Kreator Frontman Mille Petrozza Reveals New Album Details, Says ‘Finding The Riffs Is Only 10% Or 15%’ Of Songwriting

Mille Petrozza, the driving force behind German thrash metal titans Kreator, has offered a deep dive into the creative machinery of the band as they prepare to unleash their sixteenth studio album, Krushers Of The World.

In a new conversation on “Coffee With Ola“, the popular YouTube series hosted by The Haunted guitarist and Solar Guitars founder Ola Englund, Petrozza broke down his meticulous songwriting process. Contrary to the guitar-centric nature of the genre, the frontman admitted that the actual riffs are a surprisingly small piece of the puzzle.

“The thing is, it’s like a puzzle,” Petrozza explained to Englund (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “You start coming up with all these riffs that you think maybe it’s a little bit above what I am able to play, but if I rehearse and if I get into practice, and if I get into the mindset, I might be able to do this at one point. Which is not when we go into the studio. But it might be when we play the first five shows of a tour. And then everything starts to flow.”

For Petrozza, the foundation of a Kreator track often begins not with a shredding guitar lick, but with a concept.

“The lyrics, most of the time they’re first. And there needs to be an idea. And when I have a lyrical idea… then I come up with the riffs,” he said. “And the riffs, I don’t wanna limit myself. I want them to be a little spectacular or something that not everybody can just play right away.”

He stressed that while technical proficiency is vital, it ultimately serves the song’s composition.

“It makes you a better musician because you challenge yourself. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean that… the riffs have to be complicated at any cost. If they’re cool and they’re very easy to play, they make great songs also. So, I think you always have to find whatever’s best for the song. And I think finding the riffs is only 10% or 15% of the whole composition. But it’s very important, especially in metal.”

When Englund countered that his own process is “90%” riff-based, Petrozza acknowledged that there is no universal blueprint for heavy metal, citing the genre’s biggest icons.

“There’s definitely exceptions to the rule. I don’t know how Metallica write their songs. But I think they also have the riffs first. So every band is different. So there’s no formula,” Petrozza noted. “I need to have something that people can sing along. I like it when people sing along. And I like it when you can remember the songs. I like catchy stuff. I’m not a ‘prog’ head.”

He clarified that while he appreciates complexity in bands like Rush and early Tool, he prefers a balance. “They have great songs, but they have weird rhythms. And so it makes me, as a listener, it makes it enjoyable. But if it’s just too [complicated] for the sake of it, it’s not my taste.”

The fruits of this philosophy will be heard on January 16, 2026, when Kreator releases Krushers Of The World via Nuclear Blast Records. The album features cover art by Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak (known for his work with Ghost) and was produced by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. Bogren is a familiar collaborator, having previously helmed 2012’s Phantom Antichrist and 2017’s Gods Of Violence.

According to Petrozza, the new songs were refined through an intensive demoing process with his friend Andy Posdziech of the band Any Given Day.

“The demos almost sounded like the album, because it was so detailed. The drums sounded great. And the way we recorded the riffs, the sonic quality of the demos was really good,” Petrozza revealed. “I listened to the demos for a couple of months, really, before I even played it to anyone. That made me kind of figure out whether or not I enjoyed these songs.”

He advised aspiring songwriters to adopt a similar method of “living with” their music before finalizing it.

“Figure out while you are — whatever — doing the dishes or just cleaning your apartment or whatever, and you listen to it in the background and if you enjoy it, it could be a good song… it helps me.”