pretty heavy month. With the exception of Alter Bridge, despite a metallic edge to their sound at times, all of the bands that are dropping new albums which I am planning to cover this month are metal acts - with two of them being some of the world's premier thrash bands. I am writing this piece in the wake of Megadeth's latest, and supposedly final, album dropping - but today's piece looks over towards the Germany thrash scene, and Essen's Kreator, a thrash four-piece that has been active in one form or another since 1982. Whilst the US thrash scene, and in particular the Big 4, all found an element of mainstream success and somewhat crossed traditionally firm genre boundary lines, the German thrash scene was much less concerned with status and the odd hit single. From the outset, the German thrashers were always much heavier than anything America generally had to offer - doing a lot to influence the late 1980s extreme metal scene at the same time. Kreator were no different in this regard, and many of their early albums contain elements of what would become both death and black metal a few years later. It is somewhat funny, then, that in more recent years Kreator have streamlined their sound and have morphed into something much more accessible and anthemic. In fairness, it took the band a while to get to this point. Following their classic 1980s run, which many fans see as the band's true peak and where they were at their most aggressive, the band then spent the 1990s experimenting with different sounds. Many of the thrash bands of the 1980s had somewhat difficult 1990s, either commercially or critically, but Kreator's flirtations with gothic overtones and industrial sounds were perhaps some of the 1990s thrash scene's more interesting experimentations. I doubt many hold up those albums as true greats, but Kreator kept attempting to reinvent themselves during this time - and did find some success doing so. 2001's Violent Revolution was the turning point, though, as it saw Kreator return to their thrash routes - albeit with cleaner and more melodic sound. It was lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö's first album with the band - who brought with him a more Scandinavian-based melodic death metal approach to riffing and guitar leads which has helped to fuel Kreator's sound ever since. Essentially, all of the albums to follow Violent Revolution have followed a similar pattern - with anthemic songwriting made for big stages, flashy guitar riffing and solos, and a retained thrash intensity the hallmarks of Kreator over the past 25 years. Founding frontman Mille Petrozza's gravelly voice suits this sound nicely - and founding drummer Jürgen 'Ventor' Reil never seems to slow down. Kreator have not really put a foot wrong since, then, and this sound and approach remains on the newly-released Krushers of the World - Kreator's sixteenth studio album and their first since 2022's Hate Über Alles (which I reviewed here). Hate Über Alles felt a little different in so far as it was heavier and grittier overall production-wise - which meant it was perhaps less melodic as a result. Krushers of the World see the band returning to working again with Jens Bogren - who produced the two albums prior to Hate Über Alles. As such this album feels a bit more anthemic and overtly melodic again following the last album which seemed to want to tap into the band's more extreme past somewhat without truly committing to such. Krushers of the World is the band's second album with their current line-up, too, with bassist Frédéric Leclercq completing the four-piece.

Kreator's albums do not tend to overstay their welcomes, either. Some of their more recent efforts have been on the longer side - but most are very digestible. At just under 45 minutes, then, Krushers of the World feels like the right length for this sort of album - as there remains plenty of typical thrash intensity here despite the hooks throughout. Kicking off with Seven Serpents, the album initially opens slowly - with some dense strings and a slow-burning melodic guitar lead. This guitar lead is soon doubled, as the strings become more intense, but it is not long before the band crash in - and the song picks up the pace with a snappy, melodic death metal-adjacent riff and plenty of busy drumming from Ventor. The main guitar hook during this riff pattern immediately sticks in the brain, and a simplified version backs Petrozza's snarling vocals during the fast-paced verses. The verses here are very typical thrash in terms of pace and intensity, with plenty of double bass drumming and the aforementioned guitar pattern providing a secondary hook. The chorus sees the pace slowed down somewhat, with more of a groovy mid-paced approach allowing Petrozza to really shout the main chorus hooks in an anthemic manner. Later iterations of the chorus are long, with choral vocals adding to the overall pot and giving the song an even more anthemic feel. Later parts of the song remain similarly mid-paced, too, with a groovy bridge and a shredded solo section reining in some of the thrash intensity to allow for something bigger sounding overall. Satanic Anarchy feels heavier from the off. There is little standing on ceremony this time, as the song immediately takes off at pace - laying down another melodic death metal-esque riff early on. There is less guitar flash during the song's intro this time, though, with the riff just being a barrelling thrash/melodic death metal guitar pattern as Ventor lays into his double bass drums. The verses are built around the same pattern, so they maintain the early pace. Petrozza has lost none of his vocal power over the years - and his fast-paced and punky delivery during these verses showcases all of his power and grit. His performance ensures that there is plenty of energy throughout the song as a result - whilst he goes for a more melodic approach during the chorus. The chorus is another which slows the pace somewhat - and it is clearly going for an extremely anthemic approach. A big guitar lead adds an additional hook during the chorus - but the shout-along vocal melodies are what really make the song tick. The title track follows, and I have to say I really hate the fact that 'crushers' is spelt with a K, and it reins in the pace somewhat - instead going for a much crunchier, mid-paced sound with a headbanging groove and plenty of bass in the mix from Leclercq. Kreator have often done this more mid-paced, melodic thrash sound pretty well - and this is a song which sticks in the brain from the off thanks to the stomping main riff, Petrozza's barked verses vocals, and the gang vocal-led chorus which is as fists-in-the-air as the album really gets. Despite the guitar playing this time largely being a bit less interesting to allow the grooves to shine, a few guitar leads are thrown in - with the chorus again backed by one. It is clearly a song made for the stage - and it can see it going down really well live on the band's upcoming tour. The chorus is made to shouted back at the band - and the mid-paced grooves will certainly inspire plenty of headbanging. Throw in a slightly haunting spoken word-esque bridge section and a pretty classic rock-inspired guitar solo - and the album's title track brings the best out of the modern Kreator sound.

Tränenpalast sees Petrozza duetting throughout with Britta Görtz (Cripper; Critical Mess; Chaos Rising; Hiraes) - who adds her harsh vocals throughout. Given Görtz's background in melodic death metal, and the elements of that sound which Kreator have incorporated for years at this point, it is unsurprising that this song channels a lot of that energy. The main riff features some of those tremolo twin guitar leads which are often a big feature of the genre - whilst the verse riffing is mid-paced and NWOBHM-inspired, just turned up to 11. Petrozza's thrashy barks and Görtz's growls are a good combination, with the two trading vocal lines during the verses - whilst another mid-paced, shout-along chorus sees Görtz using her growls as backing to make the gang vocals feel even more powerful. She also unleashes a couple of shrieks, too, which act as transitions between sections of the song - with one later giving way to a melodic guitar solo section. Barbarian then ups the pace, returning to something much more typical and thrashy. Kreator often throw in quite a lot of mid-paced material on their more recent albums, but there is still plenty of room for fast-paced thrash - and Barbarian is a good example of such. The riffing once again contains shades of a classic Scandinavian melodic death metal sound, but the pace and overall grooves are very much classic thrash. Fast-paced riffing really characterises the song, then, with the verses filled with that punky venom that all the best thrash bands can call upon at times. Fitting in with the overall vibes of the rest of the album, though, the chorus is another which goes for a more classic, anthemic feel. The pace does slow somewhat during the chorus, then, to allow Petrozza's simple and strident lyrics to be barked out of the speakers - but this song perhaps slows down less than some, which allows the thrash vibes and overall energy to be properly retained. Blood of Our Blood opens with a strident thrashy riff, and the song overall ups the pace again further. Following a couple of mid-paced numbers, the way the band move through the gears during this song and the previous number shows that Kreator still have plenty of old-school thrash energy to expel. Parts of this song may be some of the fastest thrash moments so far. The main riff is fast-paced, but it is slow enough to allow the hooky elements of it to shine, but the simplified version of it which later backs the verses does not care so much about clarity - and instead just goes for it in terms of pace. Some of Ventor's busiest and fastest drumming is found here, too, and there is some of the band's old-school intensity here despite the chorus still containing plenty of big hooks. It is another chorus which slows the pace down somewhat, but as with the previous song it does not do so all that much - which allows the band's old-school fire to really burn. A fast-paced and dual guitar solo also allows such a vibe to feel present. Combatants returns to a grittier, mid-paced sound - which following the lightning pace of the previous song ends up ensuring that the crunchy number feels suitably heavy. Headbanging grooves and a melodic approach to riffing is found throughout this number - and the guitar playing of Petrozza and Yli-Sirniö throughout seemingly focuses on hooks and grooves rather than a thrash intensity. The heaviness here comes from more of a place of traditional heavy metal, then, despite some snappy vocal arrangements - with wah used during parts of the guitar solo and some neo-classical melodies utilised for a NWOBHM-esque sound.

Psychotic Imperator opens in a similar fashion to how the album opened, with slow-burning guitar leads which are eventually doubled as Ventor lays down some percussive drumming. As was the case with the opening song, too, this slower opening is disguising a faster core song - and it is not too long before the song explodes proper with a burst of pace and a verse which is driven by some intense, heavy guitar riffing and plenty of double bass drumming. Some of the riffing here, despite the pace, feels like some of the album's heaviest moments - and Petrozza doubles down on this with a gruffer vocal performance. His verses vocals are typically punky as is often the case when the band speed up - but the chorus seems him delivering the shout-along lyrics in a more extreme manner. His throatier vocals here make it clear why Kreator were such an influence in the burgeoning extreme metal scene in the 1980s - and it is nice to see flashes of that sound and approach remain here despite Kreator having long streamlined their sound. Deathscream maintains the faster approach of the previous song, although it does slow things down somewhat - going for a more anthemic thrash approach, typical of the band's recent core sound. It sits somewhere between the band's anthemic mid-paced sound and the sound of the previous song - but the riffing is hooky and heavy throughout, whilst Ventor's fast drumming ensures that there remains plenty of pace throughout. Görtz is also utilised here, but only really in a supporting role this time - her growls adding a little more grit to a chorus which actually speeds up compared to the rest of the song rather than slowing down. Her role here is much smaller compared to her duet earlier in the album - but the brief harsh vocals do make the chorus pop, and it is another memorable moment on the album as a result. Another busy guitar solo section keeps the song moving, too, and Kreator feel as vital as ever here. The album then comes to a close with Loyal to the Grave, which opens with some gothic choral vocals and chiming clean guitar melodies - as the song builds towards a final mid-paced anthem that is another which is really made for the stage. In terms of the modern Kreator sound, this song is one which very much is in keeping with the band's current approach. There is little of the band's old-school thrash intensity this time, with traditional heavy metal vibes, big vocal hooks, and those flashy guitar riffs and melodies which come from the Scandinavian scene all present. This song just feels a bit more epic overall, too, thanks to some subtle strings utilised throughout - as well as the return of the choir used during the song's opening at times. The chorus feels particularly epic thanks to the strings, and it is another that is sure to go down well live as a result. As the song acts as the album's closing number, too, this more epic approach is fitting - and the grander Kreator sound does work well when it is used sparing, particularly in contrast to the thrashy numbers found elsewhere. Overall, then, Krushers of the World is another excellent album in a pretty long line now of melodic thrash platters from the German band. If the last album was perhaps a slight misstep, then this latest effort returns to the path - but there is still plenty of heaviness and thrash intensity here that will keep long-time fans of the genre happy.

The album was released on 16th January 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Seven Serpents.