1000 Thoughts of Violence

Release & reception

While the CD version was released by Fear Dark (Netherlands) to cover most of the bigger distribution channels mainly in Europe, 1000 Thoughts of Violence was also released in cassette versions by Undying Music (Indonesia) and Rock Express Records (Yugoslavia). In Indonesia, the album was distributed by Alfa Records from 2003 to 2004 and became the first album from Kekal being sold in mainstream record stores in the country, and it became the best selling Kekal album to date.

Critical reception was highly favorable. AllMusic noted the album as plunging the band into "ultra-progressive" experiments". According to a review by HM Magazine, Kekal matured greatly since its previous release, The Painful Experience, especially with its vocals. This album found the band experimenting much more than on previous releases, yet also was considered its most cohesive effort to date. The album was noted for switching between raging intensity and more mellow passages, such as the song "Violent Society", which even included a hip-hop passage. Rock Hard rated the album eight out of ten, comparing the album's guitar work to Iron Maiden, Joe Satriani, and Cynic. The band's bass guitar technique in particular was compared to Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris. Rock Hard noted that the band described themselves as black metal, and labeled the album as metal with a Christian angle but also influenced by mid-1980s power metal. Antwerp-based radio show "Psych Folk" Radio on Radio Centraal viewed the album favorably, mentioning in a broadcast on Indonesian progressive music that 1000 Thoughts of Violence "is a possibility to invite progressive rock listeners to take the challenge to open up their perspectives." On the program's website the album was called an "intelligent listening pleasure for the open minded." Stefan Lang of Powermetal.de viewed that album extremely favorably, calling the album a highlight of the year 2003, while Metal Storm staff member Promonex rated the album nine out of ten. Finnish heavy metal site Imperiumi.net rated the album 8 1/2 out of 10. In 2010 on Powermetal.de, 1000 Thoughts of Violence garnered fourteen points in a retrospective on the year 2003, tying in twenty-third place out of twenty-eight alongside Dimmu Borgir's Death Cult Armageddon, Harem Scarem's Higher, Green Carnation's A Blessing in Disguise, and Arena's Contagion.

Personnel