Today in 1999 Kreator released the album Endorama Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia,Germany Thrash Metal Status:Active Years active: 1982 (as Tyrant), 1982-1984 (as Tormentor), 1984-present Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany. They originally started under the name Metal Militia, later Tyrant and Tormentor, finally Kreator. Starting their career in 1982, they played Thrash Metal with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big teutonic thrash metal bands from Germany. All three of these bands are often credited with helping create death metal. Kreators work has been consistently in the vein of pure thrash, with the exception of four albums (Renewal, Cause for Conflict, Outcast and Endorama) during the 1990s when they undertook serious experimentation. Incorporating Industrial, Gothic and Avant-Garde elements into their sound, the results were uneven in some fans and also critics eyes. Kreator formed as Tyrant in 1982 in Essen, Germany. The original lineup featured vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza ,who is from serbia, drummer Jurgen Ventor Reil, and bassist Rob Fioretti. They soon changed their name to Tormentor and released two demos. They changed the name of the band again to the final one, Kreator and signed to Noise Records in 1985. The name Kreator is not just a play on the English word creator, its also a name of a demon in the German mythology. Mille thought it was a cool name so the band settled with this new name instead of Tormentor. They recorded their debut album, Endless Pain, in just 10 days. Legions of black and death metal bands call it one of their major influences. The band hired the late Sodom guitarist Michael Wulf for the albums tour. Wulf was in the band for a few days and didnt play on the bands next album, 1986s Pleasure to Kill, despite his getting credit. A new guitarist, Jörg Tritze Trzebiatowski joined the band and he played on this album, which is widely considered a thrash classic. Produced by Harris Johns (Helloween, Voivod), it is arguably one of the heaviest, fastest albums in metal, while showing the band growing in talent and technical ability. The song Flag of Hate became an early hit, and the band became one of the most promising up-and-coming European metal acts. With Tritze the band started their first tour ever (before the release of Pleasure to Kill they had only played 5 gigs total). The band closed out the year with the Flag of Hate EP. In 1987 Kreator released Terrible Certainty, which is often considered to be Kreators best album as the arrangements on the album were more complex and the tempos more varied. The album featured another hit Behind The Mirror, and the bands popularity continued to grow. They managed to find enough time and money (coming from the concerts) to finance another EP Out of the Dark ... Into the Light. In 1988 Kreator signed with major label Epic Records. Their debut with Epic, 1989s Extreme Aggression, recorded in Los Angeles, became a metal hit. Continuing the Terrible Certainty formula while showing the band still progressing musically and with better production by the well-regarded Randy Burns (also Megadeth among others), the album featured the bands first major singles and music videos, the title track and Betrayer, becoming major hits on MTVs Headbangers Ball. They toured North America with Suicidal Tendencies, which greatly expanded their popularity outside of Europe. In 1989 German director Thomas Schadt made a documentary about Kreator (focusing on the social aspect of heavy metal in the Ruhr Area) titled Thrash Altenessen (named after the bands hometown, a suburb of Essen). Tritze left Kreator after Extreme Aggression. In 1990, with new guitarist Frank Blackfire Gosdzik (also formely of Sodom), the band released Coma of Souls. This album was not quite as praised as the bands previous few albums (many felt the album was rushed and repetitive), but still managed to do quite well, with People of the Lie becoming a hit. However, things changed in the 90s. With many other thrash bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and others changing their sound for a more commercial approach, Kreator began experimenting with death metal and industrial metal around this time. The result was 1992s Renewal, which featured heavy death metal and industrial influences. While reaching a newer, more commercial audience, the band upset many longtime fans, accusing them of selling out. The band, once known for being an excellent live act, had disappointing shows and tours for this album due to the industrial influences. The excruciatingly taxing touring commitments that followed took the band as far as South America, but understandably left them physically and creatively exhausted. The band began to fall apart around this time, founding member Rob Fioretti left the band after the recording of the album as he wanted to spend more time with his family and was replaced by Andreas Herz, who never played any official release. In 1994 Reil left as well, leaving Petrozza the sole original bandmember. Reil was replaced by Joe Cangelosi. Herz left in 1995 and was replaced by Christian Giesler. To make matters worse, their contract with Epic was dropped. Now on G.U.N. Records the new lineup put out the album Cause for Conflict that year. The result was their most modern album at that time, the sound on this album had influences from Pantera and Machine Head, a slight return to a harsher sound than on the previous album. Gosdzik and Cangelosi left in 1996 and were replaced by Tommy Vetterli (formerly of Coroner), and, surprisingly, Jurgen Reil. The band continued to experiment with their sound, releasing Outcast and Endorama, both of which experimented with goth and ambient influences, incorporated samples and loops and even found Petrozza trying a few different singing styles on for size. It also retained the groove metal influences. The record sales went down, by the end of the 90s the band reached both commercial and critical nadir. Though frontman Mille Petrozza never cared about this: For us, success doesnt define in record sales. So all our albums have been successful for us, because weve achieved what we were aiming for.... However, in 2001, with new guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, the band released their comeback album Violent Revolution, which saw the band returning to their classic thrash style (albeit they used a lot of melodic metal and so called Gothenburg metal riffs). It was praised by fans and critics alike. The tour was extremely successful and introduced Kreator to a younger generation of metal fans. A live album Live Kreation and live DVD Live Kreation: Revisioned Glory were released in 2003, and a new studio album - still retaining a style closer to old school thrash metal - Enemy of God was released in 2005. This album also saw a special edition re-release in 2006 called Enemy of God: Revisited. In early 2006, Kreator toured North America and Canada with Napalm Death, A Perfect Murder, and The Undying. In 2007 Kreator had a European tour with Celtic Frost and Waatan. Kreator were to tour 2008 with King Diamond, Leaves Eyes, and Cellador, however the tour has been cancelled due to back issues with King Diamond. Drakkar Entertainment GMBH Mille Petrozza – Guitar, Vocals, Producer, Cover art, Concept, Design Jürgen Reil – Drums Christian Giesler – Bass guitar Thomas Vetterli – Guitar, Guitar synth, Producer, Programming Tilo Wolff – Guest vocals 1. Golden Age (4:51) 2. Endorama (3:20) 3. Shadowland (4:27) 4. Chosen Few (4:30) 5. Everlasting Flame (5:23) 6. Passage to Babylon (4:24) 7. Future Ring (4:44) 8. Entry (1:05) 9. Soul Eraser (4:30) 10. Willing Spirit (4:36) 11. Pandemonium (4:10) 12. Tyranny (3:59) Total Time: 50:04 Pre-production recorded at KKS Studios in Essen and Mohrmann Studios in Bochum, Germany. Recorded from October 26th, 1998 to January 18th 1999 at Powerplay Studios & Hithead Studios in Zürich, Switzerland & Principal Studios in Germany. Mixed and mastered at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands. Japanese & Russian version bonus track: 13. Children of a Lesser God (03:33) Re-released on a two-coloured LP in 2007 by Night of the Vinyl Dead limited to 333 units. Catalogue № Night014 The last of the Experimental albums. Videos were made for Endorama and Chosen Few. The video Chosen Few was a kind of sequel to the independent movie Track, directed by Andreas Marschall. Endorama is the ninth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator released in 1999 by Drakkar Records. The gothic metal influences were the most prominent on this release, and Lacrimosa frontman Tilo Wolff provided guest vocals on the title song. youtube/watch?v=sMwPzWGf4z8
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 16:38:20 +0000
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