Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Kreator Phantom Antichrist Company: Nuclear Blast Release: 2012 Genre: Thrash Reviewer: ChaosLord

Mean, pissed off and ready to take you out

Germany's Kreator has been creating thrash havoc with their own brand of speed and power since 1985 and "Phantom Antichrist" is their newest venture in the thrash world. With Phantom, long-time listeners will definitely hear the classic Kreator speed with tweaks to the sound. The album itself is very heavy and incredibly fast, chocked full of catchy riffage throughout. Vocalist Mille Petrozza brings back his banshee like wails and junkyard dog grunts with enough vitriol to awaken even the sleepiest of metalheads.

The album is the best I have heard from the band in a long time and United In Hate may be my favorite song off the album. It is classic Kreator with plenty of speed. But what stands out to me are the melodies and the aggressiveness of the song as a whole. It is mean, pissed off and ready to take you out. Other tracks that are worth noting are From Flood Into Fire and Victory Will Come.

The production on the album is solid and well polished; nothing less than what you'd expect from these veterans. I do feel that the songs get a tad repetitive after a while but other than that, no other glaring flaws or complaints.

In this reviewers opinion, Kreator has returned sounding better than ever and are ready to inundate the masses with their honed brand of thrash metal until your neck snaps.