His Optimistic Outlook On The Modern Day Thrash Metal Scene

"I know it's pretty strange that people are actually cheering for Angela Merkel - if it's up to her to tell him some truths then why not," laughs Petrozza, when asked about the Chancellor's recent retorts to one Donald J Trump.

"Things have become more complicated in politics - a few years ago you knew who was a left winger and who was perhaps more conservative. But I think those sides are breaking down - Donald Trump for a lot of people wasn't a politician and I think that's what attracted people to him - for better or for worse. Here in Germany no-one took him seriously - and now look at him. Personally, I'm pretty chill about these things. Something Lemmy once told me years ago about politics has really stuck with me: he said when most politicians start out they have good ideas but later on they just become liars. These days I can't choose between some of these politicians - I think some just hide their lies better than others (laughs). It's not like I'm not interested in politics - but for me, life is too short to spend too much time thinking about it."

Petrozza is far more optimistic when it comes to the state of thrash metal in 2017. "Look at all the old bands making great records - Exodus, Testament, Overkill - and of course there's a new generation coming through across the world. We took our time with Gods Of Violence because we wanted to make sure that we had the best songs we could - and when you see what else is out there it's important to bring your best. 

I also think that the energy of thrash metal music brings people together - at our shows, there are young kids, old guys like us - and it's amazing that I meet young kids who know every single one of our records from the '80s."

Like all veteran thrash bands, Kreator has gone through periods of experimentation. In Kreator's case, it was the mid to late '90s that saw them flirting with industrial and gothic rock. Looking back, are there records from this period that Petrozza believes should have been treated more fairly? "There's no such thing as 'fair' in the music industry," he admits. "But I guess it's a shame that some of the records we did in the '90s - like Endorama didn't get the attention I thought it deserved. You know we often think of slipping songs from those records into the set but now is not the right time. We need to cover the new stuff, and of course, play the classic Kreator anthems. But maybe in the future, we'll do a special tour and play stuff off Renewal or Cause For Conflict. We've been around a long time and it would be good for people to hear some of the songs they may not have heard before."