Kreator : Krushers of the World
It goes a little under the radar how many thrash bands have continued to make great albums into their old age. Although Metallica have spent several decades putting out records that tilt from serviceable to disaster, a good number of other big name thrash acts (such as Slayer, Testament, Sepultura, Megadeth and Kreator) have put out more than their fair share of great late-period music. Some, particularly in the case of albums by Testament and debatably Kreator, could even be viewed as better than their heyday records, both because they’ve improved their craft as they’ve aged and, since technical ability is so important to thrash, the quality of the musicians’ output has correspondingly improved in intricacy and ferocity.
It’s hard not to overstate how much fun Kreator’s Krushers Of The World is. The sixteenth studio album from the kings of German thrash is an absolute blast; a concise (10 tracks) collection of modern metal that’s as forceful and energetic as anything released by bands less than half Kreator’s age. The most immediately noticeable thing about it is that it never feels like an exercise in retro (self-) imitation. Everything here feels contemporary; the dense production, the downtuned guitars, the riveting groove passages that hit with as much force as any breakdown by a modern metalcore band. No track is a slouch, but “Blood Of Our Blood” is worth highlighting. The technical intricacy of some of these riffs recalls Lamb Of God or even Australian death metallers Psycroptic and, in some cases, such as the fabulous closing riff, surpass their intensity.
Of course, there’s ample solos and fists-in-the-air choruses as well. Kreator walk a fine line between exhilarating and cheesy, injecting their music with so much speed and fervor it ensures the monster choruses on basically all of Krushers Of The World’s 10 tracks never feel trite nor silly, and never cross over into power metal self-parody. “Satanic Anarchy” is a stellar example of this deceptively delicate balance. It’s got the best chorus on the album, featuring a stirring, memorable and unusual vocal melody, but is packed in between copious relentless and extremely heavy, borderline death metal riffs. There’s also just the right amount of symphonic embellishments, such as the choral introduction to ‘Loyal To The Grave’ and the grin-inducing giallo soundtrack homage that opens and closes “Tränenpalast.” These moments are the definition of “icing on the cake”—little touches that add welcome color and flair.
If you like heavy music in any form, you’ll get something out of Krushers Of The World. This is pure energy and intensity, executed in such a manner that it just exudes life, passion and good vibes. Kreator are masters of their art and letting them take you on this headbanging ride will be as much fun as you’ll have with any metal album in 2026.
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2026
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