I always support a metal band that experiments, from whatever subgenre it’s coming from. It is very nice to see musicians not playing safe and trying different things. But whether I like what I hear or not, is another matter. And with Kreator, one of my very favorite bands in the genre, I’ve leaning towards “not” for a long time now.

The legendary thrash band reached full-length number fifteen, forty whole years after they were founded (including the two years that they had other names until they ended up in the current one). What we will listen to here? On the one hand, the well-known recipe of the recent years. On the other hand, some different elements that will surely evoke different emotions among their fans.

The album begins with the short intro “Sergio Corbucci Is Dead” in a western style, which made me wonder why, as the historical director it refers to passed away in 1990. The self-titled comes next, whose starting riff reminded me a lot of Slayer’s “Repentless” and the refrain is no different from so many others of recent years. However, it gives you the impression that it will have a constant place in the band’s setlist. After that, the fast and thrashy “Killer Of Jesus” has a break with classic heavy riffing.

Up next is the simplistic mid-tempo “Crush The Tyrants” with a rhythm in the couple that brought Manowar to my mind, the very melodic “Strongest Of The Strong” with the gang vocals and “Become Immortal” that reminded me early Iron Maiden with Running Wild, having also choral vocals. Three consecutive songs that in my opinion are far from being described as thrash metal. “Conquer And Destroy” initially seems to change that a bit with its fast thrash rhythm, although then it has a very melodic refrain and an atmospheric break with choral vocals.

“Midnight Sun” is what will probably divide the audience of the band, in which the German pop singer Sofia Portanet participates, more than any other. It has a nice thrash riff in here and there but that’s all, since it sounds quite strange to me with its gothic aesthetics. “Demonic Future” and “Pride Comes Before The Fall” follow the well-known thrash/heavy logic with melodic refrain. The album closes with the almost seven-minute long “Dying Planet”, a mid-tempo track with a long narration by Mille Petrozza.

In conclusion, I stick to what I said at the beginning. I respect Kreator for the constant search for something different and for the fact that this has brought them to the position of gaining more and more fans, something that, for example, the more…“stubborn” Destruction and Sodom will not achieve. But “Hate Über Alles”, like their latest work, sounds just indifferent to me. Will I buy it? Definitely yes, to complete the collection. Will I listen to it again? I hardly think so.