Normally I don't like to jump on the "immediately review new releases" bandwagon, but sometime's there are exceptions. After being greatly disappointed with Testament's Brotherhood Of The Snake, having this record absolutely blow my mind was truly a relief. To say it's way stronger than their previous release would be a stretch, but Kreator have always been one of those bands that have matured with every album, ever since abandoning the noisy, stripped down, '80s raw thrash sound. This could not be anymore evident in Gods Of Violence.
For starters, this is probably the most melodic that the band has ever gotten, even in the heavier tracks. This record displays some great, yet subtle use of some power metal riffs, but you have to pay close enough attention to catch it. It's most evident in my favorite track, "Totalitarian Terror". Their ability to fuse this into their sound, yet remain true to the aggressive, harsh style proves this release worthy of respect, whether you dig it or not. There's still long, lung killing shrieks, surrounded by hailing blast beat drumming and riffs that are nice and sharp. The production on this record could not be any cleaner, with little to no extra noise. That being said though, the bass could have played a better role on here, which would have definitely brought this up even higher.
Most of the song structure is mature and clearly took some thought. A lot of the content focuses on actual world problems, and for the most part doesn't attack religion on every other track. Tracks like "World War Now", "Gods Of Violence" and "Army Of Storms" contain some of the heaviest moments, with outstanding solos and above average, heavy riffing, as well as Millie's greatest vocal work, and it all fits together perfectly. At the same time, they also offer us some slower tracks near the end, such as "Side By Side" and "Death Becomes My Light", where we get to witness his singing voice, a rare occurrence, but always neat. It's deep and devious, yet depicts his emotions very well. My only issue with the writing is how corny the track "Satan Is Real" is, as the chorus is repetitive, and it would appear they tried too hard with this one. Not a horrible track, but definitely sticks out slightly. As a whole release, this is a solid album to kick off 2017, and definitely brings out some ability in Kreator that wasn't revealed in the past (or at least not as prominently). Hard kicks and complex licks are not abandoned, and with a very small amount of flaws, I was not disappointed.
Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
