KREATOR's MILLE PETROZZA: 'Thrash Metal Is In A Very Healthy State'

In a newly uploaded interview with AndrewHaug.com, recorded this past June, KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza was asked if he still listens to new albums from other classic thrash metal bands, such as TESTAMENT. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. I think the last TESTAMENT album was really cool; I really liked it. And I think thrash metal is in a very healthy state in general. The classic bands are releasing amazing albums still — EXODUS, TESTAMENT, you name 'em. DEATH ANGEL… All these bands are still putting out crushing records. Even the new DESTRUCTION is really, really good. I think a lot of the bands have their shit together, it seems, and they come up with cool stuff still to this day."

Mille previously discussed his appreciation for other thrash acts in a 2017 interview with Metal As Fuck. He stated at the time: "There is a lot of new bands now. Some great new bands and some of the older bands are coming out with great new material also. I think it is a vital and healthy scene still and the energy is still there. It is also still a very youthful style of music even though some of the bands are not as young. We're all still young at heart. That is how I would describe thrash metal today."

KREATOR's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", was released in June. The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

"Hate Über Alles" marks KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.