Terrible Certainty

Right off the bat, there's an immediately noticeable change in tone and approach from the previous, much milder 'Pleasure to kill'. The riffs sound unusual for any thrash, much more sophisticated than anything they'd done til that point; blows it all out of the water, in fact. The guitar sections have added harmonized power chords to the repertoire, granting this brand of evolved late eighties thrash a fuller dimension. This record doesn't feel like a progressive album, and yet that prog component is obviously there; a testament to the expertise in composition. The odd timings, the frequent instrumental breaks, the genuinely avant-garde riffage going on in basically every song...there's real investigation around the guitar work, over what sort of unprecedented result might come from it.

Complex melody, riffs as inventive as they are technical, real sharpness and a cutting edge to them, sheer venom on the vocals and a nice bass rumble; this is music that is genuinely attempting to catch the audience off-guard and lives up to the promise of its claim on the intricacy front. The song-writing is consistently angular, yet settles into a nice pace, smooth as you like. The outside-the-box thrash approach is definitely there. Thirty-six minutes. This doesn't require an hour to convince. No intro is required here: it starts with a bang, straight to the point.

Old school thrash might be among the most redundant forms of music altogether, so it absolutely needs to bring something; an edge or intensity of some sort, or in this case supply a technicality and musical richness, a refinement... something to keep the outside listener happy. Some of it even manages to step outside the core duties of thrash: the chorus to 'Storming With Menace' has a dark, elaborate romanticism about it. Other parts are just killer riffs: 'No Escape' middle part, for one. Pure thrash for the sake of thrash caters to one given category of consumer, but surely won't seduce the outsider if it's all 'mm-tah mm-tah mm-tah mm-tah' drums 95% of the time and a desperately basic cocktail of shredding with power chords served up til well after the point of a full bladder.

Now, for a bit of criticism - this is an interesting one. On the surface, it gives the listener everything they should need: this is nothing but technical, tightly and purposely written, cohesive song-writing. It's got a subtle prog edge to it, and it's nuanced, with melodic elements interspersed with darker twists. But the problem is definitely there (for whoever might be sensitive to it): despite all the efforts and variations, it still feels, somehow, one speed and monochromatic. Or at least, it doesn't feel like it's ever taking off. Some thrash is more simple, but with far more basic patterns, sweeps the listener right off the floor with its contagious momentum. Think: does this make you want to headbang til you break your neck ? And surely, that would account for something. If thrash music is superior in composition, but lacks conducive energy and rhythm, then it's defective in that aspect - it doesn't generate the groove it's supposed to make room for. For all the goodness on display, this still feels a tad linear, if not narrow.

It's like a really well made and sophisticated dish that took a lot of work and reworking, that ends up missing that bit of spice to make it all blow up in your mouth - or in your ears in this case. You can't really eat Kreator albums.

Kreator really had an uphill battle to out due their classic sophomore release, “Pleasure To Kill”, at the beginning of fall in nineteen eighty-seven with the release of “Terrible Certainty”. While I don’t think this album hits the highs that “Pleasure To Kill” set, it was the start of a new transitional phase for the band as it moved away from that unhinged thrash metal that was present on the first two records and moved into more “traditionally” structured thrash with a focus of technical riffing and well thought out musical composition besides relying solely on major speed and chaotic energy. “Terrible Certainty” is less like a mad man driving haphazardly down a street and more like a pissed off fighter entering the ring with a calculated thought process. Along with “Endless Pain” and “Pleasure To Kill”, “Terrible Certainty” was one of the three Kreator records I owned and frequented as a teen so this release does hold a special place in my memory, though that bias isn’t going to taint my critical thoughts of the album.

“Blind Faith” opens the album with a perfect sense of what the rest of this album is going to be like, punishing unrelenting riffs with a mixture of more complex song structures. The album features Kreator taking plenty of moments for the listener to have a breather, as there are plenty of sections within songs that have a slower section that goes for a more marching type rhythm. I personally think this is a great idea, though some may see this as formulaic, as it allows more variation to the songs and can help build up those savage main and secondary riffs and frantic solos. The sloppiness of their early days are also gone as the tight writing is complemented with tight playing from Mille, Tritze, Rob, and Ventor. “Toxic Trace” is a great example of this as the song speeds through the main set of riffs and takes a quick sharp turn into that slower marching rhythmic pattern I’ve mentioned before, matter of fact they start the song off with that guitar riff and bring it back in between the shredding assault that’s present. The title track, “Terrible Certainty”, does this as well, utilizing that simple grooving march rhythm to set the mood before going into a rather technical flurry of riffs. I can see why both “Terrible Certainty” and “Toxic Trace” have been mainstays in live set lists, both are absolute monsters and definitely some of my favorites from the band.

“Terrible Certainty” is also surprisingly catchy, thanks to the diverse riffs and the focus of choruses that makes frantic metalheads scream along with them. A good portion of rhythms are much more melodic adding to the overall catchiness the album exhibits such as the main riff that starts at the fifteen second mark of “No Escape” or the already mentioned title track for some examples. Of course most songs still have that frantic, riff-fest going on, such as “Storming With Menace” and “One Of Us” that I haven’t mentioned yet. But the cream of the crop so to speak is the final track of the album, “Behind The Mirror”. What makes “Behind The Mirror” so great is that soft eerie intro that layers the rhythms of the guitars, building up to the thrash assault on the senses. Personally I find this song to be the closest to anything off of “Pleasure To Kill” than anything else in this record. “Behind The Mirror '' should have really been a mainstay for the band, as I think it is such an underrated song from their discography. But if there’s one song that may be the weakest link, it would probably be “As The World Burns”. This is not a bad song by any means as I think it’s really good but I find the song being more on the basic side of things. This is the only song Ventor is on vocals, compared to the half and half duties with Mille on the last two records. I’ve always liked Ventor on vocals, he had this old school Venom-esque delivery but I would have preferred Mille singing here. The best way to describe listening to this song and then listening to the rest of the album is this; after you’ve had plenty of five and four star meals, it’s much more noticeable when you get a meal closer to a rating of a three star.

Another change from the past records is the lyrical matter showing a level of maturity as the band covers environmental themes, blind faith (wow, just like the name of the first song off the album!), and some personal human issues such as being addicted to one's inner urges and the failing of the mental health system to combat those urges (“No Escape”). A few of these ideas and themes will be expanded upon with forthcoming releases, namely “Extreme Aggression” and “Coma Of Souls” and while there’s new elements and changes going on in this transitional period, one thing that hasn’t changed is how strong the musicians are in the band. Ventor is still going ham on those drums while keeping the rhythm section moving nicely, he adds some nice technical rolls to add another level of intrigue to the music. Rob's bass playing is solid but if there’s one downside to the writing, it’s that the bass isn’t much of a prominent player to the whole of the record. I’ve read some negative comments about Tritze’s lead skills behind the guitar and I don’t see what’s the problem at all as he is pretty energetic and wizzes by with sharp, technical riffing. Mille’s rhythmic skills are still unmatched and while I don’t think the combo of him and Tritze is the top of the top for the band, both complement each over really well. But vocally Mille has toned down some of that dark and screechy aggressiveness from before and while still pissed off and full vinegar, he begins to sing more like a “traditional '' thrash vocalist with a better focus on better pronunciations and melodies.

While there’s plenty of cool new things to be found here, the production is a little more of a mixed card. On one hand, the production is much clearer. On the other hand, the sound is lacking some dynamics, power if you will. It just sounds a little soft despite the clarity. Even with the muffleness, I think I prefer “Pleasure To Kill’s” production over this. It was just so raw and heavy and had this sinister evil sound and feel evoked throughout. But besides the production and maybe one weaker track, “Terrible Certainty” is an excellent release. It’s interesting looking back at these thrash records and so many times the third record is either the game changing release or a transitional release where people usually rate them towards the top or end of the spectrum of bands’ classic era and “Terrible Certainty” is no exception. While a better album than “Endless Pain”, “Terrible Certainty” ranks just behind the likes of “Extreme Aggression”, “Pleasure To Kill”, and “Coma Of Souls” not because it’s a weak record, it’s just that those albums are that good. Kreator’s third release sits comfortably in the pantheon of the greats and if there’s one thing I’m…. terribly certain about (baah- dum-tsshhhh)…it’s that this record deserves to be in any metalheads collection.

After the destructive Pleasure to Kill, Kreator decided to take a step back in terms of intensity and while they wouldn’t be the only band that had this in mind (think of how Slayer’s Reign in Blood followed up with South of Heaven, for example), it’s a welcoming change. In fact, if it weren't for Sepultura's Schizophrenia, this would have marked the best example of a band transitioning into the ''pure'' thrash metal territory with superior results.

Whereas Pleasure to Kill recalls an overly gory horror movie, Terrible Certainty brings to mind a drama of realistic events that doesn’t resemble fiction anymore. Now operating like a hit man with extreme eye for details, the band decided to approach thrash metal in a much more calculated manner, which means that we’re no longer talking about overpowering vocals and piercing tremolo riffs that could rip your body apart. Mille and Tritze prove that they’re capable of much more and unlike Coma of Souls, Terrible Certainty doesn’t waste much time with safe-sounding riffs either. Sharp, yet extremely busy riffs fill these compositions to a point that they end up sounding extremely memorable and satisfying for any thrash metal fanatic.

‘’Blind Faith’’ may not be as crushing as anything you had heard on Kreator’s earlier albums, as it introduces a collection of puzzling and punishing riffs and who could forget Mille’s rapid-fire spitting during one of the album’s most intense choruses? That breakdown allows one to catch their breath a bit, but it doesn’t take long before the track makes a brief return to some hyper-speed pacing, making it one hell of an opener that's driven by several exciting tempo changes. ‘’Behind the Mirror’’ opens up with a surprisingly lamented acoustic introduction, but anyone familiar with Kreator should know that this won't last long. Indeed, riffs quickly start to bludgeon through the verses and chorus here, but do so with absolute purpose. It's hard to deny band's determination and I’m almost convinced that they were compensating for the lack of brutality of Pleasure to Kill and the more restrained approach that they would take with Extreme Aggression. Even most of the record’s mid-paced moments sound rather refined when compared to those of Pleasure to Kill and what the band lacks in brutality, they make up with clever riffs that would have been out of place on their earlier material. Take ‘’No Escape’’ for example, which features that fantastic thrash break before that atmospheric riff makes it between the conventional thrashing rhythms and Mille’s tormented screams, making it quite a dramatic thrasher of a tune.

The leads also function as more than just noisy instruments like they did previously, adding a sense of eeriness to the album’s atmosphere. That said, the sense of melody feels different than that of Coma of Souls, but it makes a welcoming change nonetheless. ‘’Storming with Menace’’ does exactly what it promises with that superb main riff storming through the verses and by the time those dramatic leads foreshadow those maniacal shredding and intense tremolo sections, it’s clear that we’re dealing with another highlight. ‘’One of Us’’ opens up with some frightening lead work before turning into a clinical thrasher that hardly shows any signs of restraint and thanks to its rousing riff that keeps resurrecting with fury, I can’t help but be reminded of Metallica’s ‘’Blackened’’ to a certain degree - that's certainly not a bad thing in this case.

If anything, I’m terribly certain that ‘’As the World Burns’’ could have easily been left out of the album, only because it ends up as an easy-going thrasher with some restrained riffs that lack the ‘’it’’ factor. Vektor’s angry yells remain effective and that breakdown after the two minute mark reveals promise, yet the track never dares to speeds up and overall the result isn’t much of an exciting song.

Of course, one weaker song isn't much of a deal, especially when you consider that the rest sounds absolutely superb. For a while I wasn’t sure which Kreator album I considered to be my favorite, but nowadays it would be Terrible Certainty and although it doesn’t match its predecessor in terms of brute force, it’s nonetheless the best less-intense follow-up that you could hope for.

This review was originally written for antichristmagazine.com

It's certainly true that Kreator abandoned their extreme (and boundary pushing) roots going into their third album, 1987's Terrible Certainty, at this point featuring a tighter and more straightforward thrash metal approach. However, the direction feels natural for a maturing thrash band and there really was no need to attempt to make another Pleasure to Kill- Mille had become a more socially conscious person, so the change in lyrical content on Terrible Certainty only reflects this. Meanwhile, the joining of a new guitarist and the more refined playing and execution from the existing band members feels suitable with the abandonment of crude lyrical themes anyway. To me, it's similar to what would happen with Sepultura from Brazil once Andreas joined on guitar, going from Morbid Visions to Schizophrenia this same year.

Endless Pain was a damn cool thrash/black attack that showed ambition, and Pleasure to Kill is a record that every metalhead loves, due largely, I think, to the consistency of the tracklist - all killer, no filler. Classic extreme thrash in every sense! However, I'll still take the early work of Celtic Frost, Sepultura, Slayer, and Possessed for my 80's extreme metal, because I do feel that Kreator reached their fullest potential, and most honest creative vision, with albums like Terrible Certainty, Extreme Aggression, and Coma of Souls- you know, their non-extreme thrash albums they released before experimenting with their sound. Terrible Certainty, though, is the first and best album of this era, like a second debut in a way. The ideas are so coherently executed, the riffs cut though like a lawnmower blade through swiss cheese, and every moment exudes passion and intensity in exemplary thrash form. This album isn't as gloomy or detached as Destruction's albums circa this period, nor as cruel and outright punishing as Sodom's, but it is exhilarating in every sense and proves that thrash metal still had plenty of its finest hours to offer going into the later part of the 80's.

Songwise, Kreator's got emotional, dynamic riffing and delivery down to perfection. "Storming With Menace" is the banger most people remember well from this album, and coupled with the preceding opener "Blind Faith", it's not at all hard to see why. Both have unforgettable refrains, with Blind Faith relying more on Mille's vocal delivery and Storming relying more on an unnerving progression. Both of the first two songs here would make a very cool 7" and that would still be a 10/10 thrash release in my book. The title track has more buildup to it (see the intense opening riff) but is also somehow more immediate with the main hook and familiar chorus. However, my favorite instrumental segment on this album has to be the beginning of "Toxic Trace", which makes "Tornado of Souls" by Megadeth sound less like a technical thrash marvel and more like wanking buffoonery with no balls, which it's not, but Toxic Trace still blows it out of the water compositionally. It's also the perfect balance of a relentless assault (especially the jaw-dropping chorus) and a more sophisticated approach. Certainly, the palm-muted riffs played primarily on the A and D strings break up the unforgiving thrashiness while still being interesting due to a curious feel. "No Escape" has elements of melodicism to it, but not in an overbearing way, because if you bring up this album to any veteran thrasher, they'll mention No Escape as a highlight and a prime example of what made thrash classics like Terrible Certainty so charismatic and unforgettable.

This is, bar none, the definition of ridiculously enjoyable and well-calculated thrash. When it comes to thrash with sublime musicianship and songwriting ideas, many albums are brought up before Terrible Certainty, and Coma of Souls is usually thought to be Kreator's technical peak, but the third album is somehow just the right balance of technicality and unadulterated fury. Everything here serves a purpose and goes in a coherent direction. Essential thrash!

All these experts who say that the third album is the make-it-or-break-it work of a band may be puzzled by "Terrible Certainty" in view of the further, outstanding career of Kreator. To put it more directly, I tend to the break-it option. This is not to say that the third output of Kreator completely sucks, yet it is far away from the mind-blowing experience which was offered by "Pleasure to Kill". In alignment with its artwork, it lacks of inspiration. Just listen to the opener. Hectic guitars and high speed drumming seem to be an end in itself. The expressionless vocals of Mille lead nowhere and the rapid solo sounds like a million other solos. Thank God, this acceptable yet pretty average song does not mark the best track of the album, but it indicates the overall quality.

Okay, there are more problematic solos on this album that do not add any value to the respective song. Yet some strong riffs and leads cannot be overlooked. "Storming with Menace" provides a concise chorus, "One of Us" possesses a good degree of compactness and the piercing high speed guitar work ensures a certain recognition value. The same applies for the tribal drumming and the leads at the beginning of the title track. The guitars have an almost hymnal character, but the song fails to develop excellently. At the end of the day, it is just another rapid outburst that fails to impress sustainably. I don't intend to beat around the bush; its individual components are just too weak; a strong, continuous melody line is missing, the riffing remains unspectacular and Mille's vocals are monotonous. His angry, scratchy and slightly gnomish barking is very predictable. Too bad that "As the World Burns", the only track where Ventor is singing, fails to deliver enthralling sounds. Standard riffing and rather slow-paced drumming form a piece without any upward or downward swings.

By the way, the lyrics of this track continue the extremely poetic tradition of the former releases of the band. Ventor informs that "megatons of death await to explode" and paints pleasurably an apocalyptic picture. Yet "Toxic Trace" shows a new lyrical approach while dealing with more realistic scenarios such as the pollution of the environment, doesn't it? Come on, it's a very simple approach. The unscrupulous industry is to blame for everything, among other things because of "ignoring the warnings of ancient prophets". Crude understanding of modern business leadership, at least in my humble opinion. However, songs like "Toxic Trace" or "No Escape" are neither crappy nor outstanding, they just make some more or less solid noise and that's it. I am talking about furious thrash metal without surprising or even overwhelming details, no more, no less. All trace elements of black and death metal that enriched "Pleasure to Kill" are gone.

The comparatively soulless sound of the album also does not collect plus points. It remains a mystery why the band changed from Harris Johns to Roy Rowland. The bass guitar is sidelined, the drums lack of penetrating power. This situation matches the equally undistinguished musical content. My judgement is clear. As soon as I retire - I just need to endure the next 222 months - I will have enough time to record a Kreator mix tape (in the then modern form) with all my personal highlights of the band. Unfortunately, I don't think that there will be many songs of "Terrible Certainty". But perhaps I should ask the experts, before I start the recordings for my tape.

Prior to, and simultaneous with, this release many bands released their signature album. Peace Sells, Pleasure to Kill, Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets, Darkness Descends, etc are all highly valued releases by various metal bands. These were the albums that these bands were striving for, and now they had achieved it. The only problem is that many of these bands weren't sure what to do: So Far....was a pretty inconsistent affair, South of Heaven and Leave Scars just don't do much for me, and And Justice remains a controversial album. Kreator managed to do better on the next release than the bulk of these guys.

Petrozza hired another guitarist to help them make this transition. From what I can tell, he didn't write much. I rather wish they had left him wherever they found him, considering his leads. They are as bad as others have claimed, and he does make King sound like Malmsteen. It's just odd to think that they hired him at all, but it does seem to be the preferred route for metal bands to have a dual-guitar attack. The riffing has a different focus this time. It's not nearly as wild and extreme as their previous releases. This is much closer to Hell Awaits or some other, older thrash record, where the music is much less chaotic. I also feel this may be the starting point for where Kreator got their reputation for repetitiveness. Many of the riffs do seem more similar to one another than on Pleasure to Kill. I don't know if Pleasure actually was more varied, but I don't notice the box that this and future albums resided in.

Petrozza's lyrics have also altered. In the past, we heard stories of slaughter, rape, pillaging, and the undead. We now see lyrics about the environment, Toxic Trace, and personal problems, Behind the Mirror. The music behind them is strong, so it's quite alright with me. In terms of lyrical shift, I suspect this is an influence from Master of Puppets. Around this time, many thrash bands began to tone down and switch to more "mature" topics, and I imagine Master of Puppets' success and reputation was a push. This influence seems to come at the expense of other aspects of Kreator's extremity. Both the dual-vocals and Bathory influence were lessened on this album, giving it more of a purer thrash sound.
His vocals themselves aren't as extreme, but it's still the same guy, and I've never thought this was a problem.

As far as the rhythm section goes, the drums and bass have a sweet intro on the title track, but the bass does little else of note the rest of the album. You can hear him, but it's just not worth it. The drumming is a different matter. None of Ventor's other performances match Pleasure, but he still does a pretty good job on here. It's not as pounding, but he still goes pretty aggressive and that satisfies me. The only really bad thing he does is the song, As the World Burns. That song is probably the weakest one on here, and his vocals sound poor. This is strange to me, as I really did enjoy his performances on the first two, but he just sounds out of place on this track, and there's nothing else to really salvage it.

This was the beginning of the slow softening of Kreator's sound, but this isn't quite as big of a deal as many make it out to be. The next two were even softer, yet they're better albums, while Endless Pain is more extreme, but weaker as a listen. Blind Faith, the title track, and Behind the Mirror are great thrashers. As the World Burns and One of Us are not. The deductions come in the fact that if takes a few listens for things to not sound very samey and that a quarter of the songs are pretty much toss-worthy. Compared to the surrounding albums, this just isn't as consistent. Compared to what the other bands of 1986 followed up with though, this is pretty good. I would recommend at least the highlights to any fan of thrash.

As the 80s wore on, the cauldron of straightforward speed, fire and vitriol was running dry. Its ingredients no longer seemed enough to satisfy the artistic impulses of many of thrash metal's most promising constituents. Song structures would become more advanced, more creative, and naturally, more dynamic. Kreator's third full-length, Terrible Certainty, is an adequate example of this transformation, and a brilliant one, with single tracks seeming to contain more effort in their composition than nearly all of Pleasure to Kill. Now, I'm not trying to knock that previous year's opus, because its a timeless and sinister transgression, and certainly this album trades in a little of its violent overtures en route to its transitions, but I consider the contents of this album 'trading up' as far as Kreator's long standing appeal.

Each of the eight tracks is a tour de force of comprehensive, talented riffing that must have taken Mille quite some time to plot out, not only for the technical qualities but the actual moods they project. Where Pleasure to Kill and Endless Pain created atmospheres of slashing and burning hostility, this album frightens with more than mere barbarism, but schizoid nightmares that are delivered straight through the relentless rhythm section of Rob and Ventor, and the exhausted, stunning finger work of Mille and Tritze. "Blind Faith" opens with an escalating exercise in depth, a complex intro riff that shifts into some of the savagery of the band's past, as if to exclaim 'we have not forgotten you, maniacs'. The bridge riff here is also noteworthy, as it climbs from a mid paced sequence of pummeling to a fluster of brilliant speed solos. This is followed by "Storming with Menace", which features one of the most incredible dual guitar rhythms on the album, and remains a personal favorite. What a chorus!

"Terrible Certainty" itself does not skip a beat, with an excellent drum and bass intro, Ventor using his limbs as the bridge into the mayhem of thick, prodding chords. Yet, the track becomes even better once the pre-verse guitar rhythms erupt, toiling and playful like a mastermind lunatic pulling your strings from an asylum. "As the World Burns" goes for a straight, rocking thrash vibe, but never loses the weighted ballast of the amazing musicianship, sordid guitar fills climbing up and down the frets before Mille lets us all have it with the verse. "Toxic Trace" is straight back to the technical wizardry, at least technical compared to so much of what we were hearing from thrash bands across the sea, the verse riffing stunningly similar to "Where the Sun Burns Red" from a few years in the future, and I absolutely adore the manic breakdown as the bass pumps over the atmospheric chords around 3:30.

The album would already seem to have enough supreme content to be considered masterpiece, but some of the best is yet to come. "No Escape" is methodical and distinct with a tight mid pace, and the chugging, creeping of the chorus segment, under which Ventor is all over the place. "One of Us" presents one of the most freakish schizoid riffs on the album in its intro, then shuffles into a bustling, busy sequence that must have had every German dashing his blood and guts over the mosh pit. As usual, Petrozza's vocals taunt us through the heavily saturated slurry of guitars, so much that it's nearly impossible to believe he's playing and singing at the same time, despite the beloved crudeness of his delivery. A chill, beautiful clean guitar intro will introduce us to the grand finale, "Behind the Mirror", which is just as spring loaded with impossible cruelty and power as anything else here.

Perhaps the only element holding Terrible Certainty back from my perfect score is the production, which feels a little smothered, as if it were taking on more than it can handle. As such, a little of the power is lost in all the instruments, sort of like Deathrow's unbelievable Deception Ignored. But this was not mixed by Harris Johns. The result is that the album feels slightly dated in tone, but it's easy to overlook when the musical content is so stunning. I won't claim that this is the very best of Kreator, that is still to arrive in several years, but it's quite fucking close, and the combination of the aggressive vocals and individual ability displayed a clear emergence from the brutal confines of 1986's butcher-works like Pleasure to Kill or Dark Angel's Darkness Descends. It's no surprise at all that the quality of this record would be critical in the band's acquisition by CBS/Epic Records for US distribution, which led to the more accessible Extreme Aggression, because it would have been a crime to go unnoticed.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Whereas PLEASURE TO KILL is Kreator's wicked sick thrashing death metal explosion of rage, TERRIBLE CERTAINTY is their sharp as steel, honed to perfection exercise in precision aggression. The sloppy, willfully chaotic aspects of PTK are swept aside in favor of one of the tightest yet most full barreled thrash metal assualts ever laid down. And as with other classic albums, the song writing keeps pace with the savagery, the album being a nearly flawless run of memorably destructive music. "Behind The Mirror," "Blind Faith," "As The World Burns" and "Storming With Menace" are perhaps the top of the heap, quality wise, but the entirety of the album is assured. The production, which captures every riff, every beat in sterling form. But the real achievement here is how Kreator have moved from a bunch of kids making the most ripping metal in their power, to a band writing some of the genre's most intense and flat our best music ever. Mille Petrozza morphed from a denim and leather demon to a confident frontman, sounding assured in the fact that his band was whipping a doozy of an album on the world, and the remainder of the band easily keep pace with him.

If you own this album, Holy Terror's MIND WARS and Dark Angel's DARKNESS DESCENDS, you can be assured that you are hearing thrash metal at it's best. It wouldn't hurt to also grab key releases by Whiplash, Sacrifice and Razor, but if you only want to hear the absolute best, TERRIBLE CERTAINTY is a must have.

Terrible Certainty is the third, and probably the most underrated of all Kreator albums. It follows the trend of many other third albums like Megadeth's So Far... So Good... So What!, Destruction's Release from Agony, and Overkill's Under the Influence that are all underrated and overlooked. I believe Terrible Certainty is Kreator's best album after Pleasure to Kill. With this album, Kreator proved that they could follow up with the raw Endless Pain, and the brutal Pleasure to Kill. If Pleasure to Kill didn't cement them among the Gods of Thrash, this album definitely did.

The main attractions of this album are the high tempo technical riffs, the powerful drums, and the vocals. No, this definitely is not a trademark riff deprived Testament album; just about every song is recognizable by its riffs, and each song has blisteringly fast riffs to offer. Songs like "Storming with Menace", "Blind Faith", and "No Escape" have some of the most powerful and technical thrash metal riffs created by Kreator. With the new production, the sound of the drums has definitely improved. Instead of being masked by guitars, the drums can actually show off their power. In Terrible Certainty, Mille finally took the reigns of the vocals almost completely from Jurgen. His voice sounds sharper, and has more kick to it.

However, the album has much more to offer than the riffs and drums. Though many thrash fans will cringe when they hear the words "better production", this album definitely was not marred by production. No, the production did not take away from the aggression. In fact, Terrible Certainty preserves nearly all of the momentum, raw power, and aggression created by it's predecessor, Pleasure to Kill. The lyrics have also changed from complete violence and destruction a la Pleasure to Kill to a more "mature" approach which now includes ... destruction of religion and the earth. The choruses are also more appetizing this time around. Overall however, the lyrics are more catchy, and are still extremely thrashy. The chaotic solos still remain, but there are fewer solos per song in general.

However, there are small problems here and there in the album. First of all, it's far too short. Clocking in at just over 35.5 minutes, there definitely could have been more in this album. When "Behind the Mirror" ends, you think "ALRIGHT WHAT'S NEXT", but most are disappointed when there isn't anything. Secondly, I am not very big on slow intros, and "Behind the Mirror" happens to have one. Not a huge problem, but I just don't like them. A small problem with the album is that the bass tends to be put at the back, and is completely dominated by the guitars and the drums.

My favorite tracks were probably "Blind Faith", and "Terrible Certainty". Both of the songs boast ingenious riffs, blistering speed, powerful lyrics, the chaotic solos, and are definitely among the best creations of Kreator.

Overall, this album is a complete riffology, that maintains raw power, aggression, and the chaotic solos of Pleasure to Kill. It boasts many things that PtK could not, like catchier, more intelligent lyrics, catchier choruses, better vocals, better production, and the power of the drums. This album is a must for any thrash fan, and everybody else would be wise to give this album a try. This album has everything a thrash album must have, and much, much more. Remember not to overlook this album because it has so much to offer.

In my humble opinion Terrible Certainty is a too overlooked piece in the Kreator’s discography just because it’s stuck between two representative albums. Pleasure To Kill is a manifest of the primordial brutality by this band, while the following Extreme Aggression is the very first, complete example of the new way this band chose to be a bit more technical and mature. A sign of this maturity was already present on the Flag Of Hate EP and this new album is nothing but a stronger confirm, just one year after and this shows also the speed of a band in a continued growth.

In more or less half an hour, the band takes no prisoners thanks to this schizophrenic riffage and the savage assault of the drumming. The production is finally clear and pounding at the same time, as the most thrash elements are stronger and crushing. The guitars are constantly fast with the opener, “Blind Faith”. Mille is completely pissed off against the Church, the visions and the followers. Also from this point of view, we can notice a maturity and a care for more real and close to us things. By the way, the up tempo parts are massive and the riffs are relentless, with a precise structure and stuck in a defined song-writing.

The violence is no more the one of an immature band and the following “Storming With Menace” is another example. The catchy chorus and the easily recognizable riffs are just great. The songs here show also different patterns in order to be less monolithic and yes, direct but with style and precision. Mille’s vocals are closer to the ones on the recent times but they are always nasty, strong and with a bigger personality. The guitars solos, still remaining truly fast and direct, are also a bit better done but some parts are unquestionably bound to the recent past. This is a direct bridge between the two periods of this band.

The title track is again unmistakable with the fantastic riff at the beginning. This time we can find the first mid-paced progression but soon we are obliterated by the up tempo parts in which the unique and fast palm muting work is one of the best here. The galloping parts are mixed with fast notes and everything is like the classic examples of how mixing brutality to catchiness. Precisely this point shows the real maturity the band has acquired. “As The World Burns” is a slab of thrash that settles on mid-paced progression to be even more apocalyptic. The intensity never goes down and the band is always dynamic at passing thorough lots of riffs.

“Toxic Trace” is one of the most unbelievable examples of Kreator’s progression in sounds and structures. The riffs are fast like bullets from a machine gun but they are sloppy no more. The pure thrash metal arises and the length is remarkable. The intensity goes at high peaks. With the more mid-paced “No Escape” and the terrific assault of “One Of Us” we stay on the top. Even the mid-paced breaks are fucking well-done, convincing and full of riffs. We can notice a sort of hidden melody in some parts but nothing so well-shown because the riffs are just here to destroy everything.

The last “Behind The Mirror” is the track that features the strongest dark elements. The arpeggios and the way more audible melodies are good and a sign for the most recent style by this band. Anyway, soon after, the riffs enter and the destruction is recreated over the several up tempo parts and the dynamic switches of paces. The chorus is always catchy and brutal, leading us directly to end of this fantastic album. Finally Kreator come to thrash metal and they do it rapidly and with style. These compositions are finally mature and well-developed. Here we can find mandatory material for a thrash metal fan.

Holy hell what a progress Kreator made here. Going from ‘Pleasure to Kill’ to this piece of madness within 18 months. Don’t worry, they hadn’t gone soft but they did get started writing better riffs and more complex compositions. Some songs here still sound over the top enthusiastic but the sloppiness of ‘Pleasure to Kill’ was left behind and also the production was remarkably better this time.

‘Blind Faith’ is an immediate thrash metal highlight and one of the best up tempo Kreator songs in their entire discography. ‘Storming with Menace’ is slightly less impressive but good as well. The title track has become a classic and is still played live after all these years. Great song but obviously I will always prefer ‘Blind Faith’.

‘Toxic Trace’, ‘One Of Us’ and ‘Behind The Mirror’ are other highlights as well being less aggressive than Kreator used to be on their previous album but very genuine thrash metal compositions with typical Kreator riffs, good changes in pace, key and easily their most dynamic songs so far.

This leaves only two songs I’ve never been too enthusiastic about. On ‘As The World Burns’ and ‘No Escape’ the mid and slow paced sections sound too generic and dull. I do play these songs for the continuity of the album though, I never skip them. They do in fact have a useful effect on the album.

The album is overlooked by many but for me it is their third best album. Can’t live without it. Blind Faith!

This is Kreator's third album and one that continues the excellence and quality that Endless Pain and Pleasure to Kill brought. While it is unable to live up to Pleasure To Kill it is an excellent album nonetheless. Still sounds very harsh, Mille's vocals are still great if not better here, and the chaotic solos are still present.

Some changes on this album is that Ventor only gets to sing on "As The World Burns" and I feel it is the weakest song on this album. The riffs and drumming just aren't very memorable to me and while not a horrible song, it warrants skipping through after a few listens. Ventor's vocals are still great and I feel he should have sung on more than just one song here.

The chaotic solos on this album are still present and a perfect example of this would be the screechy and quick solo in "Blind Faith" which is definately a great song with great lyrics. However there are less solos here. Its more like one solo per song instead of one to as much as four.

The drumming on here is very tight and and very enjoyable as I still think Ventor is one of the greatest drummers out there however the drumming seems more plainer than it was in Pleasure to Kill, it is still quick and furious though.

The riffs are also something of a very big highlight on this album. I talk about the drumming being more plainer and fewer solos however the riffs here are just unimaginable. There are tons of them, and they are all so very catchy. I don't think I've listened to an album with at least half as many catchy riffs as this album. This is definately a riff heaven and the biggest advantage of this album.

And if I could think of another negative it would only be that this album is pretty short, not even 40 minutes, although it does make up for it in quality.

Some excellent songs and highlights of the album are definately "Blind Faith" with its quick and harsh melodies and great lyrics such as "Roman Empire, Christian persecution is here Strongest desire: eradicate the new sectarians" as well as the vocals. "Terrible Certainty" is also one of the best songs here with its excellent drum intro. "Toxic Trace" is certainly up there with Mille's great and extremely quick vocals and with the extremely catchy riffs. The lyrics here are also excellent such as, "Pesticide in torrents, how fast it flows Total pollution the earth can't stand much longer". "One of Us" also has some very catchy riffs. "Behind the Mirror" is one of my favorite songs on this album. It starts off with a very nice guitar intro and explodes into very catchy riffs and lyrics as well as vocals. This song also has a very raw feeling to it.

A complaint for the album would definately have to be the production which really isn't very good especially on the last song, "Behind the Mirror". It makes the album sound even rawer and a little better production here wouldn't hurt. Other than that and one mediocre song this album is virtually perfect, though I don't think anything, at least now, will ever rival "Pleasure to Kill".

Honing their sound through two initial studio albums, Kreator screams back with even more speed, technicality and tight musicmanship. Less raw and brutalising than the seminal "Pleasure to Kill", and now sounding more menacing with crisp and crunchy guitars and skull cracking drums. Mille Petrozza takes over full time on the vocals which give this album Kreator's inimitable quality, helping his ferocious hiss separate the band from the pack. The songwriting is more focused and concise, and in turn more standardised but never predictable. It’s altogether an album packed in tightly with intricate riffs and furious drum patterns but doesn't take off in any labyrinthine fashion. This also marks the band’s transition from a death/thrash boundary pusher to a more regular, but certainly not run of the mill thrash outfit.

Their full complement of lethal ideas, more experience of handling their instruments and further refusal to slow down even a notch (in fact I think this is in places faster than its predecessor) is testament to this. It takes in more outside influence and reflects the development of the genre, but there is still more Kreator present in this album than anything else though lead guitar is still pure Slayer worship. The band manages to execute their new ideas flawlessly and with little difficulty, as the songs tear along smoothly with the complex but catchy riff assault. Each song is always turning new corners with “Blind Faith”, “Terrible Certainty” and “Toxic Trace” standing out from the rest.

Complaints are minor with its relative shortness the biggest annoyance by far. My version of the album includes the original tracklist version of the “Out of the Dark… Into the Light” E.P. which contains two acceptable songs that could have fit into any given place on this album, and some rather disappointing live tracks. Messy and sounding a little unprofessional, it seems they weren’t so comfortable performing their newer material live yet.

When mentioning Kreator, most people define their best work by their ‘twin peaks’: the pure death/thrash violence of Pleasure to Kill, and the totally rounded yet focused fury of Coma of Souls. And whilst these albums are definitely essential, there is also a case (and a particularly strong one) to be made for the highly underappreciated, and utterly devastating Terrible Certainty. Suffice to say that it’s possibly the most unique and adventurous of the famous five.

Whereas Pleasure’s structure was strictly embedded in the play-as-fast-as-possible-create-the-most-evil school of thought, Terrible Certainty takes a step back in the speed department. The riffs are ever so slightly slower, but as technical as Kreator get, without losing their sense of catch and hook. The solos, on the other hand, are directly out of the hellish, unmelodic, cat-blender Reign in Blood variety (see Blind Faith), but whereas they didn’t manage to fit the bigger picture in Slayer’s case, they work in Kreator’s by adding to the overall weirdness contained within the riffs and time changes. The production also lends itself to the approach taken, with its almost spacey and tense soundscape.

There are a couple of exceptions to the rule – Toxic Trace, when it gets going, could be a direct cut from the Pleasure sessions, and that No Escape main riff could have been lifted from Endless Pain – but overall, the beauty of Terrible Certainty is found within it’s more strange moments. Best example of this (and ultimately strongest song) is Storming with Menace; probably the first in the line of Kreator songs which starts of with such a bizarre riff you wonder whether they tuned their guitars correctly and had a game plan before the producer hit ‘record’ (an idea later explored in full on the intro to People of the Lie, which I still don’t ‘get’). But when you’ve got your head around the slightly angular approach, you are compelled to find your nearest spike, run out of your house and start impaling as many people as you can find. Fuck me where did those riffs come from? They are terrible, they are catchy and you will certainly love them.

The title track is mid-paced, catchy, and a whole world of fun. It’s a shame only this made it onto Live Kreation because with such a concentrated guitar heavy production, the riffwork of the entire album would shine through, not that it misses out here though. Oh well, there’s always hope for the supposed EP with exclusive live tracks before Enemy of God is released.

Special mention needs to be made of the drumming too. One of the main reasons why Kreator managed to eat at the table of the three thrash kings in1986 was down to the specialist skills of Ventor on Pleasure to Kill, proving he was no slouch to either the overwhelming technical genius of Gene Hoglan or the pure, unadulterated onslaught of Dave Lombardo. From the barbaric opening of the album, to the off-kilter patterns when the main riff kicks in As the World Burns, Ventor’s drumming supports and embellishes the strange and yet crushing atmosphere of Terrible Certainty.

Buy it. It’s up there with Kreator’s best work. Which is obviously first class.

This album is definitely a letdown after the incredible Pleasure to Kill, but when all is done, it's still a highlight of the thrash genre... it's just that what preceded it was so completely insanely great.

We start with the fast "Blind Faith", which is not at all unrelated to something that would appear on Extreme Aggression later, except it has a very nice drop-to-half-speed break in the middle, something that totally screams Coma of Souls. Then, "Storming With Menace" leads us into the hyper-catchy title track... and slowly your life will end! Throw in a very fast, chaotic solo, followed by the main riff again, and we have a winner.

Then, "As the World Burns" and "Toxic Trace", which are the highlights of the album... one is pretty fast, and really fucking catchy. The second is a bit slower, and really fucking catchy. Total headbanging material here. "No Escape" and "One of Us" are also pretty good, and they lead into the awesome closer, "Behind the Mirror". Possibly the busiest, most chaotic Kreator song ever - little happy intro, then about 30 riffs of the fast, medium, and slow variety - a whole fuckload of overt thrash breaks, and a riff monster is born.

So it's not QUITE as good as "Pleasure to Kill" because there really isn't anything here like the overt fucking Carrion-esque "engage brutal fucking smashing mode NOW" type riff... but still, a very fucking good album.

The first five Kreator LPs are essential. This is the third. Do the math.