Avtor: Rok Klemše
Fotografije: Jernej Vene
Kraj: CUK Kino Šiška, Ljubljana
Datum koncerta: 15.10.2015
Thrash metal has had its ups and downs, but it’s still alive and kicking in 2015, as veterans Exodus, Testament, Death Angel and Slayer keep proving, and so do Canadian legends Annihilator, who recently put out their fifteenth studio album, Suicide Society. Sure, the band under the great Jeff Waters hasn’t meant much in the studio for a long time, but live, Annihilator are a band few can touch. And they proved it all over again with their first Ljubljana show in twenty-four years!
Right on the announced time, Australian thrashers Harlott stormed the stage from »down-under«, interestingly the second Australian opening act at Kino Šiška after just a one-day gap. Only the day before, Tracer warmed up the crowd for Apocalyptica and, from what I’ve read, won them over, and Harlott pulled off the same trick. Admittedly, they say absolutely nothing that hasn’t already been said in thrash, but their take on thrash is explosive and, above all, stuffed with breakneck energy. True to their name, Harlott are proper thrash tarts who surprised with excellent kinetic energy on stage and won people over with thrash metal that wears its influences on its sleeve, from bands like Exodus, Slayer, Death Angel and the offshoots of tectonic thrash. But they weren’t cheap like the tasteless prostitute Patty from My Name Is Earl. Thanks to the varied riffing, the hard-hitting rhythm section and the solid vocals, they came across rich and polished like some »high-class« escort. You Aussie hottie, you.
Next, California’s Archer steered things into different genre waters, betting on the energetic punch of their mix of hard rock and heavy metal, but this time they couldn’t win over the Ljubljana crowd, with even fewer people watching than for Harlott. First, the sound was a bit worse, and second, the drummer’s botching was worse still, as he missed the mark completely several times. Archer do have an exceptionally skilled guitarist in Dylan, who served up some spectacularly shredded solos, but the band has a big flaw in using only one guitar, because right during the solos everything sounds desperately empty. The guys totally missed the mark with their cover of the Megadeth classic Tornado of Souls, which was thematically way off, and played with a single guitar it was no better. Archer have potential, but they’re not (currently) making use of it.
The legendary Canadian veterans Annihilator, a.k.a. el jefe Jeff Waters, last visited us a good two years ago at Metaldays 2013, where they thrilled the crowd but also left us a bit unsatisfied with a mere one-hour set. This time the fans got a more generous helping. Annihilator returned to Slovenia for the first time since 1991 (back then in phenomenal company with Pantera and Judas Priest) with an indoor show, and for the very first time as headliners. The opening Scorpions classic Rock You Like A Hurricane already whetted a big appetite, which Waters and co. satisfied with an aperitif in the form of the classic ripper King of the Kill. Even though Šiška wasn’t as packed as for the genre-related Megadeth or, recently, Machine Head, the roughly four-hundred-strong crowd answered Jeff eagerly in the chorus right from the start, shouting »Kill!« The starter, a trio of new tracks from the fresh fifteenth studio album Suicide Society, wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, but the new songs showed that the worry about Jeff not holding up too well vocally (Waters took over vocal duties after the departure of Dave Padden, the band’s only permanent member of the last ten years) was unnecessary. Even though the vocals sat a bit lower in the mix than usual, Waters actually surprised very positively as a singer and was in good form, especially in songs where he had to step into the considerably bigger vocal shoes of Randy Rampage, Coburn Pharr or Aaron Randall. There’s no debate about the instrumental side of Annihilator, since Waters is a man who is one with his guitar on stage. His wandering up and down the fretboard was once again a feast for the eyes, and the two newcomers, guitarist Aaron Homma and bassist Rick Hinks, held their own with confidence. The energetic, charismatic Waters doesn’t look anywhere near his 49 years. He topped his exceptional stage form with jokey banter with the crowd, and even more with the bonbons in the setlist. The unforgettable anthems Set the World On Fire, Never, Neverland and Alison Hell naturally couldn’t be missing, my heart skipped a beat at Tricks and Traps (from a truly proper Waters solo album, Remains), and then came Brain Dance and the gourmet medley Chicken And Corn/Kraf Dinner. After an hour and three quarters, Annihilator said goodbye in the second encore with Human Insecticide, and Jeff hinted that we might meet again next year in Tolmin. And Annihilator really shook us like a hurricane! Eh!
Setlist
ANNIHILATOR:
1. King of the Kill
2. Snap
3. Suicide Society
4. Creepin’ Again
5. No Way Out
6. Set the World On Fire
7. W.T.Y.D.
8. Never, Neverland
9. Trick And Traps
10. Bliss/Second to None
11. Refresh the Demon
12. Ultraparanoia
13. Brain Dance
14. Phantasmagoria
15. Chicken and Corn/Kraf Dinner/21/Reduced to Ash
16. Alison Hell
17. Human Insecticide
Photo Gallery
