Review by Felix on January 13, 2020.

During the last years, Mr. Petrozza has begun to stylize himself as a politically interested, reasonable guy, socially competent and thoughtful. A brainy man who knows more than the somewhat narrow-minded heavy metal universe, a man who has something to say. Something very important, of course.

Well, that's definitely fine and everybody has the right (or even the duty) to keep a close eye on his personal development. Nevertheless, whenever Mille opens his mouth in order to vitalize our poor brains with a very thoughtful message, I have to think of lines like this one: "My only aim is to take many lives, the more the better I feel" or that one: "He eats the heart of your wife and rips her cunt inside". I know that we have to separate the artist from the person, yet this contrast always irritates me. Frankly, the entire lyrics of Pleasure to Kill are nothing else but a pile of shit (and the artwork is not much better). But here comes the good news: lyrics are absolutely irrelevant as long as we are talking about unleashed thrash metal. Pleasure to Kill contains exactly this music and furthermore, it holds a couple of excellent compositions.

As soon as the deceptive intro fades away, three berserks start immediately to demonstrate their Pleasure to Kill their instruments. Mille is ahead of the pack and spits out the nonsensical lines with a maximum of hate and anger. Ventor, who delivers the lead vocals on three tracks, makes sure that there is a certain variety. His voice sounds less hateful, but more masculine and more controlled. Anyway, both singers convince with a highly aggressive performance. Anything else would have been inappropriate in view of the musical content. Kreator use the heavy artillery. Pleasure to Kill is more vehement than "Agent Orange", it sounds much more brutal than "Zombie Attack" and it delivers a rougher form of violence than "Infernal Overkill". The songs are characterized by high velocity, stormy riffs and flattening leads. Furthermore, the smell of decay fills the air. Although I am not a fan of the artwork, I must admit that it reflects the atmosphere of this milestone of German thrash metal very well.

Kreator manage the challenge to integrate tiny melodies without hurting the brutality of their songs. "The Pestilence" holds a short, almost melodic part from 4:45 to 5:33, but even the here presented melody line does not lack of a specific gruesomeness. However, violent sections dominate the album. A small number of sequences borders on chaos. "Carrion", for example, is kicked off by a noisy solo. Shortly afterwards, hectic guitars are accompanied by equally nervous drums and both create a violent staccato. Nevertheless, the band does not lose control. Instead, the three-piece delivers some jewels of extreme thrash. Both the title track and "Riot of Violence" score with surprisingly catchy choruses, "Ripping Corpse" impresses due to its sheer fury and the closer "Under the Guillotine" leaves a final trace of devastation with regard to its piercing guitar work and the simple yet sustainable chorus. "The Pestilence" wins the award for the most epic battle. But it goes without saying that I also want to provide you with the titles of the downers of this work. Here they are: ---- . That's not much? Sorry, but there is nothing more to say in this context. Only a real human competence center, Mille for example, would be able to add an intelligent comment.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Elijah on January 10, 2020.

Don't get me wrong, this album is cool, it's awesome, it's heavy, it's one of the first albums to mix the aspiring new death metal and thrash. This album isn't BAD, but it's not flawless or "amazing" at all I'd say. I really do enjoy this album but at the same time I'm not that big on this at all.

I absolutely adore tracks like 'Ripping Corpse' (especially that song, it's my favorite on the album), 'The Pestilence', and 'Under the Guillotine'. Mostly every song is very good and great. But my main issue is how sloppy everything is. The skank beats, pretty much a lot of the drumming is half off tempo, the guitars fail to catch up with the drums at sometimes, and a lot of the time the vocals are just shouted out randomly instead of being structured and placed accordingly throughout songs as they should be. Some people like this album mainly because it's messy. It appeals to them because it has a relentless pummeling evil sound, and I totally get that; but in my opinion I don’t think it's all that great. Endless Pain actually used the "messy" type of shit in a good way, on that album the messy vibes feel good and it just feels right, like it should be there, where on Pleasure to Kill it feels forced and not fully processed.

Aside from all that which is the biggest issue for me, the songs are good. As I said before my favorite is 'Ripping Corpse'. It has an awesome riff followed by skanks and fills on the drums, and Mille's vocals sound heavy and plain evil. So good. On the other hand, tracks towards the end of the album heavily decrease in quality. The guitars lose their heaviness and the riffs get stale, and the drums sound completely different as they did on the first half of the album. Especially the snare, oh god did the snare loose it's greatness. Makes me sad. Can't stand that soft gross snare. Those songs are just alright but not as enjoyable as the first few songs, not at all; and that's for sure.

I do like this album, but I find myself not being fully pleased every time I listen to it. I'm not a huge fan of how unorganized it is. I would enjoy it far more if it wasn't so much like the way it is. It's pretty hard to explain for me. I do love this album, but I also just don't like it compared to other albums. Terrible Certainty is far better than this. Overall this is just a good album. It's cool but needs some fixing up.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by ChadL on May 9, 2002.

Around the time California's Slayer released the seminal "Reign In Blood" on the other side of the globe, Germany's Kreator released a monstrous album of their own, entitled "Pleasure To Kill". The fierce, unrelenting songs on this album would become a blue print for what would become death metal.

Despite being released sixteen years ago, "Pleasure To Kill" is still brutal by today's standards. The calm guitar/keyboard intro is the only moment on this disc that will give your neck a break. In fact, the latter half of the intro is completely misleading, because just when it gets almost, dare I say "pretty", the sheer fury of 'Rippin' Corpse' blasts through the speakers like a wild beast that has been caged for far too long. This song is a great introduction to what awaits you; furious guitars and drums, along with a pounding bass line and spiteful vocals. Next up is 'Death Is Your Saviour', which if anything, will kick your arse even more than the previous song. Despite its ferocious pace, this track is very memorable and contains some great riffs that will stay in your head. The title track is my favorite on the album and just rules any way you look at it, this song is a classic if I've ever heard one. I could go on and on and go through every track on this CD, but it would be pointless, as they all kick your arse. Besides the ones I've mentioned, other standouts include 'The Pestilence', 'Command Of The Blade' and album closer 'Under The Guillotine'.

Overall, "Pleasure To Kill" is a great album, and to me it is the definitive Kreator album. Even though this is overall a very aggressive thrash album, there is certainly some "death metal" elements in here as well. Many of the songs are more aggressive than anything I've heard from this time period, and still knock you on the floor, even today!! Once this album sinks into you and becomes part of your subconscious like "Reign In Blood", you will start to notice just how large of an influence this band and this album, in particular had on the current death metal scene. While the music itself isn't very technical by today's standards, it was very extreme when it was released, and is played with conviction, heart and energy, which are a very important part of making a great record. That is a big part of what makes this CD great, Kreator sound like they are having fun and like they believe in and enjoy the music they are playing. The only thing that keeps this album short of thrash perfection is the production, which isn't bad, but not great either. All in all, this is a great album by a legendary band. A must for anyone who likes aggressive, no-frills thrash/death metal.

Bottom Line: A timeless metal album. This album is a true gem in the metal world, and fans of thrash/death metal will not be disappointed, you will be headbanging the whole way through! You need this!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 10
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 of 10

Review by Jeger on May 6, 2025.

Terje Bakken aka Valfar of the now defunct Norwegian atmospheric / folk black metal band Windir died of hypothermia. He was making his way through the countryside to his family's cabin at Fagereggi, Norway, and unprepared for a coming blizzard was he. He froze to death… Pretty black metal way to go. Tragic but legendary. Valfar was an elite talent behind his guitar, but also keyboards and accordion - a multi-instrumentalist visionary for Norwegian BM. Windir broke up in 2004 following the death of its mastermind; leaving a void that will always remain. Windir was just that unique and that important to black metal. In 2003, about ten months preceding Valfar's untimely demise, Windir released their celebrated Likferd LP via Head Not Found.

Windir was one of those history / mythology / pagan black metal collectives, as opposed to the diabolical variety ie Gorgoroth and Mayhem, and much like Bathory, Windir's music was epic, memorably melodic and just a guitar and keyboards-driven cream dream… Nothing aggressive about it, just triumphantly majestic like Sear Bliss yet classic in the vein of Emperor's debut. Valfar and Nödtveidt - the best to have ever done it. Likferd is just one of those elite metal albums like Candlemass - "Nightfall", Dissection - "Storm of the Light's Bane" or Carcass - "Heartwork", and it represented a more refined version of Windir. Not sanitized, but a bit more filtered. Such epic BM cast in a proper engineering light. Galloping along through "Despot" upon groovy chugs and intrepid double-bass currents before "Blodssvik" unfolds to equally as groovy but alas more dynamic passages. And it gets riffed out hard, the atmosphere becomes laser electric and it even gets a bit grimy. Comprehensive but reined in by a proper respect for genre purity. Impressively nuanced yet grandiose and overwhelming is Likferd.

What a brilliant vision for what was at the time, outside of the aforementioned Emperor, a bit of an unimaginative Norwegian movement. Like Norse Warlords bellowing in song o'er the mountain range. Gigantic mugs of ale in hand in celebration one moment, all soulful and melodic the next and mystifyingly atmospheric throughout it all. "On The Mountain Of Goats" - an achievement worthy of worship - another riffed out gem of a track that begs for repeated listens. Traversing over unpredictable but somehow fluid compositional terrain now. Each segment just oozing into the next without inertia and at differing tempos, but always bonded by jackhammer percussion. Does black metal get better than this? Not by much and all those Opeth-like contemplative quasi-symphonic parts keep shit interesting, but for this ole boy, it's a guitar fest, which is basically a sausage fest but with guitars and kickass guitar players like our boy here. Striking passages like the intro to the closer, Ætti mørkna that precede what remains of the experience: riffs and enchanting atmospherics just inviting you in like strippers in a Jacuzzi.

Better to go out on top? Not really. Life is about the valleys as well. Windir was in the prime of their career when this tragedy that could've maybe been avoided had Terje just worn a thicker coat transpired. The release of 1184 and the unveiling of its follow-up in this masterpiece would've been what they call "big shoes to fill", but altogether a task that Valfar would've no doubt tackled with enthusiasm. An under-sung BM legend for what he achieved above ground. What an impressive catalog and such a prodigious talent.

Is it better to freeze to death unexpectedly in the prime of your life or to die a sickly old heap in a hospital bed? Great argument. Life is plagued by the inevitability of death. It's hard to fathom how it's always right around the corner, but the trick is to try and distract yourself by doing some cool shit while you're here. Live while you can, ya silly cunts. Take passion by the reins and find something you love. Do it while there's still time. Valfar left behind a legacy of contemporary / olde world respected-the-world over black metal. A discography with integrity! Not just shitting out record upon record like vinyl diarrhea or putting out a record every 10 to 15 years. Windir was an artistic but also a pro endeavor like Death, the aforementioned Dissection or Watain, and their music set the bar while Valfar was here. Fuck cabins. I'm terrified of bears and would not enter into the wilderness unless it was with an arsenal of firearms. And the weather? Killer man… Windir - sorely missed  and eternally respected by those of us who know what truly great black metal is. Likferd - a monumental album release like "Reinkaos" that will echo through the annals of BM history as one of the most accomplished black metal records ever written. Hail!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Jack on March 4, 2004.

While Windir will not win the accolade of being the most unique or groundbreaking metal act in the last few years, they have to be certain to rank amongst the top names in terms of adrenaline and tenacity.

Catchy hooks, driving drums and a particular acidic black rasp are the order of the day with Windir's "Likferd," and they do not let up for the duration of the record. To break things up a bit Windir incorporate some soaring keyboard melodies and folk inspired pieces that are introduced intermittently across "Likferd" to provide a bit of substance to an already impressive black metal outing.

Of special note is the track 'Blodssvik' which is -the- example of what black metal can be like. Not the dreary and drab 'true' Norwegian style or the rather camp symphonic black metal, but rather galloping riffs and thunderous drums providing a majestic tapestry for vocalist Valfar to wield his considerable vocal talent. This is one song that is a mandatory head-banger. \m/.

There isn't a lot more to say about "Likferd" really. If you like black metal you will definitely find some solace with Windir's "Likferd." Here simplicity reigns supreme. Windir have not overdone any feature of "Likferd." Everything has come together perfectly on "Likferd" and hopefully this record will get the recognition it deserves.

A fine black metal record with enough energy and atmosphere to keep you rocking on until the wee hours of the morn. "Likferd" should elevate Windir into the upper peaks of the black metal underground.

R.I.P. Valfar

Rating: 8 out of 10