KREATOR „At the Pulse of Kapitulation-Live in East Berlin 1990 DVD ”

Music: Thrash
Country: Germany
www.kreator-terrorzone.de
Cool Songs: The whole set

The kings of German thrash have not released any material in three years. Their last record “Enemy of God” was one of their best, so expectations are certainly high. In order to keep the barbarians at bay, Kreator has released “At the Pulse of Kapitulation-Live in East Berlin 1990.” For the first time, fans can purchase “Live in East Berlin” and “Hallucinative Comas” in DVD format. A second disc features the CD version of this historic performance.

“Live in East Berlin” is nothing less than classic live footage of Germany’s most successful thrash band. It is not only classic for the time period of the band, 1990, but also for a world history perspective. This concert was a reflection of the changing times. It was the first large-scale concert featuring western-world bands playing in East Berlin. The show literally happened a few days after the destruction of the Berlin Wall. After the concert, a brief documentary titled “The Past and Now” offers behind the scenes commentary. Even without commentary from the band, promoters and fans, watching the concert one can sense a certain magic happening.

Supported by CORONER, SABBAT and TANKARD (unfortunately these performances are not included), Kreator took the stage in front of a massive, energetic crowd, many of whom had never been to a concert. SLAYER, MEGADET, METALLICA and ANTHRAX were the big four thrash bands of the time, but KREATORs performance could have emulated any of those four. They performed with a mind-blowing grasp of speed, loudness and intensity. Their sound and playing is nearly perfect; there is little deviation from the versions found on each album. All the popular tracks from their peak years were illuminated by a vividly-colored light show. Their set in its entirety included:

Hallucinative Comas-Director’s Cut provides the third portion of the DVD. This video is supposed to be a movie based around the music from Comma of Souls. It is more like four videos from that album that are linked thematically. The story involves a doctor who slowly loses his mind. The only scene of all the videos that warrants a censoring depicts the mad doctor slicing a woman’s throat and her blood spraying the ground and tree leaves overhead. The “movie” parts contain no dialogue; the story is seemingly told through the lyrics and vibrant imagery.

The only negative point of the DVD is the tape-to-DVD transfer can be noticed in parts. For the most part, the footage is clear, but a couple scenes show tape wear. The restoration is quite good, though, especially Andy Sneap’s mix. Most fans should welcome this release. For those who ever owned these tapes, a repurchase should be in the works because, by now, the tapes would have torn off into their VCRs. For the younger metal heads with a taste for vintage thrash, “At the Pulse of Kapitulation-Live in East Berlin 1990” is a must. One would have a difficult time finding something as comprehensive as this: videos, a movie, a CD, and a great concert of great historical significance.

note: 9/10

Tracklist

2 DVD
1. Some Pain Will Last
2. Extreme Agression
3. Under The Guillotine
4. Toxic Trace
5. Bringer Of Torture
6. Pleasure To Kill
7. Flag Of Hate
8. Drum Solo
9. Terrible certainty
10. Riot Of Violence
11. Love Us Or Hate Us
12. Behind The Mirror
13. Betrayer
14. Awakening Of The Gods
15. Tormentor
16. Intro
17. Twisted Urges
18. When The Sun Burns Red
19. Interview
20. People Of The Lie
21. Dr. Wagner Part I.
22. Interview
23. Dr. Wagner Part II.
24. Interview
25. Coma Of Souls
26. Interview
27. Dr. Wagner Part III.
28. World Beyond
29. Interview
30. Dr. Wagner Part VI.
31. Terror Zone
32. Agents Of Brutality

Line-up

Current Lineup:
Miland “Mille” Petrozza – Guitars, Vocals
Sami Yli-Sirniö-Guitars
Christian “Speesy” Giesler – Bass
Jürgen “Ventor” Reil – Drums, Vocals