KREATOR Frontman Talks German Politics

In a brand new interview with Hot Metal, guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrashers KREATOR was asked for his opinion on the German chancellor Angela Merkel, who is under scrutiny at the moment primarily due to domestic security concerns and the surge in support for populist parties.

"I'm not an expert on politics, really, and I think that she probably does what every politician would do in her position," Mille said. "She's trying to represent the county in the way that she thinks is helping the country or getting the country to more wealth, less unemployment. But, on the other hand, she is only human, and I think the real leaders are the ones that are working in the background. She's only like the one representing the country, but in the background, that is where the real deals are being made, if you know what I mean."

Mille also commented on Merkel 's controversial refugee policy, which has been blamed by some for the recent spike in terrorist attacks.

"She actually did the right thing helping the people that were fleeing from countries where there is war," Mille said.

Petrozza told Noisey last month that he wasn't completely surprised by underdog Donald Trump's upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, explaining: "I was confused that somebody like Trump could become the USA's president, but I wasn't shocked; a lot of my American friends were shocked. The next four years will show whether or not there was a need to panic.

"I'm not an expert — I want to point that out before I say something wrong! — but remember when we had the 'war' president, the Bush guy? He was a 'war' president and I see Trump as a 'business' president.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not pro-Trump, but let's see what he comes up with. It could be a disaster, but I try to be PMA about this stuff."

Mille also addressed the fact that Trump has famously called climate change a "hoax," though his Cabinet has attempted to strike a more moderate tone in confirmation hearings. In addition, Trump has pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement — signed by his predecessor Barack Obama — which is the world's first comprehensive treaty to tackle greenhouse gases.

"People are dying from global warming, there's scientific proof," Petrozza said. "It's another of those strange things Trump says, one of those things that doesn't make any sense in the real world. Maybe it makes sense in Trump world, but in the actual world, yeah, it's a massive problem."

KREATOR's new album, "Gods Of Violence", was released on January 27 via Nuclear Blast Records.