Kreator (who early on went by the name of Tormentor) rose to prominence in the mid-eighties, joining Sodom and Destruction as the top-ranked German thrash bands of the decade. But the second half (at least until 2001) of Kreator's career has not been so successful. Founder Mille Petrozza's attempts to broaden the band's sound (most notably on albums such as the industrial-tinged Renewal) have met with some critical acclaim but not commercial success, as hardened fans seem to have become disillusioned with straying from the raw, frenetic thrash that made winners of albums such as Pleasure To Kill. The addition of guitarist Tommy Vetterli, late of Coroner, in 1998 sparked renewed interest in the band, but the resulting album, Endorama, was even more perplexing, further distancing itself from its predecessors, and arguably underutilizing the talents of Vetterli.

2001 was the comeback year for the band, with Mille and company (including new guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, replacing Vetterli) returning to the sound of old. The album of that year, Violent Revolution, retains the maturity of the recent output but the aggression of the early work -- easily one of the band's best albums in some time. Most recently is the band's followup, Enemy Of God.