As you can imagine one of the problems interviewing Europeans, is the language limitations, but still I sit here with trepidation. Above me on the stage lablemates RAGE soundcheck and in front of me sits a guy that plays some of the meanist guitar ever witnessed and on record turns the listening experience into something akin to being on a heroin trip. At a mere 18-years-of-age Mille petrozza is finally being recognised as one of thrash metal's fastest yet more mature gutarists. His racing guitar and volcanic vocals handle the front of KREATOR while the supporting ranks Rob (bass) and ventor (drums) pile up some serious nuclear metldown behind him.

the past couple of years has seen KREATOR take a leap out of the obsecurity that surrounded them when they formed as TORMENTOR in 1982, to the top of the European metal tree via the successful "Endless Pain" album and this years monster release "Pleasure To Kill". According to rumours they are now poised to hit the stages of the U.K. and U.S. with a new EP - a re-recording of "Flag Of Hate" from the "Endless Pain" album, so i decided to corner the flag bearer himself to catch up on some of the recent happenings in the war machine that by now has left the ears of Germany severly deafened.

A lot has happened to "Pleasure To Kill" in fact it's become quiet hot property - were you yourselves pleased with it?
"Oh yes, but sometimes I think we went a bit too fast on it and it becme chaotic in parts; but generlly I like it, yes. Our new material should be different though; it will be quite a bit slower and more technical. I see you thought it had alot of effects on it, but in fact we used almost no effects."
What brought about the change of style on "Pleasure To Kill" from that sound on "Endless Pain"?
"We had learnt alot a lot since the old days and our riffs were just getting better and better. I wasn't pleased with "Endless Pain" because the production was very bad. It should have sounded like "Flag Of Hate" on the new Ep, that's more like us really. The change you're talking about was basiclly because of the production. "Pleasure To Kill" was much better. We hope that new material will be better still because our style is changing and my lyrics are better."
What form does the new material take? I understand that your new EP "Flag Of Hate" is due out any time now?
"Yes, in fact I think it is already released. It's a little later than we expected because there was a mistake in the cutting, but it should definatly be out. To give you an idea of our new material, one track is about seven and a half minutes, another is slower like "Riot Of Violence" and there is that better re-recording of "Flag Of Hate."
I too would have picked out "Riot Of Violence" as showing a difference in style from the rest of "Pleasure To Kill" - do you think that this might be the way new material, fo say a third album might go?
"We have some ideas for the next album already. Nothing is definate but some riffs are ready. I think we will be trying to change our musical style. We don't want to play just all fast songs anymore and I think you'll certaintly see some slower material a bit like "Riot Of Violence". I want to be more technical on the guitar because the last LP was really only for thrash and this time we want to include other more origional ideas alongside the thrash style. We would really like to bring in another guitarist to improve our sound, but im afraid we can't find one good enough. In a way, a second guitarist has to be better than me, because I don't want to have to show him all the riffs all the time. As you probaly we've had some problems with this recently?"
You're talking of course about Wulf - did he influence your sound at all after his involvement with SODOM?
"Yes, I'm talking about Wulf - he caused us a lot of problems. I don't want to say anything against Wulf personally, but i can't say he's a good musician or anything because he isn't. He can't write songs and he couldn't play our music. The only thing he brought from SODOM was problems. He was only in the band two months or so and I think he only played with us once. I gave him the riffs for the EP and he refused to learn them, hence he couldn't play them so we fired him - it was as simple as that!"
OK then; let's turn to this present tour - what's the reaction like?
"We've played quite a few gigs now and the reaction is fantastic. this tour's very important to us because it's big and we get on very well with the guys in RAGE and DESTRUCTION - that creates a good atmosphere as you can see"... *At this point he breaks into German as Schmier, bass player with DESTRUCTION, enters* ..."sorry we were just discussing women, there are some nice women in Germany you know. In the past we have played in Denmark and Belgium and everywhere it's been great. On this tour they are all going crazy for us, I love it! Noise are really a good help as well - they're really standing behind us at the moment - we're really pleased with their dedication to the band."
Tell us about the rumours of U.K. and U.S. visits then - can you confirm anything?
"No, not yet, but I think both are very likely. I think Noise want to do another major festival as they did with CELTIC FROST and i hope we will be on it. There is talk of us going to the States early next year as well, but nothing is certain yet. If we do it would be nice to do so with friends like DESTRUCTION, because of the great friendship between the bands."
How would you react to people who say that your type of music is untalented and is bad for heavy metal's future?
"If someone who played better than me said that, I could accept it, but when somebody who doesn't play at all says that I get very angry. We try hard to include origional ideas in our riffs and i think we try harder than a lot of those groups who play to their image like MOTLEY CRUE. I think, sooner or later, thrash metalwill become the music to replace the great bands like MOTORHEAD, not this pop metalwhich many bands play. They play very simple songs which are not what heavy metal fans want to hear today. We are still young and we are getting better and better. I don't care about biased criticism like that - our record sales are very good so some people must agree."
Yes, I suppose you can't argue with the punter can you? Tell us what is next for the band?
"With "flag Of Hate" out we are hoping to do some more dates in Europe, hopefully including Italy and the UK, then we can get over to see all our fans in the States - we have to make it sometime! As i said nothing is decided yet so you'll have to wait and see."

KREATOR may seem a strange band to tag the world domination label to just yet, but I'm sure one day their name should be up there were the new wave metal bands once sat. Mille and company are certaintly ready for the challenge. The new style should give them a wider appeal, then it's only a matter of time. I wouldn't like to speculate on the arrival of KREATOR in your humble town but if it occurs you would be making a grave mistake if you missed it.
The guitarist leaves me - food crunching in his ravaging jaws. Suddenly the noise of thundering riffs can be heard as the beast tunes up his mighty axe for the fight that is to come and dreams of the one thing that drives him on - the PLEASURE TO KILL.

.....Shortly after the tour had finished, KREATOR's search for a second guitarist ended when Jorg Tritze joined the band.