KREATOR — Under the Guillotine (Compilation) (review)

KREATOR — Under the Guillotine (Compilation) album cover

Boxset / Compilation · 2021 · Thrash Metal

3.5/5 · 2021-05-30
UMUR

"Under the Guillotine" is a compilation album release by German thrash metal act Kreator. The compilation was released through Noise Records in February 2021. It´s a best-of compilation predominantly featuring a collection of tracks from the band´s first six albums (and minor releases), which were all released through Noise Records in the years 1985 to 1992. Some of the tracks appear here in remixed versions and some in live versions, while others appear in their original studio versions. The compilation also features a couple of demo tracks from the 1984 "End of the World" demo, which was originally released while the band was still called Tormentor, and a cover of "Gangland" by Tygers of Pan Tang. A 12" vinyl boxset also titled "Under the Guillotine", featuring the first six albums by the band was released the same day as this compilation (also through Noise Records).

There´s not much to say about the track selection, as many of the band´s classics from the period is of course included. Tracks like "Extreme Aggression", "Pleasure to Kill", and "Flag of Hate" are there and accounted for and as a best-of compilation "Under the Guillotine" is therefore a well compiled release. The real attractions here are the early demo tracks, the remixes of several tracks from "Renewal (1992)" and the remix of the title track from "Terrible Certainty (1987)", a couple of rarity tracks in "Trauma" (unreleased track from the "Renewal (1992)" sessions) and "After the Attack" (from a rare 1987 picture disc edition of "Pleasure to Kill (1986)"), and some of the unreleased live tracks. If you haven´t heard the Tygers of Pan Tang cover before that could prove an attraction too (only available on the US vinyl version of the "Out of the Dark ... Into the Light (1988)" EP). Both studio tracks from "Out of the Dark ... Into the Light (1988)" ("Impossible to Cure" and the Raven cover "Lambs to the Slaughter") are also featured on "Under the Guillotine".

Some of the remix and rarity tracks have appeared as bonus material on earlier reissues of Kreator´s albums, while some of the live tracks have also appeared on past live albums. The two Tormentor demo tracks are as expected raw and savage sounding versions of tracks which would eventually end up in re-recorded versions on Kreator´s debut album "Endless Pain (1985)", and I´d put them in the collector´s only catagory. "Trauma" and "After the Attack" were left off their respective albums for a reason, and while I understand the band´s urge to try and present some tracks from "Renewal (1992)" in a more bottom heavy and guitar driven format, I prefer the originals. The "rare" version of "Winter Martyrium" is quite different from the studio version, but honestly it just sounds like a professional demo recording, and again the original is much better.

So upon conclusion "Under the Guillotine" ends up sitting between two chairs. On one side it´s a best-of compilation featuring a lot of the band´s most well known tracks from the first six albums and the "Out of the Dark ... Into the Light (1988)" EP, but on the other side there are a lot of demo, rarity, remix, and live tracks included too. The regular studio version tracks make "Under the Guillotine" a bit of a redundant release for the fans, while newcommers could find that part of the album a good introduction to Kreator, while the demo, rarity, remix, and live tracks could be of interest to the hardcore fans, but not to the newcommers. I´d much prefer either a pure best-of compilation featuring only regular studio versions of the band´s best material, or a rarity compilation exclusively featuring material not featured on the studio albums. Regardless of my opinion of the motivation behind releasing a compilation like "Under the Guillotine", most of the material featured on the compilation are of course high quality German thrash metal, and therefore a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved.