Review by Felix on October 16, 2026.

Sometimes the quality of an album does not depend on its heaviness, its degree of high speed, or something like that. Even atmosphere or riffs can be secondary. Instead, the degree of integrity is the crucial thing. I don’t know whether all members of Kreator know the meaning of the keyword in the previous sentence. Ventor does, I am sure, but I wouldn’t stake my life on it when it comes to someone else. Anyway, let’s put this topic on hold and focus on the music itself.

One can say Kreator have written some decent songs, but one can also say they sell complete rubbish. Take the title track, which should be entitled to represent the complete full-length. This is a rather lacklustre number, arranged in a largely predictable way, whose anthem-like chorus sounds more contrived than skilful. It’s a bit embarrassing that Kreator are trying to give the song depth and pathos, but unfortunately the result just sounds cheap and half-baked. By the way, the same applies to the opening track, which normally serves as a representation of the album as a whole. Naturally, the advance track 'Tränenpalast' also houses embarrassing elements that want the listener to open their wallet. A more or less prominent female guest singer who sounds like Sabina Classen with pneumonia, soft, emotionless… sorry, very emotional sequences, and a young female ballet dancer jumping senselessly through the video of the song speak volumes. This is the most polished, most meaningless track of the album, and despite its coherence and flow, I feel the urge to puke. Wake up, down-to-earth Ventor, you are drumming in the wrong movie.

In all fairness, every now and then the songs show trace elements of the once venomous and neck-breaking style of the band. 'Barbarian' or 'Psychotic Imperator' hold some truly insidious, nearly ferocious parts, but as bitter as it is, even these songs do not avoid panoramic, pretty kitschy sections. Welcome to the unwritten law that all songs have to have something wannabe-catchy which smooths out any rough edges and softens the overall impression. It doesn’t matter; the main thing is that the song titles pretend to capture the band’s old brutality. Aren’t we all barbarian combatants who fight against the psychotic imperator until blood of our blood flows and the Satanic anarchy begins? In all honesty, who are you trying to pull the wool over the eyes of? If the production were to include at least five per cent of grit, I might be open to discussion. But that is, of course, not the case. A good budget is meant to be spent, whatever the cost. So let’s put it politely: a professional, modern production bordering on sterility – that is what we get to hear. You might like it, but you don’t have to.

All in all, let me come back to the topic I have mentioned at the beginning. With regard to integrity, this album stinks. Nobody dared to hope for a return to Pleasure To Kill, but new impulses do not show up either. Kreator stagnate in their niche, offering 50% thrash (at best) and 50 % soulless, commercial metal-pop (at least). If I only knew who needs this cocktail? Even really strong components like the solo in 'Blood Of Our Blood' are devalued by the second 50%, so to speak. Either way, I have heard enough of a stylistically meandering band with good technical skills and acceptable vocals. If I should mention a kind of highlight, it is 'Deathscream' which wasn’t randomly relegated to the penultimate position. But if you want to leave the record out altogether, there’s no reason why not. Nobody needs to be 'Loyal To The Grave' in view of a formation that has cut its roots.

Rating: 4.4 out of 10

Review by Michael on January 14, 2026.

Well, Kreator don't need any further introduction, delivering the metal scene great stuff since 1985. Okay, they had their lows with "Outcast" and the almost terrible goth-like "Endorama" but since "Violent Revolution" they found way back into thrash metal and have a second spring since 1999.

Whereby thrash isn't the right term actually for their works since "Violent Revolution". They have become much more melodic, yet Iron Maiden- influenced since then what has caused many discussions if they still are true and rooted in the scene. Personally I like the old stuff like "Pleasure To Kill", "Extreme Aggression" or "Coma Of Souls" very much and in my musical evolution these albums play a major role indeed but I never felt disappointed with the newer stuff either.

To be honest, could you truly imagine Mille and co recording a new "Terrible Certainty"? I guess they missed that train for many decades now and this would be slight irritating in my humble opinion.

So what is to say about "Krushers Of The World"? First of all it fits perfect into the series of their latest releases. It is melodic yet aggressive stuff with a lot of catchy, crushing vibes. Milles vocals sound pissed off as always, nagging about the state of the world and much more. But sometimes they have taken out the speed of their songs. The title track for instance is a  good example for this. It is a mid-tempo stomper with an opulent atmosphere and some epic melodies so that you actually don't miss the lack of speed too much.

On the other hand there are some fast, ass-kicking songs that clearly show their roots in thrash metal: "Blood Of Our Blood" connects aggressive thrash metal with the already well-known melodic metal guitar riffs. "Tränenpalast" is another interesting song. Lyrically it has nothing to do with the former border crossing between West and East Germany but with the movie "Suspiria" by Dario Argento. Here we can hear some female grunted vocals by Britta Görtz (Hiraes) and this track is also very energetic and powerful. And because of the vocals it reminds a lot of Arch Enemy. "Deathscream" tends into the same direction when it comes to the chorus. Here the vocals sometimes tend to more death metal and it is again a very fast song.

Compared to its predecessor "Hate Über Alles" which I overrated a little bit when it came out, I am very glad that Kreator didn't do any strange experiments this time. A track like "Midnight Sun" that was a little bit more experimental is not to be found here and the songs seem much more homogeneous.

Production-wise Jens Borgren did a solid job with that album, here everythings sounds as it shoud. No overproduction, nothing that sounds sterile or weak. I know that a very good friend of mine will complain about the modern sound they have on "Krushers Of The World" but he doesn't like them since "Renewal". And where would we be if we haven't had any terms of discussion anymore?

So enjoy the new Kreator album, you cannot do anything wrong with it. It's just like your soul food you can always enjoy without any expectations for some new crazy shit.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Krusty Krushers

Review by Felix on October 16, 2026.

Sometimes the quality of an album does not depend on its heaviness, its degree of high speed, or something like that. Even atmosphere or riffs can be secondary. Instead, the degree of integrity is the crucial thing. I don’t know whether all members of Kreator know the meaning of the keyword in the previous sentence. Ventor does, I am sure, but I wouldn’t stake my life on it when it comes to someone else. Anyway, let’s put this topic on hold and focus on the music itself.

One can say Kreator have written some decent songs, but one can also say they sell complete rubbish. Take the title track, which should be entitled to represent the complete full-length. This is a rather lacklustre number, arranged in a largely predictable way, whose anthem-like chorus sounds more contrived than skilful. It’s a bit embarrassing that Kreator are trying to give the song depth and pathos, but unfortunately the result just sounds cheap and half-baked. By the way, the same applies to the opening track, which normally serves as a representation of the album as a whole. Naturally, the advance track 'Tränenpalast' also houses embarrassing elements that want the listener to open their wallet. A more or less prominent female guest singer who sounds like Sabina Classen with pneumonia, soft, emotionless… sorry, very emotional sequences, and a young female ballet dancer jumping senselessly through the video of the song speak volumes. This is the most polished, most meaningless track of the album, and despite its coherence and flow, I feel the urge to puke. Wake up, down-to-earth Ventor, you are drumming in the wrong movie.

In all fairness, every now and then the songs show trace elements of the once venomous and neck-breaking style of the band. 'Barbarian' or 'Psychotic Imperator' hold some truly insidious, nearly ferocious parts, but as bitter as it is, even these songs do not avoid panoramic, pretty kitschy sections. Welcome to the unwritten law that all songs have to have something wannabe-catchy which smooths out any rough edges and softens the overall impression. It doesn’t matter; the main thing is that the song titles pretend to capture the band’s old brutality. Aren’t we all barbarian combatants who fight against the psychotic imperator until blood of our blood flows and the Satanic anarchy begins? In all honesty, who are you trying to pull the wool over the eyes of? If the production were to include at least five per cent of grit, I might be open to discussion. But that is, of course, not the case. A good budget is meant to be spent, whatever the cost. So let’s put it politely: a professional, modern production bordering on sterility – that is what we get to hear. You might like it, but you don’t have to.

All in all, let me come back to the topic I have mentioned at the beginning. With regard to integrity, this album stinks. Nobody dared to hope for a return to Pleasure To Kill, but new impulses do not show up either. Kreator stagnate in their niche, offering 50% thrash (at best) and 50 % soulless, commercial metal-pop (at least). If I only knew who needs this cocktail? Even really strong components like the solo in 'Blood Of Our Blood' are devalued by the second 50%, so to speak. Either way, I have heard enough of a stylistically meandering band with good technical skills and acceptable vocals. If I should mention a kind of highlight, it is 'Deathscream' which wasn’t randomly relegated to the penultimate position. But if you want to leave the record out altogether, there’s no reason why not. Nobody needs to be 'Loyal To The Grave' in view of a formation that has cut its roots.

Rating: 4.4 out of 10

Review by Michael on January 14, 2026.

Well, Kreator don't need any further introduction, delivering the metal scene great stuff since 1985. Okay, they had their lows with "Outcast" and the almost terrible goth-like "Endorama" but since "Violent Revolution" they found way back into thrash metal and have a second spring since 1999.

Whereby thrash isn't the right term actually for their works since "Violent Revolution". They have become much more melodic, yet Iron Maiden- influenced since then what has caused many discussions if they still are true and rooted in the scene. Personally I like the old stuff like "Pleasure To Kill", "Extreme Aggression" or "Coma Of Souls" very much and in my musical evolution these albums play a major role indeed but I never felt disappointed with the newer stuff either.

To be honest, could you truly imagine Mille and co recording a new "Terrible Certainty"? I guess they missed that train for many decades now and this would be slight irritating in my humble opinion.

So what is to say about "Krushers Of The World"? First of all it fits perfect into the series of their latest releases. It is melodic yet aggressive stuff with a lot of catchy, crushing vibes. Milles vocals sound pissed off as always, nagging about the state of the world and much more. But sometimes they have taken out the speed of their songs. The title track for instance is a  good example for this. It is a mid-tempo stomper with an opulent atmosphere and some epic melodies so that you actually don't miss the lack of speed too much.

On the other hand there are some fast, ass-kicking songs that clearly show their roots in thrash metal: "Blood Of Our Blood" connects aggressive thrash metal with the already well-known melodic metal guitar riffs. "Tränenpalast" is another interesting song. Lyrically it has nothing to do with the former border crossing between West and East Germany but with the movie "Suspiria" by Dario Argento. Here we can hear some female grunted vocals by Britta Görtz (Hiraes) and this track is also very energetic and powerful. And because of the vocals it reminds a lot of Arch Enemy. "Deathscream" tends into the same direction when it comes to the chorus. Here the vocals sometimes tend to more death metal and it is again a very fast song.

Compared to its predecessor "Hate Über Alles" which I overrated a little bit when it came out, I am very glad that Kreator didn't do any strange experiments this time. A track like "Midnight Sun" that was a little bit more experimental is not to be found here and the songs seem much more homogeneous.

Production-wise Jens Borgren did a solid job with that album, here everythings sounds as it shoud. No overproduction, nothing that sounds sterile or weak. I know that a very good friend of mine will complain about the modern sound they have on "Krushers Of The World" but he doesn't like them since "Renewal". And where would we be if we haven't had any terms of discussion anymore?

So enjoy the new Kreator album, you cannot do anything wrong with it. It's just like your soul food you can always enjoy without any expectations for some new crazy shit.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Krusty Krushers

Review by Felix on September 17, 2026.

In difference to the very early days of our music, "metal" unites a lot of styles and those of you who are familiar with Krolok know that these dudes from Slovakia love to enter the stage with a pretty troll-like, very individual approach. The predecessor of "Hričov – Súľov - Lietava" painted a picture with soft contours, but a lot of musical magic. The new album marches into the same direction. There are comparably vehement, fast sections, but the four band members also give the music a lot of space to breathe. Every now and then, I wish they had taken a bigger swig from the bottle of pure metal. For instance, the ending of "Pod Skalnou Bránou" fishes in very shallow waters. Anyway, just like "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky", the new full-length sounds impressive, even though few special effects do not completely work. Already the configuration is a bit dubious. Three epic, regular songs and three instrumental intermezzos, including the outro, are offered. This means that a lot of folk-inspired sounds show up in these interludes. Anyhow, this fits the concept, because the promo tells us that Krolok take us many centuries back to the mysterious history of Slovakia. Due to the fact that the lead vocals are performed in the band's mother tongue, I don't understand a word – so the lyrics are very mysterious, indeed. However, the music conveys an archaic and authentic feeling and that is what counts after all. Timpani, acoustic guitars, jaw harps, tambourines and sometimes almost Graveland-like keyboards contribute to the emotional side of the material.

So the three short tracks support the concept, but they don't enrich the musical value significantly. (If I had a bad day, I would even say they dilute the performance to a certain extent.) Be that as it may, the focus is on the three pieces whose names form the title track. These 30 plus minutes reanimate the compositional wizardry of Krolok excellently. Especially the opulent opener "Hričov" is a true masterpiece. (What's that? Is someone in the last row talking back? Please leave the room immediately.) "Hričov" evokes countless different moods – natural sounds, ominously rolling guitar leads, impulsive, nearly violent outbursts, narrative parts and more. The song makes a brief appearance in Jilemnice and given the overlap in the line-up, it's almost bound to appeal to fans of Malokarpatan, yet it has an identity all of its own. It presents drama and frenzy, contemplative moods and profound melodies without suffering from any clumsy break. This is an outstanding piece of art, imbued with an eastern melancholy. Although it lasts almost 14 minutes, its only fault is that it is too short.

The other bombastically constructed tracks do not reach this quality level, but to be honest, one cannot expect such a storm of high class metal on just one album. But the combination of the many single components is still amazing. The metal riffs and lines are almost simply designed, but their effect should not be underrated. In addition, the haunting melodies – in liaison with the spooky lead vocals – also hit the mark. The fact that the production has more edges and corners than the one of the predecessor helps as well. Krolok still do not focus on a very raw or direct mix, but the atmospheric density of "Hričov – Súľov - Lietava" makes up for this and suits the musical content well. By the way, the strong "Lietava" marks the only track which features more brute force than fine blade work. So I can recommend the album to everyone who has already fallen in love with the former Krolok outputs or the Slovakian black metal scene in general – and I enjoy the many faces of metal one more time.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 17, 2026.

In difference to the very early days of our music, "metal" unites a lot of styles and those of you who are familiar with Krolok know that these dudes from Slovakia love to enter the stage with a pretty troll-like, very individual approach. The predecessor of "Hričov – Súľov - Lietava" painted a picture with soft contours, but a lot of musical magic. The new album marches into the same direction. There are comparably vehement, fast sections, but the four band members also give the music a lot of space to breathe. Every now and then, I wish they had taken a bigger swig from the bottle of pure metal. For instance, the ending of "Pod Skalnou Bránou" fishes in very shallow waters. Anyway, just like "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky", the new full-length sounds impressive, even though few special effects do not completely work. Already the configuration is a bit dubious. Three epic, regular songs and three instrumental intermezzos, including the outro, are offered. This means that a lot of folk-inspired sounds show up in these interludes. Anyhow, this fits the concept, because the promo tells us that Krolok take us many centuries back to the mysterious history of Slovakia. Due to the fact that the lead vocals are performed in the band's mother tongue, I don't understand a word – so the lyrics are very mysterious, indeed. However, the music conveys an archaic and authentic feeling and that is what counts after all. Timpani, acoustic guitars, jaw harps, tambourines and sometimes almost Graveland-like keyboards contribute to the emotional side of the material.

So the three short tracks support the concept, but they don't enrich the musical value significantly. (If I had a bad day, I would even say they dilute the performance to a certain extent.) Be that as it may, the focus is on the three pieces whose names form the title track. These 30 plus minutes reanimate the compositional wizardry of Krolok excellently. Especially the opulent opener "Hričov" is a true masterpiece. (What's that? Is someone in the last row talking back? Please leave the room immediately.) "Hričov" evokes countless different moods – natural sounds, ominously rolling guitar leads, impulsive, nearly violent outbursts, narrative parts and more. The song makes a brief appearance in Jilemnice and given the overlap in the line-up, it's almost bound to appeal to fans of Malokarpatan, yet it has an identity all of its own. It presents drama and frenzy, contemplative moods and profound melodies without suffering from any clumsy break. This is an outstanding piece of art, imbued with an eastern melancholy. Although it lasts almost 14 minutes, its only fault is that it is too short.

The other bombastically constructed tracks do not reach this quality level, but to be honest, one cannot expect such a storm of high class metal on just one album. But the combination of the many single components is still amazing. The metal riffs and lines are almost simply designed, but their effect should not be underrated. In addition, the haunting melodies – in liaison with the spooky lead vocals – also hit the mark. The fact that the production has more edges and corners than the one of the predecessor helps as well. Krolok still do not focus on a very raw or direct mix, but the atmospheric density of "Hričov – Súľov - Lietava" makes up for this and suits the musical content well. By the way, the strong "Lietava" marks the only track which features more brute force than fine blade work. So I can recommend the album to everyone who has already fallen in love with the former Krolok outputs or the Slovakian black metal scene in general – and I enjoy the many faces of metal one more time.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10