Sunday, January 28, 2024

KREATOR : STRONGEST OF THE STRONG - LIVE IN MALAYSIA : ZEPP KUALA LUMPUR : 25/01/2024

The Teutonic giant finally returned for the 3rd time to pay homage to their Malaysian fans in the span of 19 years after the Backroom (2005) and ill-fated Scandals Club (2014) shows. Though some pain will (still) last to those few after the Scandals Club final hour debacle, the experience at meet & greet session held at Karunguni Campbell should offered a bit of redemption. Moving on, 10 years has since passed, resentment died, and just like the lyric had forewarned - "hate is the virus of this world".

Finally arriving on Southeast Asia shores, nearly 2 years after the release of 'Hate Uber Alles' (2022), a big appreciation should be given to Rockstage Entertainment and Lampuneon for putting their battle jackets back on and gave us, probably, the final teutonic experience from Kreator. While Zepp Kuala Lumpur remained as the credible venue to host the show.

Thrash Metal was supposed to be fast and ferocious, and good moment would normally end suddenly at the blink of the eyes. It was a short set with 15 songs, taken less than 90 minutes but well delivered and satisfying. 

When Mille demanded for wall of death, circle pit and whatever blitzkrieg on floor, it was brought to him at once, so he remembered that Kuala Lumpur thrashed that night. Mille can also be funny at time, asking those at the balcony to jump down to the pit, haha. He also picked on the crowds to go louder, to that, got his tongue twisted on the word 'each' and cursed on it, as all laughed to his joke. 

"Kuala Lumpur, the Kreator has returned" - the band performed to a good setlist, mostly of 2 classic tracks each from older albums - 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986), 'Extreme Aggression' (1989) and 'Coma Of Souls' (1990) and stretched to newer ones - 'Gods Of Violence' (2017) and 'Hate Uber Alles' (2022). Mille also reminisced their Malaysian debut back in 2005 as well as their 2014 cancelled show and pledged that the band will come back in the future. "Phobia" sounded good, while "Extreme Aggression", "Terrible Certainty" and "Flag Of Hate" would cause riot (literally) if it were not delivered that night. It made one 54 years old beside us grinned in orgasm. "Riot Of Violence" got Ventor on mic, at his age, he was monstrous on drum. While "Tormentor" closed their set with no encore and left the crowds in endless pain, dying for more. 

It was also a pleasure to catch up with JB old fiends who came for the show, safe journey home guys. As it settled, it was indeed a night of teutonic might to remember ...

Setlist
1) Hate Uber Alles (Hate Uber Alles)
2) People of The Lie (Coma Of Souls)
3) Betrayer (Extreme Aggression)
4) Phobia (Outcast)
5) Hordes Of Chaos (Hordes Of Chaos)
6) Hail To The Hordes (Gods Of Violence)
7) Ripping Corpse (Pleasure To Kill)
8) Riot of Violence (Pleasure To Kill)
9) When The Sun Burns Red (Coma Of Souls)   
10) Strongest Of The Strong (Hate Uber Alles)
11) Extreme Aggression (Extreme Aggression)
12) Terrible Certainty (Terrible Certainty)
13) Fallen Brother (Gods Of Violence)
14) Flag Of Hate (Flag Of Hate)
15) Tormentor (Endless Pain)