MILLE PETROZZA: 'Being In KREATOR In Very Exciting, Because We Can Do Whatever We Want'

Radio Metal recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Radio Metal: You've declared about this album ["Phantom Antichrist"] that this is the most epic one that you've made. Do you think that this because you've managed to put all the aspects of KREATOR's music in this record — the gothic parts, the thrash parts, etc.?

Mille: I think so, yeah. Like you said, it features a lot of surprises. It's like an emotional roller coaster, if you know what I mean. You can expect the unexpected when you put the record on — which I think is cool!

Radio Metal: You haven't experimented with your music so much since "Endorama". Is it because you feel restrained by what people expect from KREATOR or is it because you didn't feel the need to experiment to that extent since then?

Mille: We don't really think about these things. If I write music, it's all about the song. I never really think about it. We have a huge fanbase, and a lot of fans are expecting our albums to be very… How can I put this? Very brutal. They expect every KREATOR trademark on one album. As for ourselves, we expect to not get bored! So it's always a nice mix. Being in KREATOR in very exciting, because we can do whatever we want.

Radio Metal: You once said that you're not the kind of person who puts out a solo project and that everything you do, you release under the name KREATOR. You said this to justify the "Endorama" and "Outcast" albums. Can you explain what, according to you, is wrong with releasing a solo album?

Mille: (sighs and laughs) Good question! I know what you mean. If I had the time, I would definitely consider it. But I really don't have the time, because I'm the main songwriter in KREATOR. I have a friend, Tobi [Sammet] from EDGUY, who's got two bands: EDGUY and AVANTASIA. Sometimes I wonder how he does it. He's doing so many things at the same time, and I can't do that. I try, but… It's not that I'm too lazy, but I just put everything I have into KREATOR.

Radio Metal: You've always been cynical towards humanity and you're also known for your left-wing political orientation. I guess what's going on right now in the world and especially in Europe must easily feed the lyrical content. I'm thinking for example about a song like "Civilization Collapse"…

Mille: Yeah, that song was inspired by what we see in Greece right now. Greece is going through a financial crisis, but it could hit any European country. There were a lot of journalists in Germany that would look down on Greece, talk about a broken country and make fun of them instead of being supportive. I think the whole idea of the European Union was to help out one another. Like you said, this time and age give me a lot of inspiration for songs.

Radio Metal: We've been talking a lot about the "Big Four" lately. Are you kind of mad that we don't talk that much about the "Big Three" of German thrash metal?

Mille: (laughs) No, not at all! Like you said, I'm very cynical sometimes, but I only feel very happy for the people who had the opportunity to see the "Big Four." I didn't, because I wasn't in my hometown when they played there. METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH — those are legends. Without those bands, KREATOR wouldn't be here, if you know what I mean. What I said about us blowing away everything the "Big Four" has done over the years was pure provocation.

Read the entire interview from Radio Metal.

"Phantom Antichrist" video:

"Phantom Antichrist" album artwork:

Photo by Stefan Heilemann of Heilemania