UMUR "Extreme Aggression" is the 4th full-length studio album by German thrash metal act Kreator. The album was released through Noise Records in June 1989. It´s the successor to "Terrible Certainty" from 1987, but the gap between the two albums was bridged by the "Out of the Dark... Into the Light" EP from 1988, so Kreator showed absolutely no sign of slowing down. All previous Kreator albums had only been available in the US as import, but "Extreme Aggression" was picked up by Epic Records for a US release and along with the music video for "Betrayer" receiving heavy rotation on MTV´s Headbangers Ball, this meant a breakthrough for Kreator in the US.

Stylistically the fiercely aggressive thrash metal style of "Terrible Certainty (1987)" is continued, but the songwriting is slightly more sophisticated and varied. So there´s been a natural progression since the predecessor. The album opens with "Extreme Aggressions" though, which is one of the band´s fastest and most savage tracks and there are a couple of other really fast-paced and raw thrash metal tracks featured on the album ("Betrayer" and "Bringer of Torture" just to mention a few). But there are also tracks which show Kreator in a more atmospheric or at least different mode like "Fatal Energy" and especially "Some Pain Will Last".

"Extreme Aggression" features the most clear sounding and detailed production on a Kreator album up until then. It´s dry, cold, and clinical, and a more raw and organic sound production would have suited the material slightly better. For music as aggressive and sharp as this, it at times actually sounds almost too "nice". When that is said "Extreme Aggression" is still a high quality release from Kreator and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Warthur Kreator promise Extreme Aggression in the title of this album and that's what they provide, with Mille Petrozza's never quite crossing the line into death metal territory but getting mighty close to it, and the rest of the band not too far behind him. Those who've listened to a lot of later extreme metal may find it somewhat tame, but in 1989 this stuff sounded harsh as hell and they do a competent job of presenting a challenging musical aesthetic in an accessible and enjoyable manner. Not one I'd necessarily put on heavy rotation, but worth hearing once just to see how the band developed and what they contributed to thrash.

Kingcrimsonprog Right up there with the Master Of Puppets and Reign In Bloods of this world stands Kreator’s ‘Extreme Aggression, the band's classic 1989 release and fourth full length album.

Kreator got better with each album in the 80′s and hit their peak with the fantastically complex and technical but furious and heavy ‘Extreme Aggression,’ when they nailed their formula and where their songwriting was at its strongest.

There isn’t much you can say against the album, the choruses are catchier, the riffs are more interesting, the solos are more impressive; even the vocals are better.

With songs like ‘Love Us or Hate Us,’ and the MTV favorite ‘Betrayer,’ Kreator proved why they were Germany’s best metal export and one of the biggest bands in Thrash Metal, many songs from this classic albums still find their way to Kreator concerts over a decade later.

If you want a satisfying metal album you really can’t go wrong giving Extreme Aggression a listen.