part two in the recent kreator re-issue series. this time it is about their record from 2009, "hordes of chaos". out of the three re-issues it is the only one i knew beforehand. i bought myself the "ultra-riot" version last year, which is a cd-boxset released by spv in 2010. actually i wanted to order this album on the emp exclusive grey marble colour-way but as i was too late to order a copy before they sold out, i headed over to the napalm records store to get their exclusive edition.
napalm records has the steamhammer repressings on an exclusive gold colour vinyl version. i am not the biggest fan of that solid gold colour but it works with the cover art because violent mind, the kreator mascot, has some shades of gold in his armour. that brings me right to the artwork. boy, this is some cheesy stuff. especially the inner gatefold is that bad, it's almost good again.
musically "hordes of chaos" is a very good output. it just slows down a bit in the middle. whereas the start and the end of the album are bursting with energy and sharp song-writing. just check "escalation" and "to the afterborn" and be overrun by the horde going by the name kreator. the album was produced by moses schneider, who produced foremost alternative rock bands. "hordes of chaos" was his first metal album he worked on. aside from the vocal lines and the solos, the album was recorded live and analog and sounds great.
the presentation doesn't differ much to the "violent revolution" package. gatefold sleeve, printed dust sleeve with all lyrics, the whole album on cd and 180gr coloured vinyl. forthis re-press steamhammer used the same design the first press on black vinyl from 2009 came on. solid job all around. 150 copies on gold vinyl as napalm records exclusive. steamhammer records. 2009/2017.
