Description

Kreator – Pleasure To Kill – Compact Disc

Kreator’s Pleasure to Kill (1986) is one of the seminal albums in the history of thrash metal and an early cornerstone of the death metal genre. Hailing from Essen, Germany, Kreator became one of the leading bands of the burgeoning European thrash scene alongside groups like Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard. With Pleasure to Kill, Kreator took thrash metal to new extremes, delivering a raw, aggressive, and ferocious sound that influenced countless death and extreme metal bands that followed.

This album is often cited as one of the most intense and brutal records of the 1980s thrash movement, combining relentless speed, chaotic riffs, and violent, dark imagery. It is regarded as a milestone in extreme metal, solidifying Kreator’s reputation as a pioneering band that helped push the boundaries of what metal could be.

Pleasure to Kill is defined by its fast, aggressive guitar riffs, frenetic drumming, and Mille Petrozza’s vicious, snarling vocals. The album’s sheer speed and brutality, combined with the relentless, chaotic energy of the music, mark it as one of the early blueprints for death metal. The rawness and intensity of the album pushed thrash metal into more extreme territory.

Kreator’s instrumental work on Pleasure to Kill is incredibly fast and precise, yet retains an unpolished, savage edge. The rapid-fire tremolo-picked guitar riffs, blistering drum work (featuring double bass drumming), and wild, chaotic solos make the album a technical showcase of extreme thrash. The guitars, played by Mille Petrozza and Jörg ‘Tritze’ Trzebiatowski, are the driving force, delivering complex and aggressive riff patterns.

The production of Pleasure to Kill is raw and abrasive, reflecting the intensity of the music. Unlike later thrash metal albums that featured more polished, refined production, this record retains a chaotic, lo-fi sound that enhances its brutal and primitive atmosphere.

Key Tracks

“Ripping Corpse”: The opening track sets the tone for the entire album, with a barrage of speed and aggression. The riffs are fast and vicious, while Petrozza’s vocals are snarling and violent. “Ripping Corpse” features several tempo changes and showcases Kreator’s ability to shift between chaotic intensity and more controlled, groove-based sections.
“Pleasure to Kill”: The title track is a thrash metal classic, embodying the ferocity of the album. With its breakneck speed, aggressive riffs, and relentless drumming, the song is one of the most iconic examples of early extreme metal. The lyrics, focused on death and destruction, match the song’s raw brutality.
“Death Is Your Saviour”: A highlight of the album, “Death Is Your Saviour” features a pounding rhythm and relentless riffing. The song’s lyrics reflect the violent and apocalyptic themes that run throughout the album, and the track’s structure emphasizes both speed and heaviness.
“The Pestilence”: One of the longer tracks on the album, “The Pestilence” features more complex arrangements and slower, crushing sections alongside the high-speed thrash attack. The song showcases Kreator’s ability to build tension and atmosphere, making it one of the more dynamic tracks on the album.
“Under the Guillotine”: The album’s closer, “Under the Guillotine,” delivers an explosive finale. With its powerful, menacing riffs and Petrozza’s fierce vocal performance, the track is an all-out thrash assault, perfectly summarizing the album’s brutal and aggressive nature.

Much of Pleasure to Kill is thematically focused on violence, death, and destruction. The lyrics are graphic and often explore topics of war, death, and murder. Songs like “Ripping Corpse” and “Pleasure to Kill” deal with themes of violence in a visceral and direct way, contributing to the album’s reputation for being one of the most extreme of its time. Tracks such as “The Pestilence” use apocalyptic imagery to depict the end of the world, pestilence, and mass death. The lyrics evoke a sense of chaos and devastation, matching the intensity of the music. These themes became staples of death and extreme metal in the years following the album’s release. As with much of thrash metal, Pleasure to Kill also reflects themes of rebellion and anti-authority. The intensity of the music mirrors the anger and frustration expressed in the lyrics, making it a quintessentially aggressive album in both sound and message.

Petrozza’s vocal performance on Pleasure to Kill is one of the defining features of the album. His voice is raw and snarling, matching the intensity of the music. His delivery is unrelenting, with harsh, guttural screams that would heavily influence the vocal style of death metal in the years to come. The twin guitar attack from Petrozza and Tritze is a key element of the album’s sound. The riffs are fast, chaotic, and aggressive, often incorporating tremolo picking and rapid chord changes. The solos are equally intense, with a wild, unpolished feel that emphasizes speed over technical precision. Ventor (Jürgen Reil), who also provides lead vocals on a few tracks, delivers a punishing performance on the drums. His use of double bass drumming, fast fills, and relentless blast beats adds to the album’s sense of chaos and brutality. The drumming is tight and precise, giving the album its aggressive backbone. Rob Fioretti’s bass playing adds weight to the album’s sound, grounding the guitars with a thick, rumbling low end. While the bass often follows the guitar riffs, it adds depth and heaviness to the overall mix.

Pleasure to Kill is widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in the development of death metal. The extreme aggression, speed, and lyrical content set the stage for the more brutal and technical direction that metal would take in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bands like Death, Morbid Angel, and Deicide have all cited the album as a key influence.

Pleasure to Kill is also considered a landmark album in thrash metal. Its unrelenting intensity and raw production captured the essence of what made thrash metal such a revolutionary force in the

While their debut Endless Pain (1985) introduced Kreator to the world, Pleasure to Kill was the album that established them as one of the most important bands in the thrash scene. The album’s success helped Kreator become one of the “Big Four” of Teutonic thrash metal, alongside Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard.

Pleasure to Kill by Kreator is a cornerstone of both thrash and death metal, offering a raw, aggressive sound that pushed the boundaries of extreme music in the mid-1980s. With its unrelenting speed, chaotic guitar work, and brutal lyrical themes, the album remains a classic of the genre, influencing countless metal bands in the years that followed. Tracks like “Pleasure to Kill” and “Ripping Corpse” have become iconic, cementing Kreator’s status as one of the most important and influential thrash metal bands of all time. Pleasure to Kill is essential listening for fans of extreme metal, standing as a landmark in the evolution of the genre.

Track Listing

1. Intro (Choir Of The Damned)
2. Ripping Corpse
3. Death Is Your Saviour
4. Pleasure To Kill
5. Riot Of Violence
6. The Pestilence
7. Carrion
8. Command of the Blade
9. Under The Guillotine

Bonus Tracks:
10. Flag Of Hate
11. Take Their Lives
12. Awakening Of The Gods