Kreator is a German
thrash metal band from
Essen. Their style of music is similar to that of their compatriots
Destruction,
Sodom and
Tankard; along with those three bands, Kreator has been referred to as one of the "big four" of
Teutonic thrash metal, and they are often credited with helping pioneer
death metal and
black metal by containing several elements of what was to become those genres. They originally performed a
speed metal style with
Venom influences. Kreator's work began in the vein of thrash metal but ventured into
industrial metal and
gothic metal from 1992 to 1999, before eventually returning to their classic thrash sound to date. The band has achieved worldwide sales of over two million units for combined sales of all their albums, making them one of the best-selling German thrash metal bands of all time.