Kreator's work has been consistently in the vein of pure thrash, with the exception of four albums (Renewal, Cause for Conflict, Outcast and Endorama) during the 1990s when they undertook serious experimentation. Incorporating Industrial, Gothic and Avant-Garde elements into their sound, the results were uneven in some fans' and also critics' eyes. The band has since incorporated melodic death metal elements into their thrash sound, particularly that of the gothenburg scene.
Kreator formed as Tyrant in 1982 in Essen, Germany. The original lineup featured vocalist/guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jurgen 'Ventor' Reil, and bassist Rob Fioretti. They soon changed their name to Tormentor and released two demos. They changed the name of the band again to the final one, Kreator and signed to Noise Records in 1985. The name Kreator is not just a play on the English word "creator", it's also a name of a demon in the German mythology. Mille thought it was a cool name so the band settled with this new name instead of "Tormentor".
They recorded their debut album, Endless Pain, in just 10 days. Legions of black and death metal bands call it one of their major influences. The band hired the late Sodom guitarist Michael Wulf for the albums tour.
Wulf was in the band for a few days and didn't play on the band's next album, 1986's Pleasure to Kill, despite his getting credit. A new guitarist, Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski joined the band and he played on this album, which is widely considered a thrash classic. Produced by Harris Johns (Helloween, Voivod), it is arguably one of the heaviest, fastest albums in metal, while showing the band growing in talent and technical ability. The song "Flag of Hate" became an early hit, and the band became one of the most promising up-and-coming European metal acts. With Tritze the band started their first tour ever (before the release of Pleasure to Kill they had only played 5 gigs total). The band closed out the year with the Flag of Hate EP.
In 1987 Kreator released Terrible Certainty, which is often considered to be Kreator's best album as the arrangements on the album were more complex and the tempos more varied. The album featured another hit "Behind The Mirror", and the band's popularity continued to grow. They managed to find enough time and money (coming from the concerts) to finance another EP Out of the Dark ... Into the Light.
In 1988 Kreator signed with major label Epic Records. Their debut with Epic, 1989's Extreme Aggression, recorded in Los Angeles, became a metal hit. Continuing the Terrible Certainty formula while showing the band still progressing musically and with better production by the well-regarded Randy Burns (also Megadeth among others), the album featured the band's first major singles and music videos, the title track and "Betrayer", becoming major hits on MTVs Headbangers Ball. They toured North America with Suicidal Tendencies, which greatly expanded their popularity outside of Europe.
In 1989 German director Thomas Schadt made a documentary about Kreator (focusing on the social aspect of heavy metal in the Ruhr Area) titled Thrash Altenessen (named after the band's hometown, a suburb of Essen). Tritze left Kreator after Extreme Aggression. In 1990, with new guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (also formely of Sodom), the band released Coma of Souls. This album was not quite as praised as the bands previous few albums (many felt the album was "rushed" and repetitive), but still managed to do quite well, with "People of the Lie" becoming a hit. However, things changed in the 90's. With many other thrash bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and others changing their sound for a more commercial approach, Kreator began experimenting with death metal and industrial metal around this time.
The result was 1992s Renewal, which featured heavy death metal and industrial influences. While reaching a newer, more commercial audience, the band upset many longtime fans, accusing them of "selling out". The band, once known for being an excellent live act, had disappointing shows and tours for this album due to the industrial influences.
The excruciatingly taxing touring commitments that followed took the band as far as South America, but understandably left them physically and creatively exhausted. The band began to fall apart around this time, founding member Rob Fioretti left the band after the recording of the album as he wanted to spend more time with his family and was replaced by Andreas Herz, who never played any official release. In 1994 Reil left as well, leaving Petrozza the sole original bandmember. Reil was replaced by Joe Cangelosi. Herz left in 1995 and was replaced by Christian Giesler. To make matters worse, their contract with Epic was dropped. Now on G.U.N. Records the new lineup put out the album Cause for Conflict that year. The result was their most modern album at that time, the sound on this album had influences from Pantera and Machine Head, a slight return to a harsher sound than on the previous album.
Gosdzik and Cangelosi left in 1996 and were replaced by Tommy Vetterli (formerly of Coroner), and, surprisingly, Jurgen Reil. The band continued to experiment with their sound, releasing Outcast and Endorama, both of which experimented with goth and ambient influences, incorporated samples and loops and even found Petrozza trying a few different singing styles on for size. It also retained the groove metal influences. The record sales went down, by the end of the '90s the band reached both commercial and critical nadir. Though frontman Mille Petrozza never cared about this: "For us, success doesn't define in record sales. So all our albums have been successful for us, because we've achieved what we were aiming for...".
However, in 2001, with new guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, the band released their "comeback" album Violent Revolution, which saw the band returning to their classic thrash style (albeit they used a lot of melodic metal and so called Gothenburg metal riffs). It was praised by fans and critics alike. The tour was extremely successful and introduced Kreator to a younger generation of metal fans. A live album Live Kreation and live DVD Live Kreation: Revisioned Glory were released in 2003, and a new studio album - still retaining a style closer to old school thrash metal - Enemy of God was released in 2005. This album also saw a special edition re-release in 2006 called Enemy of God: Revisited. In early 2006, Kreator toured North America and Canada with Napalm Death, A Perfect Murder, and Undying. In 2007 Kreator had a European tour with Celtic Frost and Waatan. Kreator were to tour 2008 with King Diamond, Leaves Eyes, and Cellador, however the tour has been cancelled due to back issues with King Diamond.
In July of 2008 Kreator entered the Titonus Studios in Germany with producer Moses Schneider to record their twelfth studio album: Hordes of Chaos. The record was mixed by Colin Richardson and released worldwide under Steamhammer Records on the 13th January 2009. The record has been described as their most organic album to date because, barring vocals, guitar solos and some melodies, the album was recorded in a live setting on analog tape recorder with very few overdubs. Frontman Mille Petrozza noted that this was the first time they have recorded an album this way since Pleasure to Kill in 1986.
The album was released in three different formats. The standard edition was issued in a jewel case and features the 10 album tracks. A deluxe edition features a bonus DVD with a making of the album documentary. The LP version of the album has different artwork to the other versions.
The album debuted at number 165 on The Billboard 200 chart in the US, with first week sales of approximately 2,800 copies.
The album was re-released as the 'Ultra Riot' box set edition in mid 2010. It featured new artwork, extended liner notes, promo videos, a bonus disc with demo tracks and cover songs and various pieces of memorabilia (such as a photobook, sticker, poster and photo card).
Kreator toured on the back of this album throughout 2010, and Mille has recently confirmed that 2011 will primarily be a song-writing year for the band.
Men Without God
Kreator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ideology died and the vision is gone
Oppression part of the plot
Degrading life into material force
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction
Deformed lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for societies
Fabric nameless tools lost their face
Atrocity conquered the mind
Decadent deligation repulsive elite
Violent emotionless time
Decade of militant brutal prestige
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction deformed
Lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for
Society's fabric nameless tools
Lost their face
Descent to the void
Human vultures of the soul
Impurity destroyed
A new religion of control
Bizarre moral catastrophe
Wasteland left by the almighty
Mind war of freezing fear
A new kingdom of terror is here
Screaming dying from inside
Slave to the master of all lies
Desperate men turn into beasts
Scavengers of cancerous disease
Paradise was only an illusion
Hell on earth became so real
A place the ancient ones forgot
Hordes of men without God
The lyrics of Kreator's song Men Without God present a bleak and dystopian vision of a planet that has been abandoned by its god. The absence of a divine presence has allowed for ideology to die and for oppression to become part of the plot. Life has been degraded and reduced to a material force, and the result is a group of people who are empty and in pain. They wear vicious expressions of purest hate, and their nightmares have been fulfilled.
These people are grotesque abstractions, deformed and lost in their fate. They are lunatics who murder without any reason, driven by a killer instinct that enslaves them. They are nameless tools of society's fabric, lost in their facelessness, and they belong to an atrocity that has conquered their minds. This is a violent, emotionless time, a decade of militant brutal prestige. And once again, the emptiness brings pain to their faces, and their vicious expressions show the purest hate. Their nightmares fulfill.
The lyrics of Men Without God are a commentary on a world that has been left adrift, a world that lacks meaning and purpose, and where human beings are reduced to nothing more than beasts. The absence of God has led to a moral catastrophe and a wasteland where fear and terror reign. The result is a society of men without God, a place where hell on earth has become all too real.
Line by Line Meaning
Planet left by its god
The planet has been abandoned by its creator
Ideology died and the vision is gone
The belief system has vanished and the future looks bleak
Oppression part of the plot
The act of suppressing others is an intentional component
Degrading life into material force
Life is being reduced to a mere means for material gain
Emptiness pain in their faces
A feeling of despair and agony is evident in their expressions
Vicious expression of purest hate
An intense and uncontrollable feeling of malice is reflected in their faces
Nightmares fulfill
Their worst fears become a reality
Grotesque abstraction
A distorted and strange notion of reality
Deformed lost in their fate
They have been irreversibly altered and are ensnared in their destiny
Lunatics murder without any reason
Individuals who are mentally unstable are killing others without justification
A killer instinct that enslaves
The instinct to kill has become their new master and holds them captive
Endangered dying species for societies
Societies are causing the extinction of various species
Fabric nameless tools lost their face
Inanimate objects have lost their identity and value
Atrocity conquered the mind
Acts of extreme violence have taken control of the human psyche
Decadent delegation repulsive elite
The ruling class is perverse and corrupt
Violent emotionless time
The era is characterized by brutality without empathy
Decade of militant brutal prestige
The past ten years have been marked by aggressive and merciless conduct
Descent to the void
A plunge into emptiness and non-existence
Human vultures of the soul
Individuals who scavenge on the emotional vulnerabilities of others
Impurity destroyed
The flaws and imperfections are eradicated
A new religion of control
A new belief system has replaced the old, which emphasizes domination and manipulation
Bizarre moral catastrophe
A strange and catastrophic event, causing a disruption in moral values
Wasteland left by the almighty
The all-powerful being has left behind a barren and desolate land
Mind war of freezing fear
The inner conflict is a battle of extreme dread and terror
A new kingdom of terror is here
A new regime of horror has been established
Screaming dying from inside
An inner agony and torment, beyond physical pain
Slave to the master of all lies
A subservient to the ultimate deceiver
Desperate men turn into beasts
Individuals, forced into desperation, become vicious and inhumane
Scavengers of cancerous disease
Like a disease, individuals seek to destroy what little good is left
Paradise was only an illusion
The promised utopia was never real
Hell on earth became so real
The present reality is an absolute nightmare
A place the ancient ones forgot
A location abandoned and long forgotten by previous civilizations
Hordes of men without God
Masses of individuals who lack faith or guidance from a higher power
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANK GOSDZIK, MILAND PETROZZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RobbKong Riot-Activist
God, the solo in this (and the rhythm riff in the background) is so awesome! It makes me smile!
Paul Lambert
Me too!!
Legalwave
I had that riff at 2:06 stuck in my head for months, but I had no idea where I heard it at. You have no idea how happy I am to finally find out where I heard it from!
Ивайло Добрев
One of my fav Kreator songs!
Torronto
Publicaste este temazo el día de mi cumpleaños, un acierto 👌
Nicolas Tambuyser
the dynamics of this song are so fucking cool
Xavier Mendoza
The intro is dope AF
Taby K
just KREATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the best
jumpfart666
YES!!!!
davadead
thorgal70...ventor is not singing in this song, ts is mille , ventor also played drums in this work thats he was in vacation