Description
Kreator – Outcast – Deluxe Edition – Double Compact Disc
Deluxe Edition with mediabook and a bonus disc containing live recordings from Dynamo Open Air 1998. Has sleeve notes from Mille Petrozza
By the time Kreator released Outcast in 1997, the German thrash metal pioneers were in the middle of one of the most experimental periods of their career. Having built their reputation in the 1980s as one of the defining bands of the European thrash scene, Kreator had spent the early and mid-1990s exploring new sounds as metal itself began shifting under the weight of alternative rock and industrial influences. Outcast reflects that moment of transition, presenting a darker and more atmospheric version of the band’s sound.
Rather than relying purely on the breakneck speed and razor-sharp riffing that defined classic thrash albums like Pleasure to Kill or Coma of Souls, this record leans heavily into mood and texture. The guitars remain heavy, but they often move at slower tempos, creating a more deliberate and brooding atmosphere. Layers of industrial-tinged effects, mechanical rhythms, and eerie keyboard elements appear throughout the album, giving the music a colder, more modern edge.
Frontman Mille Petrozza adapts his vocal style to match the album’s darker tone. His delivery still carries the aggressive bite that long-time fans expect, but it often feels more controlled and ominous rather than purely ferocious. The lyrics reflect this shift as well, focusing on alienation, societal decay, and personal struggle. The title Outcast hints at the central theme of isolation that runs through many of the songs.
The band experiments with structure and dynamics more than on their earlier records. Some tracks build slowly, allowing tension to accumulate before releasing into bursts of heavy guitar work. Others lean into repetitive, hypnotic rhythms influenced by industrial and gothic metal trends of the late 1990s. This willingness to experiment gave the album a distinctive identity within the Kreator catalog.
At the time of its release, Outcast divided some fans who preferred the band’s earlier thrash intensity. Over time, however, it has come to be recognized as an important step in Kreator’s evolution. The album captures a band searching for new directions while remaining committed to heavy, uncompromising music.
Outcast stands as a fascinating chapter in Kreator’s long history. It shows the group navigating a changing metal landscape and experimenting with darker textures and themes, laying the groundwork for the powerful resurgence they would achieve in the 2000s when they returned to a more traditional thrash sound with renewed intensity.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Leave This World Behind
Phobia
Forever
Black Sunrise
Nonconformist
Enemy Unseen
Outcast
Stronger Than Before
Ruin Of Life
Whatever It May Take
Alive Again
Against The Rest
A Better Tomorrow
Live At Dynamo Open Air 1998
Intro: Dr. Wagner, Part 3
Terror Zone
Lost
Leave This World Behind
Phobia
Black Sunrise
Choir Of The Damned
Pleasure To Kill
Whatever It May Take
Extreme Aggression
Renewal
