Kreator - Official Website - Interview


Coma Of Souls

Germany Country of Origin: Germany

1. When The Sun Burns Red
2. Coma Of Souls
3. People Of The Lie
4. World Beyond
5. Terror Zone
6. Agents Of Brutality
7. Material World Paranoia
8. Twisted Urges
9. Hidden Dictator
10. Mental Slavery


Review by Chris Pratl on September 12, 2018.

Around my parts Master, and particularly Paul Speckmann, is as legendary as our pizza, or lakefront, or our old-school gangsters. Chicago took great pride in Speckmann then and he’s still a hometown boy revered, even far across the globe in the Czech Republic where he now makes his home. While wildly prolific with bands such as Warcry, Funeral Bitch, Abomination and Death Strike, Master remains his main project, and the latest addition to the arsenal by way of The New Elite is a deadly combination of death metal archeology and Heavy Metal History 101.

After the impressive and intense The Human Machine from 2010, Master re-emerges with 11 tracks of sadistic, blood-pumping death metal that is always steeped ever-so-slightly in thrash elements that satiate and subdue the wandering nomad fan of both genres. Arguably one of the first death metal vocalists along with Kam Lee or Jeff Becerra, Speckmann’s throaty, almost hoarse delivery belches and bellows out over the din of some speedy guitar work that pummels the senses as much as it impresses. The initial first tracks in “The New Elite” and “Rise Up and Fight” show that Master is still at the top of its game, both lyrically and musically. While “Rise up and Fight” might not make its way to the next Rocky movie in terms of ‘feel-good’ anthem, Speckmann screaming, “Get a grip on reality…you must fight the fucking machine-“ does just as much to accelerate the testosterone of the staunch metalhead as anything Bill Conti or Ferrante and Teicher wrote for the lulled, impressionable masses. This track is one of my favorite Master tracks ever, and considering how far back this writer goes with Master that speaks volumes. Speckmann’s lyrics have always dealt with overcoming suppression, be in political, spiritual or internal, and he’s vastly underrated as one of the better lyricists of the metal movement. You just feel empowered and alive after hearing Master, and if you don’t I’m afraid you simply don’t get it. 

While there is no denying the absolute tenacity with which Master assembles and shatters the psyche within the span of any one album, The New Elite is a tempestuous and vile slab of musical vermin that is about as brutal as it comes while still retaining a perfectly tangible, enunciated balance between guttural noise and intelligent metal easily consumable in large portions. The single “Smile as Your Told” leaves little to the imagination and fools no one; these guys have no intention of giving way to the commercial aspects of the business - Master is the business, and after all of these years they comply and cower to no one. In an era of some long-standing artists bowing criminally to the mighty god of bland commercialism, some bands and players maintain the integral aspects that make us a proud army, and Master is certainly in that mix. Even the ‘slower’ tracks like “Redirect the Evil” harken back to a time where Possessed and Dark Angel reigned supreme in the West Coast dominion; the heavy, battering crunch of the riff in this song is enough to crush a windpipe and a rib cage in one infernal grip. The sound is a total encompassment of the Swedish sound of the late 80’s / early 90’s and a modern underground anger employed by only a few cellar-dweller bands that ‘get’ it. The crisp sound around the edges does little to deviate from the source page, which is a down-tuned carnal sound that is more malevolent than and twice as ugly as any Cannibal Corpse track you can name over the band’s entire period. I’m torn between my want for this music to stay concealed from the layman poser’s view and the need for a band such as Master to be heard and ingested like cyanide to the willing minion. I’d certainly opt for the latter as Master could and would convert any fence-sitters accordingly or simply tear down the fence without apology. 

Other standouts here certainly include “New Reforms”, “Twist of Fate”, and “Guide Yourself”, which would induce a Wacken-like pit in any small club across the world, and they’re going to be doing just that this year and into 2013, when a trip home to the States in set for March. 

I expected all of this and more from Master and they failed to disappoint, as usual. This will surely be on my year’s end list of “the master elite” albums of the year. I think Paul was on to something there.


Rating: 9.5 out of 10

(originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

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Review by JD on September 30, 2012.

I find myself sitting back and smiling like a cat after eating the very fat canary. After listening to forty four and a half minutes of some incredible sounding metal that made my day. This was what my metal needs were screaming out for. I started to research some information on this impressive band to get my review started - and happily, I’d might add as well. I was surprised at some of the stuff I was getting, and loved it.

Master is now based out of Czech Republic via Chicago Ill, and had been known to play some very aggressive Death Metal. Their newest album has been ‘tweaked’ a little, adding in a whole whack more than the standard, blood soaked Death Metal. Throwing into the mix some straight ahead vicious Thrash, adding in some old school metal and even a small hinting of Blues hidden amongst the metal storm that cascaded through out the album. Master explodes on you with world class musicianship not to mention some devastatingly heavy riffage.

Some tracks hold some old Celtic Frost styled inspired riffing which comes out thundering out like a stamped, that title track kicks off the CD. As powerful as it is blatant, this track is the perfect kick off to this album. Other tracks follow like the chaotic Death styled anthem 'Souls To Dissuade' to the meaty crunch and intelligence lyrics of 'As Two Worlds Collide' - you get a Death Metal band that is showing that they are not simply a one trick pony - but a band that has as much depth of talent as they have got sheer brutality.

This is a band that really has come a long way - creatively re-inventing themselves while still keeping the massive power they have developed. It is good for all of us metalheads, because we need those types of musicians that feed the need while blowing us away. That is my drug... and damn it is good... they are my Master.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

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Review by Death8699 on December 5, 2018.

Kreator doesn't really need a lengthy introduction because they've been in existence in the thrash metal community since 1984. Their lineup on this release features Mille Petrozza on guitar/vocals, Frank Blackfire on guitars, Roberto Fioretti on bass, and Ventor on drums. Every musician on this release contributed nothing but good on here. This is the type of thrash metal album you can analyze and listen to in pure amazement. I think that this release was the best one in the whole genre during the year 1990. Metallica was making a change in their style of music after "...And Justice For All" so Kreator put forth their unbelievably excellent contribution to the metal community with this release of theirs.

The guitars feature a lot of different rhythms composing tremolo picked frenzies, bar chords galore, palm muted open notes, plus leads that were amazingly fast and technical. The music is memorable, every single song on here deserves a whole ton of praise because of it's innovation and creativity. They really made this album with a fresh start in songwriting that is entirely invigorating. Tempos of the songs change rapidly, but that doesn't replace the awesome and amazing capabilities that they were able to amass on this release. About 44 minutes of mind boggling thrash metal to the core. I don't think any of Kreator albums surpass this one.

I enjoyed all of the songs because every one of them feature thrash metal genre perfection. I'd have to say that "When the Sun Burns Red", "Coma of Souls" and "People of the Lie" are the best tracks. But all of them are worth checking out if you don't own this album. The leads were the best performed by Frank, Mille's were a tad sloppy and I think that he's better equipped on rhythm guitar not lead. To me, it sounds like he's a self-taught musician. His vocals are innovative and memorable. No one vocalist can emulate his voice, it's totally original and sticks with you. That's what sets apart Kreator from the rest of the thrash metal bands. His vocals are among the best in this genre.

The production/mixing was done with precision. Every instrument was mixed in with perfection. No instrument was left out. The guitars were filled with plenty of distortion, the bass was audible to the core, vocals didn't drown out the music, and the drums were well heard. The lyrical content features them talking about death, religion, politics and war. There were no Satanic or mindlessness in the words they all had to deal with real life issues. So on that front it was good. It would've been great if Frank Blackfire was still with the band though because he sure could shred on the guitar. Their replacement doesn't come close to his talent, but he's out of the band and has been out for years now.

Kreator put forth something astounding here. Not to say that they aren't a good thrash metal band anymore, but the rhythms in the music are their best ever created. This is not only my point of view, I'm looking at other people's opinions on this release and they came up with the same answer: perfection. Their previous releases to this one don't even come close to achieving more success in the songwriting capabilities of the band. They must've really wanted to come out with something totally amazing and "Coma of Souls" is what they came up with. If you're a fan of thrash metal and you don't own this album, buy it now if you haven't already!

Rating: 10 out of 10

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Review by Luka on December 27, 2001.

While Slayer and Judas Priest may have been regarded as the kings of thrash metal in 1990, it was bands like Kreator who were really pushing the darkness and glory of this style to its true potential. Ruthlessly fast and mean guitars execute one killer song after another the forge this mighty follow-up to 1988’s "Terrible Certainty". Damn, I’m impressed!

With solos aplenty, semi-clean vocals and blast-beats as well as slower tempos, Kreator’s style is like an equilibrium of traditional metal and extreme; the first step for metalheads seeking to explore the dark realms of black or death metal. Kreator are just as potent but more outwardly accessible. With amazing songs like 'Material World Paranoia', 'Hidden Dictator', and 'Mental Slavery', Kreator prove that they were more bad-ass ten years ago than half the bands calling themselves "extreme" today!

The album keeps a very strong, solid front throughout. No weak tracks, no weak parts, just strong, ambitious consistency the whole way through. Whether is a groove-oriented headbanger like 'People of the Lie', or a violent thrash anthem 'Terror Zone', you’ll find no faults in Kreator’s musicianship, songwriting, and arrangements. The songs have a beat and are damn catchy, but at the same time brutal and fast, there is nothing bad to say about "Coma of Souls", I don’t know many bands today with this kind of talent. Brilliant!

Bottom Line: One very solid metal album!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 8
Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

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