Kreator Announce New Album “Krushers of the World” Out January 2026 + Release Video for New Single “Seven Serpents”

ABOUT KREATOR:
When KREATOR’s earliest incarnation formed under the influence of Kiss and Judas Priest in the early ’80s none of the above was thinkable. For young adults, Essen, back then a 600k-plus city in the Ruhr area, was a grim place. Unemployment rates were surging, houses had been blackened by smoke from factories and coal mines, for some alcohol and drug abuse were the only escape route from this dismal, post-industrialized backdrop.

Whereas Birmingham spawned Black Sabbath and undoubtedly became the legitimate birthplace of heavy metal, the bands associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal like Iron Maiden, Venom, Saxon pushed the genre with a street-fighting attitude, US artists such as Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, and Swedes Bathory intensified the style even more, and altogether concocted a dangerous brew KREATOR poured down their throats in gallons. For today’s remaining founding members Mille and drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil, music was the way out from these dire surroundings, and provided an outlet for the frustration and contempt boiling in their guts. And KREATOR went all in. Naive, chaotic yet utterly determined.

And they left their own mark on heavy metal history, radicalizing thrash and inspiring legions of musicians including Arch Enemy, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth and Ghost, with Papa Emeritus joining a TV performance of “Satan Is Real” in 2017.

Their newest studio album, Krushers Of The World, shows a band that has lost none of its bite kicking off with the rabid aggression of “Seven Serpents.” It also tackles Petrozza’s love for horror flicks by paying tribute to Dario Argento’s Suspiria in “Tränenpalast” with extreme metal vocal coach Britta Görtz (Hiraes) adding her own vicious tone over dark yet catchy melodies. And of course, you shall have hefty doses of pure, thrashing aggression as well! “Barbarian,” “Deathscream” or “Psychotic Imperator” deliver your fix of merciless riffs, majestic leads by Sami Yli-Sirniö and some of Ventor’s fastest parts ever. Are you looking for powerful mid-tempo sections allowing bassist Frédéric Leclercq to shine? Then the monumental groove of the title track and stunning chorus of “Satanic Anarchy” will have you covered. Rounded off by a triumphant and — no pun intended — krushing production courtesy of Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, who previously worked with the group on Phantom Antichrist (2012) and Gods Of Violence (2017), KREATOR return in perfect shape.

A novelty to Krushers Of The World is immediately obvious when staring at its cover. With Zbigniew Bielak, renowned for his work for Ghost, art and design offer an interesting twist to KREATOR’s history. Transforming classic visual trademarks dedicated fans will recognize from Coma Of Souls (1990), Out of the Dark… into the Light (1988) and Pleasure To Kill (the font!) into a highly detailed tapestry garnered with occult symbolism, Bielak crafted an outstanding piece paying homage to a band he loves since his teenager days yet with a daring and unique flair. The cover of Krushers Of The World rewards everyone willing to analyze the grandiose sleeve design.

In essence, Krushers Of The World is of course not a throwback to KREATOR’s past, it is furious, massive sounding and creative in its own right, gifted with a songwriting quality honed over years. It displays a band which earned its spot among the giants of the genre, and developed its youthful anger further into a professional, internationally successful, nonetheless intimidating creature. Krushers Of The World underlines the fact that fueled by the reflective look at their own legacy sparked by 2025’s Hate & Hope movie, KREATOR nowadays appear more mindful of their early days while simultaneously progressing uncompromisingly, unstoppable in their search for new realms to conquer and new worlds to krush.