The early discography of one of the all-time great/influential extreme metal bands will be getting an overhaul. On June 9th, the Kreator’s first four classic releases will be reissued via BMG as expanded and remastered editions – 1985’s ‘Endless Pain,’ 1986’s ‘Pleasure to Kill,’ 1987’s ‘Terrible Uncertainty,’ and 1989’s ‘Extreme Aggression’ – available in digital, vinyl, and CD formats.
‘Endless Pain’ was released in October 1985 by Noise Records. It was a savage debut; its crude thrashing quickly had the underground metal world abuzz with excitement. This album has been known to be viewed as a pivotal album to black metal bands that enjoy thrash metal elements, ultimately creating a thrash-influenced black metal sound.
Endless Pain’ Tracklisting
Endless Pain
Total Death
Storm of the Beast
Tormentor
Son of Evil
Flag of Hate
Cry War
Bonebreaker
Living in Fear
Dying Victims
Satan’s Day (Blitzkrieg Demo)
Messenger from Burning Hell (Blitzkrieg Demo)
Armies of Hell (End of the Word Demo)
Tormentor (End of the Word Demo)
Cry War (End of the Word Demo)
Bonebreaker (End of the Word Demo)
Unleashed in 1986 and still considered the band’s first “classic” album, ‘Pleasure to Kill’ raised the bar with more diversity of tempos and greater attention to technical execution, while losing nothing in terms of ferocity or speed. The band closed out the year with the “Flag of Hate” EP (named after a re-recorded version of their earliest hit), which is included on this version.
Pleasure to Kill’ Tracklisting
Choir of the Damned
Ripping Corpse
Death Is Your Saviour
Pleasure to Kill
Riot of Violence
The Pestilence
Carrion
Command of the Blade
Under the Guillotine
Flag of Hate (Flag Of Hate EP)
Take Their Lives (Flag Of Hate EP)
Awakening of the Gods (Flag Of Hate EP)
Originally released in 1987, ‘Terrible Certainty’ did nothing to dent the perception that Kreator were one of the genre’s best bands, and for once, singer/guitarist Mille Petrozza had a little time to work out the songs beforehand. Kreator beefed up to a quartet once again with the addition of guitarist Jörge Trebziatowski.
‘Terrible Uncertainty’ Tracklisting
Blind Faith
Storming with Menace
Terrible Certainty
As the World Burns
Toxic Trace
No Escape
One of Us
Behind the Mirror
Impossible to Cure (Out Of The Dark…Into The Light EP)
Lambs to the Slaughter (Out Of The Dark…Into The Light EP)
Terrible Certainty (live)
Riot of Violence (live)
Awakening of the Gods (live)
Flag of Hate (live)
Love Us or Hate Us (live)
Behind the Mirror (live)
The fourth album by Kreator, Extreme Aggression was released in 1989. This album introduced many American fans to Kreator, primarily through heavy rotation of the “Betrayer” music video on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, which was partly shot at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
‘Extreme Aggression’ Tracklisting
Extreme Aggression
No Reason to Exist
Love Us or Hate Us
Stream of Consciousness
Some Pain Will Last
Betrayer
Don’t Trust
Bringer of Torture
Fatal Energy
Some Pain Will Last (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Extreme Aggression (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Under the Guillotine (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Toxic Trace (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Bringer of Torture (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Pleasure to Kill (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Flag of Hate (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Terrible Certainty (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Riot of Violence (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Love Us or Hate Us (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Behind the Mirror (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Betrayer (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Awakening of the Gods (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Tormentor (Live in East Berlin 1990)
Kreator are often credited with helping pioneer death metal and black metal by containing several elements of what was to become those genres. The band has achieved worldwide sales of over two million units for combined sales of all their albums, making them one of the best-selling German thrash metal bands of all time.
Kreator’s style has changed several times over the years, from a Venom-inspired speed metal sound, later moving in to thrash metal, and including a period of transitioning from thrash to industrial metal and gothic metal throughout the 1990s. In the early 2000s, Kreator returned to their classic thrash sound, which has continued to the present.
And soon, metal fans worldwide will get the chance to re-experience Kreator with these expanded/definitive versions of their first four releases.