No introductions required here. Kreator are back with their 12th studio album and first since 2005’s Enemy of God, which is possibly their best (at least it’s my favorite). Four years is much too long of a wait after such an incredible last offering, but I’m glad to say that it was well worth it, because Hordes of Chaos is yet another entry into the “holy fuck this is awesome” Kreator catalog.

They’ve incorporated more melody into the mix this time around (the anthemic opening of “Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)” then again at the tracks end, the leads in the chorus of “Escalation”, the ballad-y beginnings of “Amok Run” (which turns into a balls out thrasher), all throughout “To the Afterborn”, and ending of “Demon Prince”, but still manage to sound even more pissed off than on Enemy of god, especially Mille’s vocals – he sounds like a man possessed – check out his vicious performances on the title track, “Amok Run”, “Radical Resistance”, “Absolute Misanthropy”, and closer “Demon Prince”. If the mention of more melody worries some of you, fear not, because in between these bits of melody is full on Kreator-styled extreme thrash aggression (pun fully intended). Look no further than “War Curse”, “Destroy What Destroys You”, “Absolute Misanthropy”, “Demon Prince” and the meanest of them all, the title track.

The crown jewel here however has got to be “To the Afterborn” with its Maiden-esque twin leads, incredibly catchy chorus, explosive soloing and climatic foot to the throat ending.

To top off the killer performances, Hordes of Chaos was recorded live in-studio, with the exception of vocals and some of the melodies, by Moses Schneider, and mixed by Colin Richardson. The end result is one that is extremely raw and gritty, but very clear and bursting with energy, and is testament to Mille and crew’s skill, musicianship and overall tightness. To record in this manner in 2008 is a big middle finger in the face of all of these Pro-Tooled to death, pristine, cold and mechanical sounding albums being released these days on a regular basis.

Hordes of Chaos may not be quite as good as its predecessor, but the difference is marginal. I’m probably in the minority, but I’m of the mindset that Kreator is putting forth their best work ever in the new millennium, and that’s no slight to the 80’s output. It just means that I could liken Kreator to fine wine – they just get better with age.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments