Extreme Aggression

Extreme Aggression definitely remains one of my favourite thrash records of all time for a number of reasons. From the fantastic juicy guitar tone to the excellent riffs, Extreme Aggression really packs a punch. Personally I would say every track is killer and there's no filler! Every song feels like it's fueled with anger and aggression. At this point in Kreator's career, they are still evolving as musicians and this record is proof of that. Considering that this album is one of my all time favourites I don't really have any bad things to say about it. Now you could argue and say that there's no such thing as a perfect metal album but to me this album is flawless. My only gripe with this album is that I wish it was longer but that isn't a major issue, that's just my personal gripe because I enjoy it so much and wish for more.

Firstly I want to talk about the glorious production of this record. Like holy shit what an upgrade from their previous record "Terrible Certainty" in terms of the sound. In my opinion the production value of the band from their debut gets better with each record until the early 90s after "Coma of Souls". I don't think this album would be as great if the production was crappy but the riffs could possibly make up for that which is what I will talk about in the next paragraph. Shout out to Randy Burns because he absolutely nailed the production of this album.

Now I'll talk about the actual songwriting, riffs etc. I think the riffs on this album are absolutely brilliant and also memorable. I couldn't pick a favourite riff even if I tried because there's just too many good ones. The main riff from the title track is just one example. There's definitely some complexity with the riffs which I really admire. Some songs have more simple riffs but that doesn't at all mean they're bad. Sometimes simple is good and even the simpler riffs on the record are great. Also the riffs are so crisp and clear (thanks to the nice production). The lyrics are pretty good I must add. I feel like lots of anger went into the writing of the songs which is normal for thrash. The title track alone is probably the best example of angry lyrics. There's some nice soloing too that's present on the record. One of my favourites is the solo from "Betrayer". I never get tired of that one. It isn't messy like some of Kreator's early solos from albums such as "Pleasure to Kill". Another good highlight of the album is the song "Some Pain Will Last". I love the slow intro and the buildup with that thunderous riff you hear around the beginning of the song and once again after the solo. I can't forget to mention Ventor's awesome drumming too. It's like thunder.

To conclude, this album is a masterpiece and just flawless. Kreator really showed how well they have evolved with their creativity. It's a must-listen for all those who come across the band for the first time. I think it's one of the best metal records of all time. Overall the composition of the record is fantastic. Kreator's finest hour.

Generally, bands go through their classic phase as they often release a series of goodies before changing style or watering down by becoming shadows of their former selves. Kreator are a strange band in this regard. Caught between the atmospheric brilliance of Terrible Certainty and the calculated affair of Coma of Souls, Extreme Aggression is without a doubt still thrash at heart and yet, I have a hard time calling it an exciting album.

The albums prior to this were aptly titled and for good reasons. Endless Pain captured the harsh state of thrashing in a world before Reign in Blood would expand the boundaries of extreme thrash to a whole new level. Pleasure to Kill was as aptly titled as it gets; as it would expose the listener to an endless amount of violent riffs and venomous howls. Terrible Certainty, albeit less punishing, still lived up to its title. Extreme Aggression… certainly doesn’t. Kreator refuse get their hands dirty here; resulting into a record that for the most part lacks violence, tensions and action of any sort. In fact, you could certainly argue that the band dumbed their sound down here; as it often sounds like they’re thrashing through the motions.

How Extreme Aggression ends up like it does remains unclear, but I have a theory: the Terrible Certainty tour must have been quite a success (why wouldn’t it with such killer material to perform?) and such, these guys banged their heads off to a point that they lost far too many brain cells. For every highlight that makes Extreme Aggression somewhat enjoyable, there’s a filler floating around that makes me want to avoid the record. ‘Some Pain Will Last’ doesn’t sound like the result of a band that enjoys playing thrash anymore and shows what’s what this album sounds like once it’s at its lowest point. Really, what’s the appeal of this junk, anyway? It can’t be that slow snooze of an intro. It can’t that painfully generic main riff one might expect from an inexperienced band and it certainly can’t be from that one-ear-one-ear-out speedy segment, either. ‘Bringer of Torture’ is another bore with a great title, but it’s as threatening as an angry clown with a plastic knife. At least it’s a brief offering of boredom; something that can’t be said about ‘Fatal Energy’. Sure, this one partially works once it speeds up and I enjoy those Maiden-esque harmonies, too, but these dragging mid-tempo riffs sound as hot as a wet-clothed doofus.

As I had already mentioned, some tracks manage to standout and in fact, Extreme Aggression starts off pretty well. Like a swarm of vicious wasps, the title track quickly goes for the attack and it just doesn’t let go from here. Mille remains as convincing as ever with his piercing snarls; causing that simplistic chorus to work wonderfully. ‘Love Us or Hate Us’ has more of an attitude than most tracks and especially that thundering riff at 1:30 gets me going; bringing to mind the same maniac guitar madness of Terrible Certainty. The latter also applies to ‘Stream of Consciousness’ (even if that main riff sounds surprisingly tame) and I have a weakness for ‘Don’t Trust’. Sure, it owes its appeal to some extremely memorable and catchy riffs that almost make this earworm of a track too easy to enjoy... but sometimes that's just what we need, I reckon.

With only a few tracks of quality, Extreme Aggression would have worked as an EP. Unfortunately, this isn't one and once it's bad, it becomes painful to hear. Let’s just finish off by saying that Kreator should have named Extreme Aggression after the second track on the record instead.

This review was originally written for antichristmagazine.com

The album that's previous to my favorite which undeniably is 'Coma Of Souls', this one packs a punch as well. The lyrical concepts are just starting to advance with the band and the aggression in the music has illuminated. The real talent comes out in this one. The guitars were quite technical and voracious. Mille's vocals is just getting their own sound that he hasn't really abdicated his whole musical career in thrash metal. Just if the lyrics were as good as the music this would get a higher rating. But that's not the case here. Subsequently they get a low "A." Fans this is no disappointment.

It's hard to believe this is about 33 years old. And the band is still going strong. It's say Mille's songwriting is what keeps me keyed into the band and their down-to-earth mentality in interviews. I've been a long-time Kreator fan. Some albums rotted though but not on here. My first listen to this album I was under the impression that it's tops with me. It was a good segue into 'Come Of Souls'. So yeah, the music leaves a scar in the memory never gets a healing since their aggression holds them true. I'm glad that they've stayed a band this whole almost 40 year career. They will always be a tops with me ABSOLUTELY.

The production quality was much better than their previous releases. The guitar riffs are what hit home with me and the vocals. And the fact that the sound quality is top notch. Mille could've done a better job on the lyrics, but they're still forming as a band or as Mick Harris would say "we're all chuffed in repulsion." Being from Germany and a lot of the philosophical influences they've not explored so much yet but I think with later releases they're more spiritual than anything else. As on 'Gods of Violence' the song "Satan is Real" is a good idea of Mille in that mindset that he's identified this and it's true the hell on Earth that there is!

This album is about 40 minutes too short, I wished it would've clocked in longer, but I'm glad to have enjoyed it nevertheless. The music, sound quality, guitars, vocals, drums and aura is all-encompassing. I think that this is one of their best releases in their entire discography. Of course over the years they've evolved but even early on they still showed groundbreaking talent. These guys know how to play quality thrash metal! I do wish Frank Blackfire would've stayed with the band throughout their career to date it's just Mille and Ventor being longtime members. Get a hold of this album!

At first glance of the moody cover, you'd assume Extreme Aggression was a grungy or gothic affair; an album in the spirit of their 90s output, perhaps. Instead, the fourth album in Kreator's sizeable catalogue is a mature and razor-sharp thrash classic, developing the accomplished style that the band had shown glimpses of on Terrible Certainty, and for the most part closing the chapter on their proto-death metal pioneering. However, Terrible Certainty 2.0 this is not.

What sets Extreme... apart is the quality of each passage of songwriting, and their arrangement. The songs twist, turn, stop and start, with rhythm and tempo at their mercy, whilst the jazz-like drums, chromatic guitars and rough vocals battle for your attention. They'll dive off into a pre-chorus or bridge with no warning, and will catch you out even on repeated listens. Take the title track, which is comprised of approximately 8 different sections, three of which variate as the song tears along. With wild complexity comes the opportunity for self-indulgence that might lead to a loss of effectiveness, but brevity prevents things from getting stale; the longest track on here is 5:35 (the brooding mini-epic "Some Pain Will Last"), and the rest of the tracks average at just under 4 minutes. Even the relatively tepid "Bringer of Torture" only sticks around for 2:15.

Production could easily make or break an album like this. As the 80s progressed, production jobs gradually improved anyway with access to bigger budgets and interest from high-profile producers, but there are plenty of albums that suffered between 88-90: State of Euphoria, So Far, So Good... So What?, ...And Justice For All, Practice What You Preach, to name a few. Impressively, Kreator hit the sweet spot. Each instrument is presented with an optimally dry clarity; there's no struggle distinguishing a snare hit, tremolo or yell, where earlier reverb would have bled each stem together. A pinch of reverb is reserved for the lead work, which gives the album an extra dimension where it may have lacked. Overall, this is a very refreshing listening experience, at a time when other bands seemed to be experiencing or approaching meltdowns.

The rhythm guitars, vocals and drums on Extreme... are amongst my favourite performances in the genre. Mille effortlessly lays down both precise, rapid riffs, with mosh-heavy power chords, and his gasping growls effectively flow against and with the rhythm to ensure each verse and chorus is an earworm. His leads are short but sweet, adding a melodic edge to the often dissonant riffing and further showcasing Mille's top-quality technical ability. With rhythmic and tempo shifting on a dime, Ventor flicks the drums from modest to extreme and back again, to the point where it can feel as though he is dictating things. It's not overly complicated stuff, but perfectly complements the other instruments, ensuring the drums are not simply part of the background, but actively powering the music.

The few flaws of Extreme... almost feel irrelevant when I'm assigning it such a high rating. Sure, the bass guitar isn't always audible, quietly accompanying the band much like Araya does for Slayer, but its presence is certainly felt. As mentioned above, the mediocre "Bringer of Torture" isn't as satisfying as the surrounding tracks, but such is the quality of those other tracks. Honestly, it's an album that will always divide opinion - it isn't as violent or cutthroat as Kreator's earlier output, and isn't as refined as the next album, and yet the formula here is one that resonates with me the most, to my surprise.

Many say that, with good reason, it all came together for Kreator on Coma of Souls. It is more bombastic, straight-forward and appealing to a wider audience. To me, the polished Coma... lacks a certain edge though; Extreme Aggressions is an experience of engineered chaos unlike any thrash album I've come across.

Spin To Win:
"No Reason To Exist"
"Betrayer"
"Don't Trust"

"Extreme Aggression" was a good album in difficult times. The glorious days of thrash metal were more or less gone and everybody wanted to demonstrate the new maturity of his once unleashed band at the end of the decade. This was not a bad thing per se. Kreator, for example, did no longer torment us with artworks of Phil Lawvere. The childish shit of this dude was replaced by a simple band picture. Not the most original selection for a cover, but acceptable instead of totally embarrassing. And, even better, the music was very easy to accept as well. "Extreme Aggression" showed an upward trend.

The album's sound does not possess the raw brutality of the group's former full-lengths. It rather impresses with a cold, slightly mechanized mix. The technical execution is more transparent than before while creating another thrash feeling than its predecessors. Nevertheless, the listener has no reason to cry. There exist different recipes for solid thrash. I must say that the album does not belong to my most favourite works of Kreator. Nonetheless, I rediscover it pleasurably from time to time.

The new sharpness of the sound emphasizes the strict riffing of songs such as "Love Us or Hate Us" or "Don't Trust". One cannot deny that the guitars are the dominating element on this album, while the previous outputs were focused on creating a violent overall impression. No doubt, Kreator did not only break with visual traditions. The modified artwork style was aligned with the new kind of thrashing ugliness. The here presented songs are clearly shaped pieces which do not set the world on fire. They are further less massive than any piece of "Pleasure to Kill". Yet Kreator, and this must be emphasized, still pray to the Gods of thrash and the poisonous screaming of Mille lends the songs an additional touch of nastiness.

In its best moments, "Extreme Aggression" shows the harshest side of the band's slightly redefined approach. The title track has some relentlessly storming leads, "Bringer of Torture" raises hell in a very direct manner. Honestly spoken, complexity does not play an important role, neither in terms of the aforementioned track nor in general. Kreator have found the balance between the necessary degree of variety and the appropriate amount of desirable brutality. Even the slightly epic "Some Pain Will Last" adds value to the album while marching forward in a stoic manner. Only the hectic and somewhat ineffective "Stream of Consciousness" suffers from its unimaginative chorus.

Three questions remain. Does "Extreme Aggression" possess any kind of special features? I don't think so. Is it a classic, a cult album or something like that? Once again, I don't think so. Does it live up to its name? For the third time, I don't think so. Yet its profound heaviness, its antipathy towards commercial elements and its no frills strategy have an impact, while the lyrics deal with more intelligent issues than before. Thrash fans that do not need barbaric, overly fierce or mega-hostile outbursts will like this robust and tight album.

Alright peoples, Extreme Aggression, my favorite Kreator album. Yes, I said it, this is my favorite Kreator album. The so-called weak point in Kreator's early career that is sandwiched between the technical yet vicious monster Terrible Certainty and the completely fuckin' godly Coma of Souls that outshines almost every thrash album ever. I just, you know, like this one more. Extreme Aggression was where Kreator started polishing their blade a little bit; they started out hacking people to death with a jagged, blood-stained battle axe but around Terrible Certainty and this one, they began introducing more streamlined songwriting elements, better crafted and catchier riffs, and an overall smarter approach to the thrash.

If you're like me, that smarter approach to thrash absolutely kicks ass. The nonstop mayhem offered on Pleasure to Kill was bliss to some listeners, but people like me quickly grow bored of the one dimensional assault that albums like that provide. I've always liked a sort of middle ground between rape-all-who-oppose thrash and catchy thrash; thrash albums that seamlessly combine aggression and tons of energy with a lethal ear for melody, memorability, and crafty riffs and thrash sections are my favorites, and let me tell you, this album is all of that and a bag of chips. It may not be as ass-rapingly vicious as early Kreator but this album flawlessly shows off Mille and the gang's vitriol and mixes it with a badass helping of old school thrash riffing and some catchy as hell thrash breaks.

The result of that somewhat contradictory mix is absolutely brilliant. This album is like that neapolitan ice cream but without the strawberry because fuck strawberry. You get some of the best riffs ever to be played in thrash metal - displayed by "Betrayer", "Extreme Aggressions", "Fatal Energy" and "Dont Trust" (the most underrated Kreator songs EVER), and "No Reason to Exist" - as well a brutal dose of properly injected anger and just all out viciousness. The songs shift from brutal and aggressive to catchy and swinging on a dime, and every song packs some absolutely lethal riffs for every situation. Kreator show off their ability to weave through the musical maelstrom they create by making clever use of both speedy, borderline death-thrash riffs and more straightforward, old school thrash riffs in tandem with each other. The riffs are catchy yet heavy and the songs all feature a nice mix of clean-cut craziness and straightforward thrash. The results are amazing, this album manages to be energetic and exciting but simultaneously memorable and catchy. All of this is golden. This album does not get boring.

So there ya have it, it's not a popular opinion, but it's my opinion nonetheless and I'll love it, cherish it, feed it, all that good stuff that one does with opinions. Extreme Aggression really does represent everything to love about a mixture of aggressive and catchy thrash styles. Many people see albums like this as unfortunate weakenings in musicianship or even as selling out, but this is really a band making stellar use of their inherent brutality and tempering it with a very well-done, more streamlined thrash assault that never fails to be tons of fun. This is my favorite Kreator album without a doubt, passing Coma by just a hair. This is also among my top 5 thrash albums of all time. I can't get enough of this album, and if a thrash album with a focus on riffs and toned down brutality sounds appealing, I can't recommend it enough. I consider this album to be top notch thrash, and while most disagree, Extreme Aggression is that perfect middle ground between straight brutality and riff-happy catchiness. This kicks ass. I strongly recommend it.

Kreator is a monument of the German and European thrash scene. Coming to prominence and releasing a cluster of very aggressive and extreme albums. Albums that maybe were not as high in quality, technical skill and flashy songwriting but were heavier and harder then a lot of American thrash being generated during the 80s. Sadly this is the weakest of that string. As far as extremity and aggression most every thrash band on both sides of the ocean have released highlight tracks (if not entire albums) that are more aggressive and extreme and that is a telling sign, because of there is one thing the German bands of the day had over the American bands it was extremity and aggression.

The biggest issue seems to be that the tempos are slowed down a bit. A lot of the riffing while meaty and muscled sounds mid paced even when it clearly isn't midpaced (Stream of Conciousness). Generally speed equals extremity (Slayer's Reign in Blood, for example), so this is quite an unexpected move for the band's sound. In the standards of the average 80s pop fan this probably sounded brutal and heavy but for experienced metalheads of the day this probably seemed like a more morbid and straight forward version of Ride the Lightning.

As stated the guitar lacks no muscle but tends to lack driving force. Its fairly dumbed down placing all the emphasis on the riffing, no flowery melodies, no little hooks, minimal usage of leads. So in that respect the album has a lot of muscle and power even if it is at the stake of other cool elements. All the solos are very flowery sounding in comparison though. You have these relentless straight forward no frills riffing and then suddenly you get an ultra melodic solo. It just doesn't seem like a logical combination, I mean they mostly made it work but how did they even get that idea.

The bass follows the guitar pretty well, but he can be heard which is nice. The drums generally are fast but suffer the same fate as the guitars where it doesn't seem like enough to really give that extreme feel to it. The band are very tight and professional, they all know their part and none of them try to steal the show, but they also grow stagnant in their roles and its always predictable when their going to try to grab your attention because the whole band seems to let off a bit to emphasize how great their buddy is. Makes it very predictable when everyone in the band is obviously building up to that sweet drum fill. Not enough risks as a group.

The vocals are a raspyish yell. Sounding similar to the vocals of Venom but without quite as much energy. He gives a passable performance regardless. The lyrics cover pretty standard themes; anger, aggression, war and evil. The lyrics aren't as aggressive as on their past releases though, especially 'Love Us or Hate Us' the lyrical theme seems like it was taken from a glam group and rewritten to sound more credible with metalheads.

Standout Tracks: Extreme Aggression, Bringer of Torture, No Reason to Exist and Betrayer

This was a step in the right direction for Kreator. Terrible Certainty felt very hit or miss, and this manages to be much more consistent, with high points of its own. This is a more subdued release than previously, but I don't think that really subtracts from the quality in any real way. The quality of instrumentation isn't very high, but it's all still good.

Compared to many of their competitors, Kreator weren't very technical. Even compared to Sodom and Slayer, I'd consider them at an overall disadvantage. Kreator were a very professional band, but the technique on this album is rather low. For one, Kreator's soloing was just tolerable around this time. It's better than the previous album, but not by a ton. The drumming isn't at a particularly high level either. After Pleasure, nothing Ventor did on the drums was really impressive. He was born to jackhammer, and he became far less shining when Kreator toned down. He's still well above-average, but he's not as impressive as he was. The bass isn't doing much either, nor is it particularly loud. As one can tell, this isn't very high technically by even their standards.

Vocally, this is one of Kreator's best. This is the album on which Petrozza perfected his shouted rasp, and it works well. Some may prefer his froth from Pleasure, his blackish voice from the debut, or even his toned down work from the later albums, but this is what I associate him for. The lyrics present are a little more, "socially aware," than what most of their competitors wrote as well. I frankly don't care much for the thinking behind that term, but it's probably a slight improvement to the music. It's easier to hear what he's saying, and when it does fail, you cringe. The song about child molestation aside, most of these are better lyrics than what they've done before. I do think they took the socio-political lyrics overboard later, but they're far from that. Lastly, Kreator's riffs are still excellent. Even the people who don't particularly like this album will admit that this has some great, catchy riffs.

The cover is a good place to start with this idea. Compared to the covers before and after, the demon isn't present. This is a fairly plain photo of the band in front of a sunrise. This isn't bad, but it's not really amazing either. It strikes me as something I would expect from a much older band, like Aerosmith or Rolling Stones. That's something that has to be noted about this album. Part of the way Kreator brought down their extremity was by incorporating some hard-rock elements into their sound. The choruses have that catchy, yet aggressive feel jacked up several notches. They also are almost all short and straight-forward, as compared to relative epics that are found on many of their albums. It's not surprising considering Petrozza's fondness for Kiss, and in a way it works for them pretty well.

To explain some contradictory ideas in my explanation of the band's performance, they all work together pretty well. The music isn't technical, but the song-writing is all very catchy and succinct. The playing is also very tight and concise. Compared to most Sodom albums, who always exuded sloppiness even when tight, this is much more focused and concentrated. Compared to Slayer, this is much catchier. The songs are also somewhat more varied inside of themselves. I would argue that the playing on Pleasure To Kill seems more impressive, but that the music here has more tempo and rhythmic changes. The music here largely thrives off Petrozza's catchy songwriting and riffing, and Ventor's occasional moment.

My score is largely a reflection of how well these elements work. On a song like Bringer of Torture where the lyrics are horrid and there's nothing else to save it other than a solid riff, it fails. Thankfully, this is the only failing, and it's short. The other problem is that this starts sounding samey. I don't mind this too much, it's a great formula, but it does keep it from breaking through to the next level. The album is a little front-loaded, as the best song is the opener, and the middle is a small step-down, until the last song. All in all, this is Kreator's third best album. Thrash fans need this.

My favourite thrash bands were always Celtic Frost and Kreator. Up to 1988 both bands had not only released amazing records but along with the blinding music the artwork on their records were always clever or raw and always exciting. In ’88 Celtic Frost released Cold Lake. More of a rock record than thrash but at least the cover showed a new logo. When it became Kreator’s turn to release new material I just didn't get their front cover at all. It showed a stock photo of the band with a photoshopped red/orange background slapped underneath. I understand the reasoning behind it. Interviews at the time were hinting towards the band writing more serious songs with less dungeons and dragons / heaven and hell themes. But bands such as Metallica, Death and Megadeth had done a great job with serious topics portrayed on the sleeve. Extreme Aggression’s cover just felt a little weak and a hell of a lot cheap.

The band made a video for the lightning fast Betrayer and it got some heavy rotation on Headbangers Ball and in the UK on the BBC’s Friday Rock Show. Due to this the band found themselves with an expanding fan base and I can see why, I love it when Mille Petrozza sings his “You can’t deny, you can’t deny” part before the chorus and it really fired me up for the release of the album.

I bought it in Our Price record store on the day of release on vinyl and played it to obliteration. I still have the same copy now, all of its its pops and crackles are proof positive of this. Listening back today the opening title track still has that same fire within it as it did back in the day. The opening scream may not have the same impact as Slayer’s Angel Of Death but its damn close and the riff is just as good as that monster classic. The best moment on the record comes in the form of Some Pain Will Last Forever, it has a great spiralling riff that flowers into another monster guitar part and its mid-tempo pace clearly separates it from the rest of the record as a stand out cut.

The only times that thing’s get a little sloppy is when the band sing about child abuse on Bringer Of Torture. Its subject matter should probably be handled by somebody with a better grip of the English language. And again on the song Love Us Or Hate Us which musically is nothing short of brilliant but lyrically I think it is an attempt to bond Kreator fans together with some sort of anthem. Unfortunately it comes across as if the band is angry at receiving a rotten review, not so inspiring really.

The band may well have released a better album before this (Terrible Certainty, 1987) and after it (Renewal, 1992) but Extreme Aggression kept the thrash flame burning hot at a time when speed fuelled metal was on its last legs.

Kreator's Extreme Aggression was not only a pinnacle of the band's upwards elevation in popularity, but a success for Noise Records as a whole, as the album got a distribution deal through a major here in the States (CBS/Epic). The young, evolutionary German band had finally hit the big leagues, and curiously enough, the album even sounds like such a major label debut, cleaning up some of the flaws that marred its predecessor just shy of perfection. Unfortunately, this is also the first Kreator album in which the band took a pretty solid step in reverse. That's not to imply that Extreme Aggression is without its moments, because it is for all intensive purposes a 'good' album, but unlike the floodgates of imagination and extremity that burst open with Pleasure to Kill and Terrible Certainty, these seem to have been welded temporarily shut.

As mentioned, the production here is a lot more streamlined than Terrible Certainty, recorded in the States with Randy Burns at the helm. While this certainly makes the individual components like guitars and vocals more audible, there's also a rather sterile feel to the effort that was lacking on the earlier records. Even the cover of the album reflects this, with the band trading in their demonic mascot for a pose under a muted, red sun hue. Truly boring. The music itself is not so bad, making for the natural bridge between the band's career heights Terrible Certainty and Coma of Souls, but very few of the songs have that instantly explosive emotional power that would characterize the 1990 follow-up, and riff for riff, it's simply not as interesting, like the band were tip-toeing along in the wake of their newfound success, trying not to misfire.

They don't, but neither do they truly impress here. "Extreme Aggressions" possesses much of the scything, melodic precision first introduced on the previous album, but the transitions don't feel all that exciting together, and this is perhaps the most riff-tastic song on the entire album (the verse is great). "No Reason to Exit" and "Some Pain Will Last" are two of my other faves, with cold and clinical riffing that cycles through a number of catchy moments; and to a lesser extent, "Stream of Consciousness" and "Fatal Energy". "Bringer of Torture" is also good for a neck breaking, a fast and frenetic number with a great galloping riff and chorus that wouldn't have been out of place on Pleasure to Kill. I've never been much for "Betrayer" or "Love Us or Hate Us", which seem to ironically be two of the most popular songs on this album, but I wouldn't dub them a waste of space either.

In the end, I tend to think of Extreme Aggression of a mere warm up for Coma of Souls, an album that still blows my head off from start to finish, and the peak of the band's songwriting, despite the fact that it's so heavily derived from ideas first manifest on this album or Terrible Certainty. It's still Kreator, and it's still better than most thrash metal of its day. But it's very strange to me that the chorus of "Love Us or Hate Us" proclaims: 'no honesty, just sterility, a cautious sound they make without creativity'. a passage that best expresses how I have always felt about this album. Whereas the previous album was a tornado of riffs, this is a mere dust devil, forceful enough to whip up the dust, but never enough to tear your roof off.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Of the "big three" german thrash bands (the other two being Sodom and Destruction), I'd say Kreator is by far the most progressive and aggressive of the bunch. They're relatively popular for a thrash metal band, they fuse various melodic elements into their style, and they make music about people; not just war and killing everything in sight (though that can be awesome). Mille Petrozza's "angry man" personality only helps the mix.

Extreme Aggression is certainly no Pleasure To Kill part 2, but it certainly is worth your time. The thrash is still there, the anger is still there, and Mille's germanic hate lyrics still make you wanna smash some heads. It isn't perfect, but like the title of this review suggests, it's angry music for angry people. The riffs, although being typical thrash metal riffs, are mixed with some melodic interludes (Betrayer, Fatal Energy) and occasionally have a heavy metal-esque sound to them (Don't Trust). All in all, it's a very different sound from the previous three albums. I actually prefer this one over all of the others. This album was also one of the first albums where Kreator began to write lyrics about PEOPLE and SOCIETY, which is cool because it really helps as a stress-reliever and it gives the music an amount of depth to it, as opposed to the ever-repetitive "RAWR RAWR RAWR ZOMBIES KILLING EVERYONE HAHAHA!!!"

The only I didn't care for was "Some Pain Will Last", which was long as hell for a Kreator song and had an intro that fails to grab you by the neck like all the other songs do on this album. Aside from that, they all rule. All the songs have heaviness to them and all the songs retain Kreator's trademark brand of thrash aggression.

The production on this album is phenomenal. It's clear and crisp, yet so raw at the same time. All the instruments can be heard clearly and it feels like the music just upgraded your speakers to 5.1 quality. The drums sound smooth, the guitars have a FANTASTIC tone to them, and the bass is heard when it needs to be. This is definitely their cleanest record from the 80s.

So even if it isn't as aggressive as Pleasure To Kill or as down to earth as Endless Pain, this is a thrash masterpiece with all the aggression and brutal honesty you could want. Buy it now.

This album would be their best if they hadn’t released “Coma of Souls”. Yes, “Pleasure to Kill” and “Terrible Certainty” are quite as great and their last three albums for many people are as well. But let’s face it; they almost reached perfection on this one.

“Extreme Aggression” is the perfect title for this album. All songs are furious as hell and truly memorable (with some very few exceptions). Because of the great production and many melodic touches here and there, this album does not sound as the previous ones.

Riffs here are incredible. Just listen to ‘Extreme Aggression’, ‘No Reason to Exist’, ‘Betrayer’ and many others. It is done in a way with so much passion and inspiration that clearly make this album one of the best thrash albums ever.

Mille sounds pretty much like in “Terrible Certainty”, but more refined. Still kinda raw, still evil. Lyrics are basically about ‘being rebel and pessimist’ and not so interesting as on other albums. Of course, they do not compromise the whole thing, and some people may even identify with them.

What I like the most about this album is that you never feel anything is going downhill. The songs sound like Kreator is really enjoying what they are doing, so this is not an artificial experience. While some songs aren’t as great as others on the album, they’re at least decent. Plus, soloing is really strong and powerful, a good development considering their solos on Terrible Certainty.

Another aspect to be mentioned is the drums. Ventor is one of the best drummers in metal and he is more than decent. Pay attention to his performance on “Some Pain Will Last” or “Betrayer”, for example. “Betrayer” is probably their best song ever, because it has their entire proposal well worked and it is so freaking catchy.

Bass is not that listenable, since the obvious focus here is the guitars. However, Rob Fioretti really adds something special in ‘Some Pain Will Last’ and some other parts of the album.

Highlights here are the already mentioned ‘Betrayer’, ‘No Reason to Exist’, ‘Extreme Aggression’, ‘Fatal Energy’, ‘Stream of Consciousness’ and ‘Some Pain Will Last’ - almost the entire album. ‘Don’t Trust’, ‘Love or Hate Us’ and ‘Bringer of Torture’ are usually under appreciated by many fans, although I particularly like them very much.

“Extreme Aggression” has one problem though. It doesn’t really have much variation and in the beginning the riffs sound pretty much the same. Of course, after some listens, this problem is easily solved. Is nothing like the feel you get when you first listen to “Reign in the blood” or “Terrible Certainty”, but it can still put you off.

Unfortunately, they lost themselves after the other masterpiece “Coma of Souls”, although doing a good job in some of the records after that. Yet, none of them can be compared to what “Extreme Aggression”, the previous ones and “Coma of Souls” are. This I truly recommend for any thrash fans and also metal fans in general, if you don’t mind Mille’s vocals, which are unusual even for thrash metal.

Considered by many the most technical album by Kreator, this Extreme Aggression is a very good album that, by the way, has something less memorable than Terrible Certainty. Kreator still goes strong on the way to the most technical but always violent thrash metal and the death elements seem so far. The way they play now is far more mature and the compositions now joy of a newfound songwriting with more ideas and well-balanced parts between the classic assaults and the less impulsive restarts. As always, the riffs are the heavier and more audible element on their sound and this is surely one of the best periods for this band.

The production is more polished but always sharp, adding a more powerful touch to the volumes. We begin with the title track and I can already notice more technical riffs and less impulsivity, also when the tempo is faster. The most extreme element is the scratchy voice by Mille and the riffs are always precise, powerful. A sense of “chirurgical coldness” is present on them and the more polished production is very good to exalt the now more canonical form of thrash metal by this band. However, we must say that the few death metal parts on the previous album were always great. The tempo changes are far more present and the lead lines appear on the mid-paced parts.

There’s a hint of melody in more parts and this is good to give variety to the music. The same elements can be found also on the galloping riffs of “No Reason To Exist” and its tempo changes with more mid-paced sections. The drumming is excellent and precise, filling the songs with a sort of technical style, but it’s also always violent and accurate. The open chords riffs and the less impulsive parts are also reminiscent of the old Metallica because they are, as I said, more technical and more thrash metal oriented. The distortion too is a sign of change, being massive but also quite clean and never excessive.

Tracks like “Love Us or Hate Us”, “Stream of Consciousness” and “Bringer of Torture” are examples of heavy and fast thrash metal with always an eye to the completeness and the strong structures in order to create always well-balanced compositions. The old school brutality is mixed with several mid-paced breaks to create more assorted but always catchy compositions. Finally the guitars solos are a perfect way between the not excellent speed of the past with the acquired technique to be vicious but also well-done. The incredible vocals by Mille are unmatchable for their schizophrenic style and they represent one of the most evident trademarks in this sound.

The longer “Some Pain Will Last” shows different structures and more of those dramatic lines we could sporadically find in other parts. The lead riffage is essential in giving the right attitude and sounds. The mid-tempo is preferred to grow by the end and announcing “Betrayer”, the best track here. It’s fast like few others but it’s always well-written and with a recognizable refrain. The riffs are numerous and the stop and go parts of the rhythmic session are perfect. The last “Fatal Energy” shows more lead lines and a less impulsive tempo to close this album in which Kreator displayed their acquired knowledge in music.

This Extreme Aggression is a sign of what will come with the following album, with more technical parts and always better structures.

Extreme Aggression was the most controlled output from the German thrash titans at that time of its release. Gone is the perpetual drum assault of Pleasure to Kill or the frenetic pace of Terrible Certainty but those has been nicely traded-off for more restraint and tight execution. The production is also superior to their earlier attempts being more clear and more even in the mix. The greater clarity in the sound is suitable to the overall aim of a more reined in effort.
What is also missing here is the dashing burst of unfettered creative energy that filled to various degrees all the earlier albums. This is a feature that can be both welcomed and regretted. On the one hand, such frenzy can work well and create a monster (Behind the Mirror) but on the other it can result in half-baked mess that offers little other than blistering pace (Ripping Corpse).
Of course, Extreme Aggression should never be misunderstood for being anything less than top-notch thrash . The album is loaded with all the characteristic attributes of the genre staple , from deadly riffs to solid drumming. All songs have a great sense of structure building around a basic tune. The riffs are all simply awesome- mostly mid-paced and razor sharp, with interesting development and progression forming the perfect base for the music. Neat breaks and tempo changes are present all through too. Such a reined-in album has the added benefit of every song being a distinct piece from the other.
The drumming is excellent, very accurate and never missing a beat. It is, in fact, quite technical and creative but never dazzlingly so and that is how it ought to be because every song has a definite focus and development. Nonetheless, the drumming undoubtedly adds a new dimension to the songs and make them so much more enjoyable. The solos are good and on the more melodic side but they are never over-used. I generally do not care much for vocals but I find that Mille Petrozza's shrieks and venomous cries has a natural place in the music.

There is no point in song-by-song deconstruction but Betrayer and the closer Fatal Energy are my favorite, but not by any significant margin. In conclusion, this is an excellent thrash album and represents a style that Kreator would go on to perfect in their nexelease.

Does it work out? For the most part, it does. However, this new style for Kreator would not be perfected until theit next album, Coma of Souls. This album still has good riffs, but alot of them feel a bit watered down, and don't punch as hard as their earlier albums. The majority of songs on here are still quite good though. Kreator, for the meantime, were just at a creative slump. They weren't sure rather to keep going with their trademark aggressive sound, or go for a more melodic and catchy, yet still heavy approach. Kreator tend to do a little of both on this album. Sometimes, it works out (title track, Betrayal), and at other times it doesn't quite work out (Some Pain Will Last).

The title track and Betrayal are the best songs on this album. They mix the right amount of melody and aggressiveness and both songs are rather catchy as well. They preceeded what was to come on their next album. No Reason to Exist and Bringer of Torture are also great songs as well. However, it's just songs like Stream of Consciousness and Some Pain Will Last. The formal was rather dull but not too bad, but the latter is rather mediocre. It's probably the worst song Kreator ever made in the 80s. The song is too slow and long, and tends to bore the hell out of me after a few listens. However, the good outweighs the bad on this album.

This is the worst album out of Kreator's first five. However, considering the score I gave it, it's still a pretty damn good album. It's just that Kreator did a whole lot better before and after this album. It has a little bit of both aggressiveness and melody. However, if you want aggressiveness, get their first three albums first, but if you're looking for more melody and catchy/memorable songs, get Coma of Souls first. Regardless, this should be the last out of the first five Kreator albums you should get. It's still worth your time though.

Not a single bad song or note to be found here! Extreme Aggression was released in an era when being only fast wasn’t enough anymore for thrash metal bands. The fans wanted more and Kreator provided successfully! Surely there are still plenty of fast songs and moments to be found here that are easily some of the best Kreator thrashers ever.

Did I hear anyone say ‘Betrayer’? That’s right! One of the best speedy thrashers Germany has ever unleashed upon mankind! Same goes for the title track by the way. Not forgetting to mention the up tempo catchy tunes ‘Stream Of Consciousness’ and ‘Bringer Of Torture’.

What gave Kreator an extra edge on ‘Extreme Aggression’ was their stop-and-go mentality. Play furious, hold back for a moment and then go again increased the experience of speed very effectively. Kreator could also change pace so easily one wouldn’t even notice. And when you did notice it, it brought the tension to the material.

Other tracks on the album that exceed the average level of excellence are the extremely dynamic ‘Love Us Or Hate Us’ and ‘Some Pain Will Last’. These songs reveal Kreator’s true potential of changing pace and key fluently without losing control of the composition.

‘Extreme Aggression’ is the missing link between their earlier raging period and their very clean Coma Of Souls-techno thrash era. It has the best of both worlds and therefore remains their strongest album to date.

This is some fine German Thrash Metal. Kreator's 4th full-length album's as solid as any other. Is it magnificent? No. I'll explain why. Coma of Souls was released just a year after this and it's basically the same stuff - the same song-structures, the same production, the same guitar-sound, the same everything. The only thing that's different is that Coma of Souls has more memorable tracks whereas the tracks on this particular album take their time to settle in.

As I mentioned earlier, the strength of this album lies in the solid song-writing, not the catchiness-aspect. This is perhaps for hardcore Thrashers or fans of Kreator only. The strength of the album doesn't rely on single tracks (as is the case with Coma of Souls) but on all the tracks. Overall, this is pretty strong stuff. Decent solos, good, crunchy, Thrashy riffs and a few melodic passages here and there.

As far as the extreme aggression bit is concerned, I'm not sure if this really is Kreator's most "aggressive" album. I'd rate Coma of Souls and Pleasure to Kill over this any day. Having said that, on it's own, this stands strong and is better than anything that comes from any Thrash band these days. Reccomended for people who like Thrash.

Extreme Aggression is Kreator's fourth album and it is yet another masterpiece. It has a few changes, and definately sounds more like "Coma of Souls" in the melodic sense, as you can hear more melodies.

There are also some other changes on this album. Ventor doesn't sing here which is a slight disappointment as I liked his vocals as well. They were different but just as good as Mille's. Also the solos are more melodic and are higher pitched. There are fewer of them so that is definitely a negative but you get to appreciate the ones that are present even more. However most of this album just follows what its predecessors have done. The riffs are excellent, as great as in “Terrible Certainty”. The drumming is also good and Mille’s vocals are at their best here out of all albums. Mille makes them sound as evil and angry as usual but seems to have more control over them to make them sound even better.

Some highlights on this album are definitely the title and first track, “Extreme Aggression”. There are catchy riffs and lyrics. This song also contains the best solo on the album. “Stream of Consciousness” starts off with rather slow riffs, but they are still very catchy and once the song speeds up it ends up being one of the best on the album. It also contains a great solo. “Betrayer” at 0:10 has the catchiest riff on the entire album and probably one of the best Kreator invented. The rolling-style drums in the background add to the enjoyment of that second or two. The lyrics here are also the best on the album. For example, “You used my trust to satisfy your brainless lust, your word isn’t worth more than puke in the dust”.

As for any down moments, there really aren’t any. Each and every track on this album is enjoyable. This is definitely another thrash lover’s essential.

Ladies and gentlemen, be prepared for the RIFFS!! Now this, oddly enough, is the weakest of the first five Kreator LPs, and the fact that it still gets this high of a grade is a testament (hah, more like a Dark Fucking Angel if you ask me) to Kreator's excellent mastery of thrash metal.

The slight problem with the album is that the riffs are a bit watered down... think of how Pleasure to Kill had those really fucking brutal out-of-nowhere passages, and Terrible Certainty has almost as many - this one has a few, but not quite as many (Coma of Souls also has more, for those wondering).

Highlights... "Betrayer!!!" - imagine the thrash break of "Angel of Death" taken in a more Sodom "Nuclear Winter" direction, and then sped up some. "You will lose! Fall to your knees!" Also, "No Reason to Exist" is very solid in a similar direction... but that's about it. The rest of the songs really exhibit only one speed, and while this is very very good, I miss my "Riot of Violence" or my "Promise of a better future is a lie!!". But again, some great riffs on here too... Stream of Consciousness kicks into high gear after the slow part, and overall, it's fucking worth having. If you like Kreator, you'll like this one.