With four decades of thrash metal dominance behind them, German legends Kreator are preparing to unleash their sixteenth studio effort, Krushers Of The World, on January 16, 2026, via Nuclear Blast Records. Despite the massive discography, frontman Mille Petrozza insists his approach to the creative process remains as fresh—and anxious—as it was in the beginning.
In a new interview with Australia’s Inner-Strength Check, Petrozza opened up about the philosophy that drives him to keep writing, rejecting the safety net of the band’s legacy.
“If there’s one thing that I don’t want, it’s to turn into an nostalgia act and just repeat what we’ve already done in the past,” Petrozza explained. “So every time I do an album, it’s always, like, I treat it like my first album. I know it sounds absurd because it’s my sixteenth album, but that’s how I try to approach going into a new songwriting session.”
The vocalist acknowledged the inherent challenge of staying fresh within a genre that relies on specific stylistic boundaries.
“And I don’t know if it always works, but we try not to repeat ourselves and we try not to do something that we’ve already done. It’s hard because we’re playing metal. We are not doing progressive metal. We’re playing pretty straightforward metal. So there’s a little bit of a limitation. To me, it’s all about the songs. To me, it’s all about the songwriting. I’m a big fan of songwriters from any genre. I love the art of songwriting, and I’m a nerd when it comes to that.”
Petrozza views the studio not as a job, but as a personal challenge to find that initial spark of excitement.
“To me, I see the whole process of creating new music as a challenge to come up with stuff that I’m getting excited about. And hopefully if that works and I’m excited, I just put it out and hope that other people get excited about it. And that’s how we work. That’s basically it.”
When asked about the temptation to “loosen the reins” and drift into more progressive territory given their technical ability, Petrozza noted that while the band is capable of it, the new record leans towards conciseness.
“Yeah, it’s an option. Technically, we could do it, but it’s not something that we wanna do. I mean, on Hate Über Alles, there was a seven-minute song, which was kind of epic, but on this album it just didn’t happen. I mean, the songs are four or five minutes long. So whatever comes out. You need to come up with like a selection of songs that makes sense and comes from the heart and kind of reflects and represents what we’ve been through since the last album… As a musician and as a creative person, you can only open the channels. You pick up your guitar and then you try to see what comes out. And whatever comes out is what you hear on the record, really.”
He also revealed a rigorous quality control process for Krushers Of The World.
“I’m not the kind of artist that just thinks that anything that I put out is amazing. I mean, we had, like, 12 songs for this record, and only 10 made it on the record. And then I have a couple of ideas, unfinished songs and all that. So I’m constantly writing music. Anything that I think excites me will end up on an album.”
The new album sees the band reuniting with producer Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, the same team behind their acclaimed LPs Phantom Antichrist and Gods Of Violence. The cover artwork features the distinct style of Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak, known for his work with Ghost.
