Terrible Certainty

Kreator dialed in their modern thrash on Terrible Certainty, the group's third full-length offering. One of the most highly anticipated European metal records of the decade, this 1987 release proves that the previous year's hit, Pleasure to Kill, wasn't a fluke, and that Kreator was capable of delivering under pressure. The German outfit cranks up the technical difficulty on Terrible Certainty, executing the tightest performances of their career while maneuvering around some extremely difficult, yet memorable riffs. The guitar flurries of the title track and "Behind the Mirror" hold their own against the best work from Metallica or any other American thrash behemoths. Some might argue that the stateside metal heads even took some cues from Terrible Certainty. It is certain that Kreator's influence isn't limited to stateside artists, as modern European metal has never been the same since the group unleashed a slew of powerful late-'80s discs, Terrible Certainty arguably being the best of the lot.