KREATOR's MILLE PETROZZA Reflects On Almost Joining CELTIC FROST: 'I Decided To Not Become TOM WARRIOR's Sidekick'

In a new interview with Matt Mills of the Heavy Stories podcast, guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR reflected on almost joining the Swiss metal band CELTIC FROST around 1986. Asked what his reaction was to being asked to be part of CELTIC FROST at that point in time, Mille said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was blown away, because I really respected them and I thought they were one of the best bands in the world. And I still do think that they were definitely one of the innovators."

Mille continued: "I knew that I had my own band, but I still wanted to go and see how they work, because they're great people, and we're still friends to this day. And I just wanted to see it. I have to be honest, from a nowadays point of view, I wanted to jam with [then-CELTIC FROST drummer] Reed St. Mark — and, of course, with Martin [Ain, then-CELTIC FROST bassist] and Tom [Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior, CELTIC FROST guitarist/vocalist], but Reed St. Mark, for me, was the best drummer in the world. And I kind of sensed — not that I knew already that I will not join, but I definitely wanted to try out and see and feel how I feel about it. And I decided to not become Tom Warrior's sidekick, but have my own band."

Recalling his rehearsal sessions with CELTIC FROST, Mille said: "I went there for a week. I wish there was still recordings from that session, because I thought they were just amazing, amazingly professional. And Reed St. Mark was a killer drummer. They were playing in a bunker, an old World War II bunker in Zurich. And they were amazing people — very, very smart, very avant-garde. And I was this little 18- or 19-year-old metal kid. But then when I went back and I came back [home to Germany], I knew that I'm not gonna do it. I knew that I'm gonna do my own thing."

According to Mille, the fact that CELTIC FROST was based in a different country was a factor in his decision to pass on the offer.

"Switzerland, it's a cool place to be, but I was too young for that," Petrozza explained. "I was too young for moving to Switzerland. I don't even know. I mean, back in the day, yeah, they probably wanted me to move to Switzerland. And that was also like a thing — I was still a teenager, man. I was, like, 'What? It's too much.' And then I had my own band. If I wouldn't have had my own band, I would definitely have joined them."

KREATOR's sixteenth studio album, "Krushers Of The World", was released in January via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. Bogren previously helmed KREATOR's "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods Of Violence" (2017) LPs. The "Krushers Of The World" cover artwork was created by Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (GHOST).

KREATOR will promote "Krushers Of The World" with a monumental European tour across 20 countries, joining forces with fellow metal powerhouses CARCASS, EXODUS and NAILS. The trek will kick off on March 20, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, at MEO Arena and wrap up on April 25, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Poolen. Highlights include shows in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm, and more.

KREATOR will also embark on a U.S. tour this spring. The band, which last conquered American audiences and venues in 2024, will make stops at key festivals, including Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple and Maryland Deathfest. The tour kicks off on May 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and runs through May 23 in Huntington, New York.

The official KREATOR documentary, "Hate & Hope", was shown in July 2025 at the 42nd Munich International Film Festival and received a theatrical premiere in September 2025. The 110-minute film was directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post.

Mille's official German-language autobiography, which he wrote with journalist, author and presenter Torsten Groß, "Your Heaven, My Hell - Mein Leben, Heavy Metal Und Wie Das Alles Passieren Konnte", was published in August 2025 via Ullstein Verlag.

Photo credit: Robert Eikelpoth