Kreator "Renewal" CD

This is the first "experimental" Kreator album, introducing noticeable elements of industrial and hardcore.

Before this, the only album I had from Kreator was “Coma of Souls”. So I had little reference to what they have churned up throughout their early years. In fact I bought COS not long ago before I purchase RENEWAL so my know how of Kreator’s style is just limited to COS therefore I didn’t expect anything except that I was curious to what the new Kreator has to offer. Enter “Renewal”, Kreator’s outtake in experimentation, mixing industrial shadings to a slightly altered playing style emphasizing more on vocals and drums. A major move for the band leaving many dissatisfied and somewhat felt betrayed because of the surprising shift in sound, disappointed was the word but not all felt the same because beneath the initial trauma lies a foreboding Kreator Gem.
Renewal is a dark piece of brooding but menacing work of metal with a very twisted atmosphere but still “Thrash” in a very odd form. Mille at this time was rather tired of their thrash metal attack pacing that he slowed things down. The once frenzied steady guitar riffing has been replaced with some experimental versions of riffs varying from slow, mid-tempo to fast depending on the songs focus and direction and at some climaxing points is still ripping and barraging the Kreator way. That’s for the rhythm guitars only and for the lead? Twisted in a bad way, some works some not. The vocals are still Mille Petrozza in style and execution but the snarls are lower , one of the big factors that gave this album a darker feel. The drums are experimental too, Ventor playing some drum beats and pattern that are quite unlikely for Thrash Metal. (Opening drums on Winter Martyruim, Verse drums on Reflection, bridge part on Brainseed, and intro on Depression Unrest) but made things interesting to hear and with comes to thrash things up, Ventor delivers a riveting backbone to the music making him and the vox the vocal point since they were higher in the mix than the guitars.
In the song writing department, the songs twist and turn from a slow emotive passage to an energetic one then some climatic outburst to really shake things up. Milles emotional snarl rings so true, having that aggressive dark edge tone that captured very well the atmosphere of his compositions. The world conjured here is something like a near death drama that the world is going to end. This is pissed-off Kreator that wants to express aggressiveness in a different angle.
Give this one chance, it’s a real grower. Recommended if your tired of all the clichéd Thrash o rama but want your music to be still fast.

Official promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...