Single Slam – Gods of Violence by Kreator (Gods of Violence)

Kreator are due to release their 14th album through Nuclear Blast Records on the 27th of January, 2017. It will have been around 5 years since the bands last album, the 2012 release of Phantom Antichrist. The German thrash metal icons have released the title track of the new album as a single. The song, Gods of Violence, is just under 6 minutes long and is about as old school thrash metal a song as you are ever going to hear. In fact, this is probably the song to play to someone if you were trying to explain or prove to anyone that 80’s thrash is still alive and well today.

Starting with a nice little acoustic melody, which lasts for the first minute or so, before exploding into life with a collage of cymbal crashes, drum beats, high pitched guitar lines and shouts of “WE SHALL KILL” on repeat. It is quite an epic, in your face start which then breaks down into the fast paced riff that holds the song together. With verses that are sped through with just a few lines of vocals from Miland Petrozza, and a cool guitar lead that almost acts as backing singer to the vocals with it’s occasionally muted notes, it sounds really old school but in a good way. It genuinely reminds me of Iron Maiden at points and the singing actually sounds like Bruce Dickinson in the verses at least.

The chorus is a real fist in the air, We Shall Kill, lyric that is backed up by fast drumming. Bridges are formed from tidy guitar leads before a fast vocal section plays out over a speedy low toned riff that ends with a little high toned flourish. This leads you straight into a really great solo that plays out at real thrashy metal speed, waving in and out of different tones and rhythms and all backed up by solid drums and an under lying low tones riff. Christian Giesler is a real master of the axe and wields it brilliantly in this solo. The solo ends by jumping straight back into the “WE SHALL KILL” chant and medley of instruments from the intro  before becoming the slightly different chorus containing the same chant.

Petrozza had the following to say about the new track – “Gods Of Violence’ was the first song I wrote for this album and it stuck to me as the title track. It contains everything KREATOR is known for and it will blow your minds. Promise!”

Gods of Violence, the song, isn’t going to win any awards for inspirational lyrics or things like that but grab a beer, stick this on and bang your head. I don’t think you will be able to stop yourself anyway. A really good thrash metal song that is a modern day nod to all the brilliance of the past.

Check it out for yourself here and why not think about maybe pre ordering the album from Nuclear Blast yourself, if you like what you hear? Check the band out on their website or maybe even give them a like or follow on Facebook or on Twitter to get more information on the band and the new album.

Remember, support your metal or risk losing it!