Never a subtle band, West Germany's Kreator have always written music that portrays the seedier side of human existene. While some may find the pith of their songs depressing, life isn't always pretty, and neither do Kreator wish to be. Extreme Aggression, the title of their newest album, is also the essence of Kreator's sound-raw, questioning and belligerent.

Recording this album in Berlin with the expertise of producer Randy Burns, Kreator have built upon the sound they established with their Terrible Certainty album and subsequent Out Of The Dark, Into The Light EP. Along with that typically harsh sound associated with Kreator, some songs show a degree of progression. There are slower, more introspective pieces that reveal a new side to the band, proving they can create a moodier song with loads of pathos.

Epitomizing this new sound, "Some Pain Will Last" has an almost haunting feel, while "Fatal Energy" shows that slowing down the guitar doesn't mean compromising the sheer heaviness. In keeping with that fast and furious sound that has classified Kreator since the beginning, most of the songs are great thrash workouts complemented by Ventor's rapid drumming and the screaming vocals of Mille Petrozza. Mille has become more comfortable in his command of the English language, sounding even colloquial at times. Add that to the angry themes sung about and you have one brutal combination.

I would have welcomed slightly heavier guitar production, like that wall of sound that blew me away when i first heard Pleasure To Kill, but that's a trifiling matter. Kreator have a sense of honesty and conviction that emanates out of every song, from the vicarious emotion of "Don't Trust" to the sheer power and speed of "Stream Of Consciousness". Uncompromising in their attitude, Extreme Aggression is another solid album for Kreator. They have a chip on their shoulder and the talent to put it to music. --V.W.