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Hordes Of Chaos (Ltd. Ed. CD/DVD)

Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos (Ltd. Ed. CD/DVD) Audio CD

A fair review of the Kreator "Hordes Of Chaos (Ltd. Ed. CD/DVD)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Kreator reviews here, or go back to the Kreator tabs.

Band: Kreator
Title: Hordes Of Chaos (Ltd. Ed. CD/DVD)
Rating:

Release Date: 2009-01-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite) 2: Warcurse 3: Escalation 4: Amok Run 5: Destroy What Destroys You 6: Radical Resistance 7: Absolute Misanthropy 8: To The Afterborn 9: Corpses Of Liberty 10: Demon Prince 11: The Making of Hordes Of Chaos, directed by Stephanie von Beauvais 12: Awakening Of The Gods (live at Summer Breeze Open Air Germany 2006) 13: Coma Of Souls (live at Summer Breeze Open Air Germany 2006) 14: Hordes Of Chaos (videoclip)

Leaves Something to be desired....
The album begins with Sami Yli-Sirnio playing- an actually quite catchy - melody unaccompanied until his bandmates join the fray and Hordes of Chaos can officially begin. Hordes of Chaos is the successor to 2005's impressive Enemy of God, and I don't think it lives up to Kreator's other more recent return-to-form thrash albums (Violent Revolution and the aforementioned Enemy of God). Let me waste no time, the title track is hands-down the best track on this album. It's catchy, creative, energetic, lyrically interesting, and in general everything thrash metal should be. Although placing a shiny piece of copper amongst a pyramid of dog turds will make any scrap of metal seem precious.

The problem isn't the solos, which retain Enemy of God's routine of Mille mindlessly shredding while Sami melodically rebuilds what the former destroys. It's not the choice of topics, which continues thrash metal's preconceived notions of society sucking and people being generally unfeeling zombies who hate everyone (not hypocritical at all, but who am I to judge?). And it's not the fact that this album was recorded live (the band records together simultaneously instead of each bandmate individual recording his part alone), which gives it a really awful garage sound I wouldn't expect or want from a professional band. If you have studios, the ability to use them extensively, spend time to ensure each part is perfect or as close to as possible, and make sure everything is congruent, then why would you choose not to unless you have a "statement" to make?

Nay, the real problem, the real thorn jutting into my spine is just that the whole is not greater then or equal to the sum of it's parts. I. E. , the songs simply are not very good. They're not particuarly catchy, several songs contain the same chorus pattern of Mille yelling the name of the song at you until he tires and taps on Sami's shoulder to solo (Amok Run, Warcurse, Destroy what Destroys You are all guilty of this), and the riffs themselves feel uninspired and almost forced. Another thing I REALLY don't like is their borrowing of themes from today's fad and preoccupation with Metalcore -- Heavy Metal's blind, deaf, retarded half-brother who only occasionally pees himself and passes out (I don't like Metalcore). It's not an overt influence, but you tell where and when they took a little dab of breakdown-salt and sprinkled over the thrash metal topsoil just to ruin what would be fine on it's own.

To summarize, Hordes of Chaos is an album that I really think could have and should have been better. I like the included DVD which contains a fairly brief look at the making of the album, but it doesn't really show much of interest -- yes, we can all infer as to what recording an album entails (playing instruments in front of microphones, mixing and mastering, etc), so it really isn't much more then a movie trailer that serves as something to wet your tongue with anticipation and saliva until the real show begins. But then again you can't justify a mediocre album with extra material.

Final Thought: Listen before you buy, or borrow from friend. You won't really be missing much. .

Great thrash, but it's too short!
Hence, I can be a Johnny-come-lately in discovering bands, because nobody my age (48) listens to the heavy stuff, so I'm a lone pioneer. If you, the reader, check out my other reviews, you'll see I'm primarily a metal head, but I delve into lots of different stuff.
Why, then, would one still love the heaviness that is Kreator, when some would think it's time to tone it down a bit? Well, because ever since I was a young pup, I've loved hard music, starting with KISS and Aerosmith's "Rocks" and going from there. Bear in mind that in the late 1970's this was very heavy stuff, along with Black Sabbath and Zeppelin.
I play guitar, and I love the instrument and its amazing versatility. With metal in all its variety, you get power, enthusiasm and chops. It still gets my blood pumping. I stumbled on Kreator from a sample CD from Britain's "Metal Hammer" magazine, and bought "Hordes of Chaos" as a cut from that CD was included, and they stood out over the rest of the samples.
Some call this pure thrash, hybrid death/thrash, or whatever. What I hear is a band that sonically is in the same league as Exodus, as fine a purveyor of thrash as there is, and my favorite thrash band, easily out-doing Metallica. So, while not an Exodus derivative, the slashing guitars, the pounding drums and requisite wounded puma vocals make for a great headbanging session.
I don't usually break down each cut, as I tend to view the CD as an overall package. That said, I find the only real fault is the brevity of the CD, at just 38 minutes. I could easily dig an hour's worth of this prime assault. Time to check out some of their other stuff (and I did get the seminal "Pleasure To Kill", which is sonically innovating, but suffers from a poor production). Us old farts gotta keep the blood pressure up.

Thrash Classic
I bought this based on reviews and sound clips. Ive been a thrash fan since thrash began, nothing new compares. Ive given this CD some time, im older and my tastes have changed. After living with it for a month or so im more impressed with every listen. Hordes is a great great album. Its like an old school masterpiece but with great sound.

The production is what first struck my ear. I love old thrash like Nuclear Assault, Artillery, Death Angel. . the list goes on. . . BUT you have to admit those old albums sound pretty rough. This however. . . with a quality set of headphones or good speakers this album quits being thrash or metal or whatever term you wanna use. . . and just becomes music. Hard, brutal, heavy music. Its intelligent, well done, angry and very well produced.

I go back a few years with thrash, I like Kreator, I bought Extreme Agression the day it came out on cassette back in '89. This CD is amazing for any band under any circumstance, but that Mille still has the fire to craft something this well after all these years (hes older too!) that to me is even a bigger achievement.

The title track and "Destroy What Destroys You" are standouts.

I dont like to compare bands, its a pointless argument. But for those labled "metal" especially modern metal they are just going through the motions compared to Kreator. This is the real deal. If you dont like this, you dont like thrash metal.

Awesome. (The DVD is pretty cool too) .

Aggressive Kreator At ts Best...
Up tempo - sometimes fast - songs. This line up of the band has been working for three LPs now and they have perfected what they have been doing since Violent Revolution. Lyrics are typical Kreator, in the line with "I know who is causing the trouble" approach. Politically fused, with a punk edge and yes intellectual.

Petrozza's vocals are the most angriest since Extreme Aggression. A little more high pitched then Enemy of God; and yes better than ever. But melodic also. . .

And riffs, riffs, riffs with harmony guitars. This is the first time that they have recorded and album live in the studio (except the vocals) and it shows. There is a live feeling with a mix of rawness. On the other hand, you can hear everything. This creates a good vibe of energy.

If you are a metal head with a touch of Eurothrash, this will truly satisfy you. A must buy.

* I own the CD/DVD version. They talk about the recording process. Nothing special, but if you are a fan it can be bought.

Always solid.....
I liked their progression, particularly through the Outcast/Endorama era, with Tommy Vetterli(Coroner) on guitar. Kreator has come a long way from their early days. They've gone back to the Extreme Aggression/Coma of Souls style since pretty much. The last 3 cds are relatively similar. I probably like Violent Revolution best of those. Petrozza continues to do solid work, its well worth having. .

You can see a complete list of all Kreator discography, or go back to the Kreator tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.