Many of you can surely remember how popularKREATORandSLAYERonce were in Poland.There were so many fans of each band that, at some point, the scene was, almost evenly, split in two between the ardent worshippers ofSLAYERandKREATOR.And those two groups would mercilessly fight with each other during live shows.Frustrated Polish youth churned out a lot of aggression during live shows...which was really dangerous and the violence back then was of epic proportions. Like theKREATORshow in Katowice, stopped after a couple of songs due to the mayhem in which metal heads and skinheads fought each other.Ok, but let us talk about the very music itself.I can still recollect how excited I was when I first listened toEndless Pain.KREATOR`s debut was recorded 40 years ago and it still holds up. It is still darn powerful.This album reconfirms that the 80s was a truly magic era. Most of the 80s albums are like this: they do hold up so well.KREATORformed in Essen.They became known to a wider audience in 1984 (and even before back in 1982 asMETAL MILITIA/TORMENTOR).Their debut album turned out to be one of the most extreme metal albums in history, the album that made Teutonic metal famous far and wide. It didn’t take long for some competition to appear.The band I am talking about isPOSSESSEDand theirSeven Churchesalbum.

This rivalry between Europe and North America started well before 1985 but in that year, it became really extreme as it left all theclassic Heavy Metal, Speed Metal or Thrash well behind.Endless Painwas indeed a classic black/speed masterpiece.It was not the case when it comes toPleasure to Kill.KREATOR`s debut album was a perfect combination of the old school metal and speed-obsessed death metal which was about to emerge.The guitar work is filthy, heavy; drumming sloppy and vocals byVentorandMillejust destructive. I must say I have always preferredVentor`s vocals: since these are throatier and truly menacing.Don’t get me wrong,Mile`s vocals onKREATOR`s first two albums are excellent too.Ventoris one of these few guys who was able to sing and play drums at the same time. And his singing was just powerful!!!Just listen toStorm of the BeastorSon of Evilto know what I am talking about. Interestingly,Endless Painis split into two vocalists (5 songs for each). Such an approach makes this album even more interesting,I must say. I need to stress that both gentlemen were truly frantic vocalists at that time.The album itself has a huge dose of energy in it; it is also stunningly massive. Rough, unpolished guitar work makes these songs sound raw and perhaps a bit chaotic too. Anyhow, the solos match the whole concept very well. Sure, this is not well-elaborated, this album is certainly full of passion.And very candid too, full of youthful rebelliousness.That’s why this stuff is so good to listen to.Endless Painwas recorded byKREATORas a three-piece band.This reaffirms that musical trios are best when it comes to creating music. Indeed, there are no fillers, no unnecessary moments on this album – it is thus very coherent, powerful and massive.These sounds have the magic of old school metal, lock stock and barrel.The tracks aren’t overly complex, yet stunningly impressive like an atomic explosion which burns up and annihilates all the competition. We must remember that it wasn’t until 1986 thenKREATORshowed what they were really capable of.The recording session took place at Caet studio in Berlin supervised by producer Horst 'Hoddie' Müller who did know how to work with such music. Need examples? Sure, there are some:Hellish CrossfirebyIRON ANGELorGates to PurgatorybyRUNNING WILD, …that speaks volumes about his skills, right?To me,

Endless Painis one of the most important albums in the history of extreme metal music.Indeed,whatKREATORoffered on their first two releases is truly exceptional.t is really sad they changed their approach on their later doings and switched to more accessible thrash metal; they indeed got rid of their music identity and took on the American way of playing metal music.Sure, their later albums are well played and the production is better.But the uniqueness is somewhat lost. Therefore, I will always claim that the realKREATORis their first two LP`s and theFlag of Hateep.What they recorded later is inferior to these above-mentioned releases. Just listen to these songs:Total Death, Son of Evil, Cry War, Endless Painor any song fromPleasure to Kill!Huh, when I first listened to thePleasure to Killalbum,I was surprised that it was possible to be able to play so darn fast.This stuff is just furious and relentless to the bone! Pure fucking devastation.Is there any album that can counterbalance the excellence ofPleasure to Kill?

PerhapsPOSSESSED`sSeven ChurchesorSLAYER`sReign in Blood?True, both albums are brutal as fuck, no denying this, butPleasure to Killovermatches these two by all means.In my humble view, this album,Pleasure to Kill, overshadows any band and any album we can think of. While listening to these tracks, I got a bit disapp

ointed thatVentordid the vocals for only three songs:Death Is Your Saviour, Riot of ViolenceandCommand of the Blade. I had always preferred his vocals, because they are more barbric Pleasure to Killcan hardly be called a thrash metal album. Such tracks asDeath is your SaviourorRipping Corpseare pure fucking Armageddon. Sure, there are some slower, less-intense songs -Riot of Violence, Carrionand album`s closing song:Under the Guillotine. The title itself says a lot: it’s a PLEASURE TO KILL! This sums up what this album is all about.The lastKREATORstuff I am an ardent fan of is theFlag of Hateep. The ep versions of these songs are just killer.I can still remember how popularPleasure to Killwas in Poland in the past.Plenty of metal heads had theKREATOR patches on their jackets. I am sure that ifKREATORhad performed live in Poland after this album was out,Spodekwould’ve been knocked into rubble. Sadly, it wasn’t until April 16, 1988 whenKREATORshow took place in Katowice (two shows to promote terrible cetainty) Of course, fans still likedKREATORa lot despite the fact their music had lost its initial brutality and become more technically advanced.

Well, it was sort of natural since the band kept evolving.Also, I think they got influenced by the USA bands to a high degree and it was hearable in their newer songs.Terrible Certaintydoes stand for this new approach: more complex, technical and well-executed music with a much better sound.Terrible CertaintyandExtreme Aggressionare definitely good albums, but this is a different sort of thrash metal, in my view, much more “Americanised,” I might add. Darn, I can still recollect the MTV videoclips ofToxic TraceorBetrayer…. we all got so excited about those songs, back in the day.I think the similar thing happened toSLAYERand their immortal first two albums. For many,

Show No MercyandHell Awaitsare the real “SLAYER”.Reign in Bloodis different as the musicians chose to follow a different musical path, losing, with each and every album, their initial character. Of course,Reign in Bloodis amazing, but stylistically speaking, so unlike their previous albums.But getting back toKREATORandTerrible Certainty. Here in Poland, people did like this album although it was different from band`s first two full-length recordings.Same forExtreme Aggression, which was out in 1989. A year later, on April 21, 1990,KREATORplayed live again in Poland, together withPROTECTORatMetalmania Fest.Coma of Soulswas out in 1990 and this album is important for the genre too.We must not forget that it was out in 1990, when thrash was losing its importance and death metal was getting stronger; resultingly,plenty of metal music fans migrated from thrash to death metal.Luckily forKREATOR, their position was so strong enough so they didn’t have to worry about that at all. Their first five albums solidified their importance to thrash music and todayKREATORis rightly considered one of the most important bands in the genre.

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