Annihilator – “Annihilator” [CD Review]

Review: Ben Hosking

  With the seemingly never-ending list of 1980’s bands reuniting over the last 10 years or so, all trying to recapture some of their former glory; it’d be easy to dismiss Canadian thrash legends Annihilator as just another in the line. However, founder member Jeff Waters and company never actually left and have been producing quality metal the entire time; unlike many of their fallen brethren.

That said, this – their 13th studio album to date – easily qualifies as their finest effort in the last 20 years or so. A self-titled album, ‘Annihilator’ is brimming with speedy, precise riffage that

effortlessly melds old-school thrash with more modern technical metal that will surely have you damaging neck muscles in the bedroom, car or public transport.

The new disc also sees a welcome dose of lead work by Waters – who just signed up as an Epiphone endorsee with his own signature model – that will definitely appeal to the shredders in the audience. It’s really as though the ‘80s never left!

Whether you’re a youngun’ just finding your way into the big, crazy world of metal or an oldie who’s feeling nostalgic – you need this in your playlist. It’s a truly remarkable album full of straight up thrash that sees icons of the scene proffer what is perhaps their best work yet – no doubt teaching a lot of the newer thrash upstarts a thing or two in the process.


AnnihilatorBuy Annihilator here… available from iTunes


Related:
Jeff Waters of Annihilator [Interview : Audio] June 2010