''Extreme Aggression'' is the fourth studio album by German
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
released in 1989. While the band had already gained a sizeable following in the US due to their 1988 tour with the
crossover thrash
Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover) is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk. Other genres on the same continuum, such as metalcore and grindcore, ma ...
band
D.R.I., this album introduced many American fans to Kreator, primarily through heavy rotation of the "Betrayer" music video on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Headbangers Ball
''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obs ...
'', which was partly shot at the
Acropolis
An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...
in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, Greece. The beginning of the song "Love Us or Hate Us" was used in an early 1990s promo ad by the Los Angeles radio station
KNAC
KBUE (105.5 FM, "Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM") is a commercial radio station licensed to Long Beach, California, that serves the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is owned by Estrella Media and airs a Regional Mexican radio format. Studios and of ...
. This was their first album issued in the US by
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
. The album was also available on picture disc vinyl.
The album's original artwork was that of a man standing in front of a bathroom mirror looking at the reflection of his face falling off, exposing Kreator's mascot demon underneath. However, it was quickly replaced with a new artwork, depicting an image of the band in front of an orange background.
Recording and production
''Extreme Aggression'' was initially recorded in Germany, but those tapes were abandoned, with lead vocalist
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza (born 18 December 1967) is a German guitarist and singer of Italian descent. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band Kreator, which he started playing in as Tyrant in 1982 and ...
expressing frustration with the band's guitarist Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski. Petrozza shifted the project to Los Angeles in the US, replacing Tritze with
Sodom's guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik. The album was recorded from January to February 1989 at the Music Grinder studio in Hollywood, California, with additional recording at E.Q. Sound and
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios is a recording studio facility in Hollywood founded in 1972 by members of 1960s pop band The Robbs. Cherokee has been the location of many notable recordings by such artists as Steely Dan, David Bowie, Journey, The Cars, Foreign ...
. Tritze was credited as guitarist on ''Extreme Aggression'' but his contributions were not included on the album, and he left the band after its release. Blackfire left Sodom and joined Kreator, playing the Extreme Aggression Tour to support the album.
Reception
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews were mixed. In its favourable review of the album
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
wrote, "the playing is very, very tight and drummer
Ventor flexes some powerful muscle", while suggesting that "Epic is obviously looking for its own
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
and this quartet could be it."
Frank Trojan of ''
Rock Hard
"Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...
'' considered ''Extreme Aggression'' "a clear step backwards from ''
Terrible Certainty
''Terrible Certainty'' is the third studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in 1987 through Noise Records
Noise Records is a German heavy metal record label founded in 1983 by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich ...
''", due to "a lack of ideas and moments of surprise", which make the compositions very predictable.
''Extreme Aggression'' was generally well received by modern critics.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
writer Jason Anderson wrote, "The results are fierce and noisy on this 1989
Epic release -- the first major-label effort for the band. Petrozza and Fioretti's guitar work is as punchy as ever, and Reil's massive drums are unrelenting and continually improving."
Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff (born April 28, 1963) is a Canadian music journalist, critic and author. He is mainly known for writing about the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of ''Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles'', he has additionally ...
remarked the continuity of sound and purpose of the band through the 80s and reminded that the album contains some of his favourite Kreator songs.
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...
reviewed the 2017 remastered edition of the ''Extreme Aggression'' and called it "a genre masterpiece", "superior in terms of songwriting and most certainly production" to its predecessors.
Commercial performance
Coinciding with the 2017 remastered issue, ''Extreme Aggression'' charted for the first time 28 years after its release, and peaked at number 90 on the
German charts
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
. The remastered edition of the band's 1986 album ''
Pleasure to Kill
''Pleasure to Kill'' is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in March 1986 by Noise Records.
''Pleasure to Kill'' is widely considered a landmark thrash metal classic, along with ''Master of Puppets'' by Metalli ...
'' charted on the same day.
Track listing
All songs by Kreator, all lyrics by
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza (born 18 December 1967) is a German guitarist and singer of Italian descent. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band Kreator, which he started playing in as Tyrant in 1982 and ...
* 2017 CD remaster was released as a two-disc set, including the album itself remastered, as well as a second bonus CD featuring a live performance from East Berlin in 1990, aptly titled "Live in East Berlin 1990".
Personnel
;Kreator
*
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza (born 18 December 1967) is a German guitarist and singer of Italian descent. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band Kreator, which he started playing in as Tyrant in 1982 and ...
– vocals, lead guitar
*Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski – guitar
*Rob Fioretti – bass
*
Ventor – drums
;Additional musicians
*
Greg Saenz
Greg Saenz (a.k.a. Gregory Pecker) (born April 27, 1967) is an American drummer from Highland Park, California, currently based in Coachella Valley. He started playing for groups around North East Los Angeles in 1985, mainly influenced by drum ...
– background vocals
*
Dan Clements – background vocals
;Production
*Randy Burns – producer, engineer
*Martin Becker – photography
*Edwin Letcher – lyric adaptations
*Karl-Ulrich Walterbach – executive producer
Charts
References
External links
Kreator Terrorzone: Extreme Aggression
{{Authority control
1989 albums
Kreator albums
Noise Records albums
Epic Records albums