Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
turning a new leaf..., August 1, 2000
This review is from: Endorama (Audio CD)
After living with this release for close to a year now, I still scratch my head in bewilderment. Kreator have morphed from being the most caustic, fire-breathing thrash band to come from Germany, to a more controlled, definitely less aggressive of their former selves. Certain aspects of this "new" Kreator will never quite gel with me; for example the annoying, almost whispered vocals that are generally prevelent throughout the disc ("Endorama", "Passage to Babylon", and "Tyranny", being the prime examples), the more basic (or rather formulaic) song writing style the band have adopted, and the general lack of aggression on display here. For someone who has been a fan since their debut, this might probably be too much to overcome (as it almost was with me). Many, many, many listens later though, I sit admiring that the band had the audacity to change as much as they have over their last 2 releases. Sure, "Soul Eraser" and "Willing Spirit" are just not good (to me), and I longed to hear Mille just drop the pretentious "singing" and cut loose with something "Flag of Hate"-ish, but along the way, there are definitely good examples of heavy rock/metalish tunes. The best being the hard opener "Golden Age", the Paradise Lost influenced "Chosen Few" and the tough, driving "Pandemonium" (which is a reworking of "Phobia", but now I'm just nitpicking). So basically, if you are a long time fan, buy it (cause you know you will anyway), and just give it some time (maybe a LONG time if need be). Eventually, you'll either grow frustrated and burn it, or you'll learn to accept what is essentially a new path treaded by the greatest thrash band ever to come out of Germany. I just can't shake that nagging feeling that the bands best days are behind them. Once the innovators that set the standard, it seems as if they are now reduced to doing the following.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different but Awesome, August 2, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Endorama (Audio CD)
I am a huge fan of Kreator and I've been a fan for a long time. I have all their albuns and love all of them (maybe with the exception of Renewal that suffer greatly from poor production). Let me tell you, do not by this album if you are expecting another version of Extreme Agression or Coma of Souls. This is a different Kreator, a slower more melodic Kreator. However this is a fantastic album, any metal fan with an open mind will love it. If it was a new band and not Kreator this album would be aclaimed and not thrashed as it's been. The talent of Mille and company is striking and they made one of my favorite albuns ever in a time where metal was desperate for good new albuns, the late 90's. Endorama and Testament's The Gathering are the two trully great metal albuns to be released in those times.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most schizophrenic metal band ever..., May 12, 2001
This review is from: Endorama (Audio CD)
Hard to believe this is the same band that used to make songs like "Death Is Your Saviour" (from '86's 'Pleasure To Kill'-highly recommended). Now we have atmosphere (!), melody (!!), and...hello...what's this?! SINGING!!! Whooda thunk it? Mille actually demonstrates having a set of pipes here and is quite the crooner, particularly on "Chosen Few" (have you seen the video? Mille decked out in a rumpled suit and cuff links being a Vegas lounge singer! Unreal!). But the real standout characteristic here is the album's groove and catchiness. Take "Pandemonium" for example. Listen to this song just once and you'll find yourself humming it all day long. If you're a long time Kreator fan like me, I'll admit that you really have to listen to this album with an open mind (think of later Megadeth with a slightly darker atmosphere) but if you give it a chance you will be very pleasantly surprised. A brave album from a band that's not afraid of being talented. By the way guys, next time you're touring the States, bring me a case of Veltins, willya?
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