Tormentor formed in 1983 in Essen, Germany, and changed their name to Kreator with the release of their full length debut Endless Pain. This is the seventh album from the German thrashers. Kreator has been instrumental in shaping the sound of thrash, producing their own style of German thrash. And they are still cited as a major influence by a lot of thrash, death, black and even hardcore bands. A sadly underrated band, they are as important in shaping thrash metal as perhaps, Slayer have been. The line-up consists of Mille Petrozza (guitar / vocals), Tommy Vetterli (guitar, also ex-member of Coroner), Christian Giesler (bass) and Joe Cangelossi (drums, also ex-member of Whiplash). This is the first album not to feature long-time drummer Jurgen `Ventor’ Reil, who quit along with bassist Andreas Hertz, due to personal and professional reasons. The new rhythm section is as tight, if not tighter, as the old one. Heavy, pounding, groovy drumming, a bolder up-front bass sound, heavy, crisp guitars and Mille’s distinct snarl characterize this album. There are few guitar solos here and no long solos at all. This album is not as experimental as it’s industrially-tinged predecessor, Renewal, but combines the abstractness of Renewal with the precision and thrashiness of Coma Of Souls. The subtle touches of psychedelia make it even more exciting. Album opener Prevail starts with a groovy drum / bass intro and goes into a fast mid-section, reminding one of Slayer, everything racing along together. The Slayer comparisons are perhaps more evident here, but is due to the fact that both bands are equally influenced by classic metal, as by punk / hardcore. Catholic Despot is a full-on assault aimed at the Church, featuring pounding double bass on the chorus. Progressive Proletarians is politically motivated, and has some very nice riffs and tempo changes. Crisis of Disorder starts with melodic plucking over a distorted guitar, and suddenly goes into a heavy mid-tempo riff. Mille displays his ample vocal control and power throughout. Hate Inside Your Head is one of my favourites and starts out with heavy staccato accenting and guitars panned heavily left and right. This song also features interesting tempo changes and good use of the two-guitar format, before ending with the sound of a rioting crowd. Bomb Threat follows, with one guitar producing the sound of a wailing siren during the chorus, very realistic indeed. Men Without God features more solos than the other songs, and Mille’s hardcore-ish `shout’ vocals. Lost follows next, and is the first video from the album. It’s an excellent groovy song, and features Kreator’s trademark rhythmic drumming and galloping riffs. The mid-section hits you pretty unexpectedly. Dogmatic is the quickest and shortest song on the album. Musically, a pretty challenging song, but Kreator handle it with all the ease and tightness imaginable. Sculpture of Regret starts with spoken lyrics over a soft plucking, before really kicking in, and the vocals going into overdrive. Celestial Deliverance is a pretty ordinary song, the pounding double bass providing solid groove. The cover of Raw Power’s State Oppression is a bonus track on the U.S. version of the album and displays Kreator’s hardcore influences, the drums drive everything forward. Last song, Isolation begins with a beautiful, soft, brooding intro, and features dual vocals and a really good chorus. The song fades away, but don’t be fooled. It restarts after a long silence of nearly four and a half minutes with some mindfucking, disturbing sounds like various life forms being tortured. It’s like listening to hell… Overall, a very good album with sufficient variation and an excellent job by all the musicians. The band sounds unbelievably tight, yet fresh. The lyrics vary between issues ranging from personal introspection to the political. Lyrically, it is scathing and brutally honest at times, displaying a keen sense of judgement, of society, of the state and of the self. It does not lack anywhere, and is musically, one of Kreator’s best albums. Cause for Conflict is a kind of bridge in Kreator’s long, exciting career and marks a new phase in the band’s evolution.