THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: annihilator

ANNIHILATOR – Set The World On Fire

December 10, 2022 /

This is the band’s third album, released back in ’93, and more line-up changes were incoming. The most notable of which is future Dream Theater drummer, Mike Mangini occupying the drum stool.

The opening tune and title track is awesome. The fade in guitars with that killer riff is a total winner. Mangini is earning his money with the second track No Zone, as the pounding commences right from the off. Jeff Waters is the technical riff king!!! Bats In The Belfry has a killer eerie intro, and the riff and groove in the hook is superb. Knight Jumps Queen is my favourite track as the riff is just superb, in fact the whole song has a great vibe. Don’t Bother Me is so Hot For Teacher by Van Halen, but sped up. Brain Dance is a speed metal masterpiece, and math metal before it was a thing. It has so many differing tempos and grooves.

Annihilator are one of those bands that should have been bigger than they were. Just can’t put your finger on why not!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ANNIHILATOR – Never Neverland

May 2, 2022 /

Fun fact alert! Annihilator are (along with Voivod) the best selling Canadian thrash band having sold over 3 million records.

This is the follow up to the band’s super successful debut album, Alice In Hell. I remember buying it when it first came out and being blown away at how good it was. So the pressure was on for this follow up, if anything, this is even better.

The opening track, Fun Palace, is killer with a great hook and groove with Jeff Waters giving it plenty on the guitar. Road To Ruin is old school thrash heaven as this baby moves along at a fair lick, with some nice key changes to keep it interesting and groovy. Man, I forgot how good this record was, and this MOV reissue is superb sounding.

Killer opening to Sixes And Sevens – very intricate to keep the tech metaller’s happy – there are more riffs and grooves in this track that would keep Slayer going for 40 albums. The main riff of Stonewall reminds me of an Exodus track, and has more of a hard rock feel to the rest of the song with a monster solo. Side 1 closes out with the title track, and we get lots of over the top guitar wailing until the main riff kicks in. This track is quite an adventure with the light and shade elements to the music.

Over we go to Side 2 and my favourite track Imperiled Eyes. There is so much happening in the first few bars with so many different sounds and pace changes – its as though you are listening to 5 different songs in one. Kraf Dinner is next, and I guess the only reason they didn’t get sued was that they left off the T. If you were a kid brought up in North America, you know all about the delights of the aforementioned product and I’m guessing this is a tongue-in-cheek homage to said delight.

Superb opening to Phantasmagoria, with the fast chuggas and double kicks ripping along at a speed that kills. Reduced To Ash is even faster and screams past in a blur of fretboard wizardry from Waters. The album closes out with I Am In Command, and the riff and dissonant chords are killer – we are flat out to the finish here boys and girls. A superb record and definitely one of the highlights of the whole thrash genre.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ANNIHILATOR – Alice In Hell

April 16, 2021 /

The first time I heard of the band was either in an edition of Kerrrap magazine, or on an episode of Headbangers Ball – or both – who knows? They were formed in my adopted home city of Ottawa in ’84, and it wasn’t until the recording of this album that the line up had stabilized somewhat. Fun fact – they are the most successful thrash group in Canadian history, having sold over three million albums! Although this sounds like a band, it’s just a vehicle for guitarist extraordinaire Jeff Waters to show his talents. Not only a great guitar player, but he writes a mean tune as well.

After the nice acoustic intro of Crystal Ann, we are introduced to the title track and what a blistering track it is. A great riff, thundering beat, and a cool chorus. This should keep you bouncing rounded the house until you play the next track, W.T.Y.D., which funnily enough, keeps the double kick seriously moving. It’s marked down as thrash, but it’s definitely speed metal in my book. The pace and riffs carry on into the awesome next track, Wicked Mystic. This track has a killer middle section. By now the dandruff should be loose and a neck brace required. Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade is the last track on Side 1, and again, the pace does not drop and could be the most aggressive track yet.

Over to Side 2 we go with Word Salad, a more traditional paced metal song with a killer riff – until the pedals go to the metal and away we go again. The pace goes even faster on Schizo’s – it’s as though they have had the handbrake on until now. A very Metallica sounding Ligea is next, and is candidate for best track on the album. It goes from standard chuggas to super speed in a flick of a drumstick. So we get to the final track, Human Insecticide, and it’s as though we have to be home by ten, the pace is relentless.

I will change my mind about saying this was a speed metal album, this is most definitely a THRASH album and a bloody good one at that.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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