ALBUM REVIEW: Violent Revolution (20th Anniversary Edition) – Kreator

The 90s were a difficult time to be a thrash band. Where many acts simply faded in to obscurity, others modulated their sound to try and weather the storm of changing tastes. In the case of Essen’s KREATOR, this led to the band leaning into frontman Mille Petrozza’s gloomier tastes of goth and industrial to varying levels of success. While the sonic experiments were not without merit, it was a significant tonal shift for one of the Teutonic thrash titans and, to many ears, simply not KREATOR. Enter the aptly name Violent Revolution in 2001. Pre-empting their countrymen SODOM and their own back-to-basics approach of M-16, KREATOR put together an album far more fitting their legacy, with a renewed focus on thrash riffery and Petrozza’s unmistakable bark of aggression.

Not fit to rest on the laurels of what they had already mastered though, Violent Revolution saw KREATOR evolve their classic sounds with more contemporary elements. With the influence of the Gothenberg scene seeping in, there was an increased, razor-blade intensity to the music. It was a fresh start for KREATOR’s career and the leading charge that would see the band almost unexpectedly go from strength to strength in the 21st century. Twenty years later, and the band quite rightly see it fit to mark the occasion with a deluxe reissue of the album that gave them a second career.

2022’s Violent Revolution comes in multiple permutations, with the most basic version being the original album itself. Very little has changed since its 2001 release, with the album not undergoing any significant remixing or remastering beyond the obligatory volume bump to match more recent releases. And why should it change? Andy Sneap’s crystal clear production feels as weighty as ever, the cold and metallic guitar sound and ear-shattering drums perfectly accentuating the precision of the band’s playing. For the uninitiated, Violent Revolution remains a must-have thrash classic. From the opening triplet blasts of Reconquering The Throne (a suitable mission statement for KREATOR) to the closing cymbal crashes of System Decay, the record is an exercise in focused and fierce aggression.

Although the album is generously littered with seemingly endless IRON MAIDEN-esque twin leads, KREATOR spin these in to domineering death march riffs on tracks like Servant In Heaven, King In Hell and the title track. The band switch up the pace frequently, with mid-paced assaults like Slave Machinery countered by the punk-meets-melodeath backbeats of Bitter Sweet Revenge, all while frontman and songwriter Mille Petrozza spits disarmingly hooky couplets of unbridled rage. Sections like Replicas Of Life’s chant of “LIVE IN FEAR AND DIE IN PAIN” will echo in a listener’s head long after the album’s over. Violent Revolution remains as caustically delightful as it did back then.

So far, so good – albeit, nothing new. If the album isn’t being remastered, what sets these new releases of Violent Revolution apart from the original? Live material, and lots of it. Collectively titled Bootleg Revolution, there are three albums’ worth of live material spread across the various editions of the record. The two disc/LP version features a “Live Bonus” companion album that is essentially the first chunk of Bootleg Revolution, collecting 17 recordings from three gigs across Korea, Brazil and Wacken Open Air. This first set of live material provides a great mix of both Violent Revolution and legacy material from KREATOR, all with excellent audio quality and presentation. Cuts like Coma Of Souls’ People Of The Lie and Outcast’s Phobia benefit greatly from the meaty live production and pummelling guitar sound, whereas the amped up version of Betrayer is the sound of a band out for blood. Ending with material from Wacken Open Air, the one-two punch of Flag Of Hate and Tormentor is satisfyingly angry – Petrozza’s scream of the latter’s title over the buzzsaw guitars grin-inducingly unhinged. Overall, the Live Bonus tracks that open Bootleg Revolution are a great and compelling mix of live cuts, suitable for both old fans and those new to KREATOR in need of a gateway to some of their back catalogue.

The rest of Bootleg Revolution is found on the more elaborate editions of the album, providing content through two fairly similar gigs, presumably from the album’s tour cycle. This is where the title ‘bootleg’ becomes far more accurate, for better or for worse. The Istanbul tracks get off to a ropey start, with a muddy mix that buries Petrozza’s vocals accompanied by guitar leads that are noticeably out of tune with each other. While the quality increases from Reconquering The Throne onwards, its clear this is a no frills recording (and, granted, it’s billed as such). Between guitars moving in and out of channels, drums that sound like they’re being treated through warm treacle and nearly every twin-lead sounding out of tune, it’s a difficult listen. The band themselves are clearly bringing their performance A-game, as you can feel the energy radiate through the scratchy speakers, but the bootleg aesthetic does it no justice. At the very least, Petrozza’s stage banter remains mercifully intact. The man is just so upbeat and angry at the same time, it’s hard not to be charmed by his segue way into Extreme Aggression.

Thankfully, the second show on offer here from Waldrock fares much better. While still a relatively raw recording, there is enough clarity to enjoy what’s happening. In this context, the lo-fi approach serves to add to the songs’ general intensity rather than obscure it. Moreover, the set list is almost identical to the Istanbul offering; a healthy mix of old and then-current material delivered with the ferocity of a band trying to prove themselves all over again. It’s an enjoyable set that serves up classics like Pleasure To Kill alongside Violent Revolution cuts, but doesn’t quite match the quality of the opening Live Bonus segment of the collection. That’s not to mention it feeling slightly redundant when it shares most of the same song choices.

Overall, Violent Revolution remains as vital now as it was back at its release. It’s not only an incredibly powerful album on its own, but an important historical milestone for KREATOR. It captures the band finding their creative second wind which, to this day, shows little sign of relenting. It is essential listening for thrash-heads and worth revisiting on its 20th anniversary. The Bootleg Revolution material is another story however. The whopping 41 track version of Bootleg Revolution is only suitable for the hardest of the hardcore, the KREATOR fans who will listen to three separate recordings of Flag Of Hate and be able to pick out the smallest nuances between them amidst the dubious sound quality. If that’s not you, don’t worry – the original album and the Live Bonus selection of tracks is all you’ll ever need.

Rating: 8/10

Violent Revolution (20th Anniversary Edition) is set for release on January 21st via Nuclear Blast Records.

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