Interview & feature by Jai “That Aussie Metal Guy”
There are bands who influence heavy music… and then there are bands who reshape the entire landscape. German thrash legends KREATOR have been the latter since the day they first spat fire from the gutter and onto stages across the world.
But in 2025, the band hit a rare double milestone:
🔥 Miland “Mille” Petrozza released his book Your Heaven, My Hell
🔥 The band hit cinemas with Hate & Hope — a no-bullshit look at life inside one of the most iconic extreme metal institutions ever assembled.
And now, as the smoke clears from both the page and the screen, Kreator return with their most self-aware and sharpened statement in years:
Krushers Of The World
Out January 16, 2026 via Nuclear Blast.
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD:
https://kreator.bfan.link/krushers-of-the-world
This record isn’t nostalgia. It’s not a throwback.
It’s a declaration.
A banner raised over decades of blood, ambition, cracked bones, sold-out shows, global domination, and an unbreakable thrash spirit that refuses to die.
And at the heart of this new chapter is one of metal’s most versatile and accomplished musicians — Frédéric Leclercq, whose journey spans DragonForce, Sinsaenum, Amahiru, and now Kreator.
I jumped on a call with Fred to talk about the new album, the evolution of his role, and the wild birthday phone call that dropped him straight into one of metal’s most sacred thrones.
“It was a hell of a birthday present…” – Fred on joining Kreator
Fred joined Kreator in 2019, but the connection between him and Mille goes back way further — backstage hangs, shared wine, King Diamond worship, and countless festival crossovers.
But the official invite?
That came drunk, exhausted, hungover, and robbed — all in the same hour.
“I just got to the airport still drunk from the night before and realized someone stole my laptop, my headphones, everything. Then I check my phone and see a missed call from Mille.”
The band needed someone to step in for two Chile shows — one with Anthrax and Slayer. But Fred wasn’t willing to just be a fill-in.
“I told him, ‘If you want me for two shows, I can’t say yes…
but if you want me for the band, then yes — let’s do it.’
And he goes, ‘Yeah. Okay.’”
Just like that — from exhausted chaos to a career-defining moment.
A very Kreator origin story, really.
And once rehearsals hit?
“By the second song — ‘Extreme Aggressions’ — it was just family. We were all smiling. No audition, really. That rehearsal was the audition… and if I sucked, well, they were stuck with me anyway!”
Setting the Tone – From Hate Über Alles to Krushers Of The World
Kreator’s 2022 record Hate Über Alles was Fred’s first full album with the band — and his bass work injected an immediate, noticeable presence.
But on Krushers Of The World, that presence becomes a full-blown backbone.
I told him straight up:
Those mid-tempo grooves on tracks like “Satanic Anarchy” and the title track hit like a wrecking ball.
Fred credits that evolution to the band dynamic — and to the trust they’ve built since day one.
“The first song we ever worked on together was ‘666 – World Divided.’
I was very proactive. I said, ‘I have a strong vision for music — don’t be surprised.’
And that space existed. They wanted me to be myself.”
Mille brings the initial material — riffs built with vocal phrasing and lyrical feel in mind. From there, the band shapes the beast together.
“I’ve sent riffs and he’ll go, ‘I love it… but I can’t sing over it.’ And it makes total sense. Everything starts with him, and we build around that. He has to feel the lyrics.”
That creativity grew naturally through Hate Über Alles, and by the time Krushers Of The World hit the table?
The chemistry was undeniable.
The New Album – What Makes Krushers Of The World a Monster
Based on what Fred shared — and what Nuclear Blast’s press materials outline — here’s what fans can expect.
🔥 A Kreator album with teeth — fast, violent, and laser-focused
Tracks like:
- “Seven Serpents” – rabid opener
- “Barbarian”
- “Deathscream”
- “Psychotic Imperator”
These deliver pure thrashing carnage — and some of Ventor’s fastest drumming ever.
🔥 Horror homage & haunting atmospheres
“Tränenpalast,” a tribute to Dario Argento’s Suspiria, includes vicious vocals from Britta Görtz (Hiraes). It’s eerie, melodic, and still punches hard.
🔥 Mid-tempo dominance & bass-forward sections
This is Fred’s fingerprint:
The thunderous groove of the title track.
The soaring chorus of “Satanic Anarchy.”
The dark, stomping passages throughout the entire record.
🔥 Jens Bogren’s immaculate, crushing production
Massive but detailed.
Innovative yet unmistakably Kreator.
🔥 Zbigniew Bielak’s iconic artwork
A tapestry of the band’s visual history — from Pleasure To Kill fonts to Coma Of Souls echoes — reimagined with occult symbolism and obsessive detail.
This album is not nostalgia.
It’s evolution sharpened to a razor’s edge.
Kreator: Where Legacy Meets Future
Bands with 40 years behind them usually mellow out. They soften. They look back more than forward.
Kreator is doing the complete opposite.
Fueled by the reflections sparked during the creation of Hate & Hope, Kreator are entering a stage of hyper-awareness:
— of their history
— of their power
— of the fans they’ve earned
— and the worlds they’ve yet to conquer
And with Fred now a core part of that creative engine, the band feels hungrier, sharper, and more dangerous than ever.
Final Thoughts – And What Comes Next
From a drunken airport robbery to headlining globally with one of the greatest thrash bands of all time — Fred Leclercq’s Kreator chapter is one hell of a metal saga.
And with Krushers Of The World arriving January 16, 2026, the next era of Kreator looks absolutely unstoppable.
World tour with Carcass, Exodus, and Nile in Spring 2026?
Metal fans — prepare yourselves.
The Teutonic terror is rolling again.
Huge thanks to Fred for an honest, passionate chat — and for helping usher Kreator into their most exciting modern era yet.
PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE
Krushers Of The World
🩸 https://kreator.bfan.link/krushers-of-the-world
