Metal titans KREATOR have announced that their sixteenth studio album, KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD, will be released on January 16 via Nuclear Blast Records. Following the recent releases of the KREATOR documentary film Hate & Hope as well as Your Heaven, My Hell, the autobiography of frontman Mille Petrozza, KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD will be the next step in the evolution of KREATOR — a band that is still at its peak more than forty years into their career.
KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD is not a shy title, it is a statement, an expression of pride and self-awareness knowing how long and hard the band's path has been and knowing what they still have to say and share with their ever-growing following. After the buzz around the movie and book, it is time for KREATOR to let the riffs, the roaring vocals, and thunderous drums do the talking.
Rounded off by a triumphant production courtesy of Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, who previously worked with the group on Phantom Antichrist (2012) and Gods Of Violence (2017), KREATOR return in perfect shape. The stunning cover artwork was created by none other than Polish genius Zbigniew Bielak (Ghost).
Furthermore, KREATOR have announced a massive EU and UK Headline tour with Carcass, Exodus and Nails for March and April 2026.
Mille Petrozza commented, "We are beyond excited to kick off the new year with the release of our brand-new album KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD, dropping January 16. But that's not all! On March 20, we're hitting the road to bring you our biggest tour production ever. This will be a night of unrelenting metal mayhem, featuring our brothers-in-arms Carcass, Exodus, and the mighty Nails. This marks an exciting new chapter for the band, and we can't wait for you to experience the new music live, plus a selection of classic Kreator, old and new. Hail to the hordes! \m/."
Alongside the album and tour announcement, KREATOR have unleashed a krushing new single called "Seven Serpents," accompanied by a cinematic music video, which you can watch below.
Pre-order/pre-save KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD here.
Stream the single "Seven Serpents" here.
Watch the "Seven Serpents" music video below.
ABOUT KREATOR:
When KREATOR's earliest incarnation formed under the influence of Kiss and Judas Priest in the early '80s none of the above was thinkable. For young adults, Essen, back then a 600k-plus city in the Ruhr area, was a grim place. Unemployment rates were surging, houses had been blackened by smoke from factories and coal mines, for some alcohol and drug abuse were the only escape route from this dismal, post-industrialized backdrop.
A novelty to Krushers Of The World is immediately obvious when staring at its cover. With Zbigniew Bielak, renowned for his work for Ghost, art and design offer an interesting twist to KREATOR’s history. Transforming classic visual trademarks dedicated fans will recognize from Coma Of Souls (1990), Out of the Dark... into the Light (1988) and Pleasure To Kill (the font!) into a highly detailed tapestry garnered with occult symbolism, Bielak crafted an outstanding piece paying homage to a band he loves since his teenager days yet with a daring and unique flair. The cover of Krushers Of The World rewards everyone willing to analyze the grandiose sleeve design.
In essence, Krushers Of The World is of course not a throwback to KREATOR's past, it is furious, massive sounding and creative in its own right, gifted with a songwriting quality honed over years. It displays a band which earned its spot among the giants of the genre, and developed its youthful anger further into a professional, internationally successful, nonetheless intimidating creature. Krushers Of The World underlines the fact that fueled by the reflective look at their own legacy sparked by 2025's Hate & Hope movie, KREATOR nowadays appear more mindful of their early days while simultaneously progressing uncompromisingly, unstoppable in their search for new realms to conquer and new worlds to krush.