ALBUM REVIEW: KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD BY KREATOR
Reviewed by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Release date 16 January 2026
Kreator deliver an old school heavy metal album with thrash sides in a thoroughly modern twist to their music that is powerful and crystal clear. As light synths and a beautiful guitar riff play off each other, another guitar joins the riff, creating an echo with a menacing tone – then the rapid-fire drums kick in, with the vocals following, and ‘Seven Serpents’ is underway.
German thrash legends Kreator, comprising of Mille Petrozza (vocals/guitar), Sami Yli-Sirnio (guitar), Freddie LeClercq (bass) and Ventor (drums) have released their sixteenth album with 10 new songs where the band show no signs of mellowing their musical world view. The band formed in 1982 as Metal Militia, then changed their name to Tormentor, before they settled on Kreator in 1984. The band were all in their early teens when their music career began, and they had only played five live gigs before they released their debut album ‘Endless Pain’. Forty-two years later, ‘Krushers Of The World’ is released.
Kreator’s latest album opens with their latest single ‘Seven Serpents’ and its measured, melodic start. However, the energy blasts in as demons, “snakes in human form”, and the arrival of the “seven serpents come” infect the world. ‘Satanic Anarchy’ steps it up on the guitar riffs and drumming, thrashing as Mille Petrozza spits “start the fire” lyrics like red hot bullets, as the song references “the new messiah” trying to “rise up to fight” the “terror” of modern life. Then, the title track ‘Krushers Of The World’ has a dark drum and bassline in a heavy metal stomp that discusses the “horrors of the modern life” where “venomous voices sing the lie” and holding your ground is vital.
Kreator really have something to say on this album as they lament the “regrets of the dying”, and question the world’s idea of development: “is this progress?”, and expose society’s “decay”. But, “nothing can shake us of the belief” that there is still good in the world through the music, “a new reality”, with new “synergy”. These ideas come together in ‘Tranenpalast’ (Palace of Tears). The song has a melodic introduction and is underpinned with classic big drums, guitar riffs and solos where “we didn’t come to pray”, but to “quell” and bring “integrity”. The drummer Ventor really hammers the drumkit. The added vocals from Hiraes growler Britta Gortz gives the track added depth.
The old school ‘krush’ comes at the middle of the album with ‘Barbarian’, ‘Blood Of Our Blood’, and the huge ‘fists in the air’, pumping bounce of ‘Combatants’. There is a real drive and energy in the drumming, and blistering pace in the guitar riffs. The vocals have that more brutal edge.
The last three tracks of the album deliver melodic guitar riffs in ‘Psychotic Imperator’ which turns into a blistering thrash metal attack with operatic vocals woven in. It is followed by another round of huge guitar riffage, and a barrage of big drums, and a huge scream that opens ‘Deathscream’, about the “evil spreading like wildfire” of “dystopian disease”, where fans are told to hold their ground amongst the vomit. The album closes out with the power metal of ‘Loyal To The Grave’, with choral voices underpinning a dark and ominous melody where the illusion of life is exposed as darkness, but tells fans and music fans to keep being the light, as “your soul and mine are the same”.
In ‘Krushers Of The World’, Kreator’s implore heavy metal music fans to hold the line, and let the music be the light in a dark and violent world.
