From the outset it has everything you could wish for. The anthemic opening instrumental “Apocalypticon” crashes into the opening track “World War Now”, which does all the right things you could ask for to kick off an album. This is followed by “Satan is Real”, which although the music side of the song is okay, just has too much repetition involved, both in riff and vocals. Yep, Satan is real, but I don’t need to hear it 32 times within the framework of one song. A bit picky, but it does drag it down a bit.
“Totalitarian Terror” erases any low thoughts on this, basing itself on a the staple of thrash metal with the raging double kick drum, screaming vocals over the top, and great melodic soloing through the middle. Great song. This is followed by the title track “Gods of Violence”, which continues the good vibes, again dominated by the fantastic dual guitars soling through the centre of the song. Terrific.
The middle of the album probably holds up the progress that is made by the opening tracks. “Army of Storms” is more of a straight forward song, sticking to the same tempo throughout and with the chanting anthem much like “Satan is Real” perhaps overdoing it a little bit. In essence, “Hail to the Hordes” comes across very similarly, based on the prominent double kick drumming which dominates the song, and chanting lyrics throughout rather than any extension with vocals or guitars. The triplet timing in “Lion with Eagle Wings” at least gets the album out of the formatted drum cycle.
“Fallen Brother” sounds like a more modern extreme metal song, which not knowing the history of the band feels as though it has been written purposely in that way. There are similarities to bands like Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall with the screaming vocals over a melodic interlude. If feels out of place to me within everything else on the album – not poorly, just different. “Side By Side” brings it back to a more recognisable genre, mixing in clear and quieter sections with the loud and extreme and then the melodic. A bit of everything really. The album closes with “Death Becomes My Light”, looking to be the epic to finish the album on that high note to keep the listener returning. For the most part it works, driven initially by that drum beat and eventually by the guitars that provide the highlights to the song.
As my real entry point to Kreator I was satisfied by this album. It shows the basics that make a good thrash album, that being solid rhythm, great guitars, a mostly fast speed and heavy attitude and vocals that express the mayhem that is required. Certainly this is an album I can return to, and the first section especially. No doubt I will need to investigate the history further now when time allows.
Rating: “We are the antidote to the radicalized” 3.5/5
