KREATOR – Enemy Of God

The German Thrash-meisters are back, and back with a vengeance. Enemy of God is the musical equivalent of Harold Larkin, the 300 lb carpenter of the David Letterman Show – huge, heavy, and with hammer in hand.

The band has retained the hard-hitting edge from the 80s, but they have also incorporated some more Melodic characteristics with elements from the Swedish In Flames/At The Gates tradition. This is obvious in songs like “Impossible Brutality,” with its galloping chorus, and in the riffing and chorus of a track like “Under A Total Blackened Sky.” The way the Melodic aspects are incorporated becomes a good thing indeed, as it only enhances the music and never spoils the aggression.

Basically, there are no weak tracks here whatsoever, but when picking standout ones it is impossible to forget the two aforementioned ones along with groove monsters like the title track, “World Anarchy,” “Suicide Terrorist,” “Murder Fantasies,” and “When Death Takes It’s Dominion.”

Unlike some other bands in this genre, Kreator has always emphasized musicianship and not only untamed aggression, and the playing on the record is rock solid. The lead guitar lines are just about as chaotic as they should be, the drumming is, at times, complete double-bass frenzy, and frontman Mille Petrozza snarls and growls like a German Shepherd with nothing (or eventually no one) to eat.

This obviously is a fairly positive review, and there’s not very much more that needs to be said. Enemy of God is another great release from Kreator, and an awesome way to start the New Year. Rocket science it’s not, but for those about to rock, there is no better ways to do it. Now go ahead and bang those heads!