Description

Kreator – Terrible Certainty – Compact Disc

Kreator’s Terrible Certainty (1987) is a pivotal album in the evolution of thrash metal, representing the German band’s continued rise as one of the most aggressive and technically proficient acts in the genre. Following the raw, ferocious sound of their previous releases (Pleasure to Kill and Endless Pain), Terrible Certainty sees Kreator refining their sound without sacrificing the intensity and brutality that had become their hallmark.

This album is often hailed for its tighter, more intricate arrangements, showcasing the band’s growing musical sophistication while retaining their signature ferocity. Tracks like ‘Behind the Mirror’ and ‘Terrible Certainty’ feature more complex song structures and improved production quality, elevating Kreator’s status within the thrash metal community and influencing a generation of extreme metal bands.

Terrible Certainty continues to embrace the relentless speed and aggression of Kreator’s earlier albums, but with a more polished and precise execution. The songs are tightly composed, with a noticeable improvement in technical proficiency. The album retains the raw energy of classic thrash while incorporating more intricate guitar riffs and sharper production.

Guitarists Mille Petrozza and Jörg “Tritze” Trzebiatowski deliver blistering riffs throughout the album, blending fast-paced thrash rhythms with intricate, melodic solos. The guitars are central to the album’s sound, with a balance of chaotic energy and razor-sharp precision that showcases Kreator’s technical growth.

The drumming, handled by Ventor (Jürgen Reil), is a key element of Terrible Certainty’s power. His relentless double bass drumming and fast, complex rhythms drive the aggression of the album, while bassist Rob Fioretti provides a thick, grounding low end that reinforces the album’s heavy, punishing sound.

Key Tracks

“Terrible Certainty”: The title track is one of the standout songs on the album, combining fast, aggressive riffs with dynamic shifts in tempo and intensity. The song’s lyrical themes explore existential dread and the inevitability of death, set against a backdrop of pounding rhythms and sharp guitar work. The mid-tempo breakdown in the song adds a menacing edge, contrasting with the song’s rapid-fire sections.
“Behind the Mirror”: The closing track is one of the most ambitious on the album, featuring slower, more atmospheric passages that give way to the typical thrash aggression. Its lyrical content delves into themes of psychological horror and introspection, showcasing Kreator’s ability to blend thought-provoking themes with brutal music.
“Toxic Trace”: A relentless thrash attack, “Toxic Trace” features fast, chugging riffs and aggressive drumming. The song’s anti-pollution message adds a layer of social commentary, a theme that would become more prominent in Kreator’s later work. The song’s intensity is driven by its rapid tempo changes and Mille Petrozza’s harsh, snarling vocals.
“Storming with Menace”: This track is another example of Kreator’s ability to craft punishing, high-speed thrash anthems. The song’s furious energy, combined with its crushing riffs and brutal drumming, makes it a highlight of the album.
“No Escape”: Featuring complex, technical riffing and a driving rhythm, “No Escape” is one of the album’s more intricate tracks. The song’s lyrics focus on feelings of entrapment and inevitability, mirroring the album’s overarching themes of existential dread.

One of the central lyrical themes of Terrible Certainty is the concept of existential fear and the inevitability of death. The title track, “Terrible Certainty,” deals directly with these themes, exploring the anxiety and terror that come with realizing life’s fragility and the certainty of death.

Tracks like “Toxic Trace” highlight the band’s growing interest in addressing social and environmental issues. The song’s lyrics serve as a critique of pollution and environmental degradation, adding a layer of social consciousness to Kreator’s aggressive thrash sound.

Themes of psychological horror and introspection are explored in tracks like “Behind the Mirror,” where the lyrics delve into self-reflection, fear of the unknown, and the darker aspects of the human psyche. These themes contribute to the album’s dark, foreboding atmosphere, setting it apart from more straightforward thrash records of the time.

Mille Petrozza’s vocal performance on Terrible Certainty is ferocious, delivering harsh, snarling vocals that match the aggression of the music. His guitar work, alongside Jörg “Tritze” Trzebiatowski, is equally impressive, with fast, intricate riffing and melodic solos that demonstrate the band’s technical prowess. Ventor’s drumming is a driving force on the album, with relentless double bass patterns and fast, precise fills that enhance the overall intensity. His tight, aggressive style is perfectly suited to the album’s fast-paced thrash sound, giving the songs a powerful backbone. The guitar solos on Terrible Certainty are a standout feature, showcasing a mix of technicality and melody. Unlike the raw, chaotic solos of earlier albums, the solos on this album are more structured and polished, adding a layer of sophistication to the band’s sound.

Terrible Certainty is considered one of Kreator’s most important albums and a defining record in the thrash metal genre. Its combination of speed, aggression, and technical proficiency helped solidify Kreator’s position as one of the leading bands in the global thrash scene, particularly within the Teutonic thrash movement alongside bands like Sodom and Destruction.

The album’s darker, more complex themes, along with its refined technicality, helped bridge the gap between thrash and the emerging death metal scene. Bands in the death metal and extreme metal genres would later draw influence from Kreator’s precise, aggressive sound and socially conscious lyrics.

Terrible Certainty represents a key moment in Kreator’s evolution, as the band began incorporating more sophisticated songwriting techniques and expanding their lyrical focus beyond straightforward aggression. This evolution would continue in their subsequent albums, as they experimented with elements of industrial metal and melodic death metal in later years.

Terrible Certainty by Kreator is a key album in the evolution of thrash metal, combining the speed and aggression of the genre’s early days with more sophisticated songwriting and refined technicality. Tracks like “Terrible Certainty,” “Toxic Trace,” and “Behind the Mirror” showcase the band’s ability to balance raw power with complex musical ideas and thought-provoking themes. As one of the most influential thrash albums of the late 1980s, Terrible Certainty helped solidify Kreator’s position as a leading force in extreme metal and remains a seminal work in the genre’s history.

Track Listing
1. Blind Faith
2. Storming With Menace
3. Terrible Certainty
4. As The World Burns
5. Toxic Trace
6. No Escape
7. One Of Us
8. Behind The Mirror

Bonus Tracks:
9. Impossible To Cure
10. Lambs To Slaughter
11. Terrible Certainty
12. Riot Of Violence
13. Awakening Of The Gods