Location: Graz / Explosiv / Austria
Date: Saturday, 09.11.2019
Annihilator. You know the name. One of the most “compelling” Canadian thrash metal bands out there. And yes, compelling in the most literal sense. Canada has always had a reputation for producing musical acts from that corner of North America that are genuinely off the beaten path — genre-bending in the best possible way. When it comes to the old days of thrash metal and its massive surge through the eighties and into the nineties — riding the second thrash metal wave — the extraordinary guitar wizard Jeff Waters and his Annihilator pulled back the curtain on the thrash metal phenomenon in the second half of the eighties with their debut »Alice In Hell«, revealing angles nobody had explored before them. That’s why so many people still cite them as a massive inspiration today!
Annihilator have had their share of highs and lows across their career — over 30 members have cycled through the lineup, while the one constant has always been the charisma of the band’s ultimate commander, its sole irreplaceable member, guitarist Jeff Waters. Not too long ago, four years back, he once again completely dismantled the lineup, transforming it wholesale — Annihilator shrank from a quintet back down to a quartet, with the brilliant guitarist once again stepping into the role of lead vocalist, not for the first time in the band’s history. The result was the 2017 album »For the Demented« — their sixteenth studio record in total — though its live presentation ran well over a year behind schedule. Back in September of the previous year, Waters had announced that Annihilator would have to push their tour back by twelve months. Why? The main reason was Jeff’s relocation to the United Kingdom and the bureaucratic headache of getting a new passport issued. In the meantime, he also built a new recording studio — long known as Watersound — now based in Durham. Something else happened too, and it hit everyone hard: the death of original vocalist Randy Rampage the previous year. Jeff had planned to bring him along on the tour, intending to build the setlist around the thirtieth anniversary of the debut album. None of that came to pass. What did happen — and is still happening — is that Jeff has already begun recording the follow-up to »For The Demented«. Both its release date (24.01.2020) and title are known: »Ballistic, Sadistic«.
So — off to the Explosiv in Graz! By eight o’clock, the youngsters Archer Nation were already up on stage — charges of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and his EMP Label Group. The trio, hailing from Santa Cruz (Los Angeles, California), spent three-quarters of an hour dishing out a bag full of metal revivalism, with particularly hot nods to the old-school DNA of Megadeth, Metallica, and of course moments that would put a grin on any N.W.O.B.H.M. devotee’s face. A full-on revival band, no question. Dylan Rose (vocals, guitar), David De Silva (bass guitar), and Keyhan Moini (drums) were presenting their new studio record, released this past February under the title »Beneath The Dream«. The trio don’t lack for energy. Dylan was constantly darting from demanding solos and lightning-fast transitions straight back to the microphone. Juggling those two roles is seriously demanding, and the young guy handles it brilliantly. It was noticeable over the course of the set that concentration slipped slightly — a few times he forgot to bring the authority and intensity needed vocally — but there’s no arguing with his technical guitar chops or his sheer agility. The band hits hard, is explosive, well-tuned, coherent, and stage-oiled! Hugely committed and — as said — not reinventing the wheel, but banging on the door of the retro-nostalgic crowd. Keenly and with real conviction. A fine opener.
Annihilator had naturally kitted out the stage with the current album’s backdrop. The stage was swamped in fog, bathed in red light, with strobes cutting into the back of the quartet. Good turnout — easily around 400 people, mostly guys pushing forty or well past it, though there was no shortage of younger hopefuls and a noticeably solid contingent of women too. Great energy, and it was remarkable how the audience hadn’t forgotten the band at all — something that showed up especially in the crowd interaction whenever the band launched into one of their classics.
Alongside Jeff Waters, the current Annihilator quartet is rounded out by guitarist Aaron Homma, bassist Rich Hinks, and Italian drummer Fabio Alessandrini. Jeff opened with a note that he was performing with a cold but would give everything he had regardless. Those in the know will tell you that doesn’t change much. Jeff has never exactly been celebrated as a vocalist. You can mask a lot in the studio, of course, but a live show is a live show — nowhere to hide. Even so, the band absolutely killed it. There was really no other way it could go, simply because of the outstanding setlist, which had quite a few genuinely lovely and sweet surprises in store for us.
Jeff managed the situation — on the vocal front. He balanced the setlist well enough to survive it vocally. He handled it brilliantly. The opener was the somewhat surprising Betrayed, from the album »Annihilator« (2010). In the early going, the instruments needed a bit of balancing (the guitars especially needed to cut through more clearly), but the sound engineers sorted it quickly and the sound was excellent throughout the show. Betrayed flowed (as expected) into the first classic — King Of the Kill — and people lost it for the first time, properly. In fact, the band covered every era of their career (the only period they left largely untouched was the Joe Comeau era). For the new album’s two slots — One To Kill early on and Twisted Lobotomy in the second half — the current record »For the Demented« got a look-in, though Jeff is already quietly moving on from it. That was clear in one of his between-song addresses, when he announced the new album and casually tossed in about the current one: “….which was pretty good….”
Jeff made good use of the breaks between songs to share some entertaining stories and explain the background behind individual tracks. Among other things, he mentioned that next year marks the 30th anniversary of »Never Neverland« and that the band is deliberately keeping the album to just one song on this tour. That song is the cult Phantasmagoria, which always delivers its own kind of peak moment at every Annihilator show. Jeff said they have to keep it in the setlist because it’s the track from that album that every single member who has ever played in Annihilator named as their favourite »Never Neverland« song. He also didn’t forget to add that on the next tour they intend to play »Never Neverland« in full, and that he plans to bring in the album’s original vocalist Coburn Pharr for that. That would be the fulfilment of every Annihilator fan’s wettest dream.
But we’re still in Graz. The new Psycho Ward served as a consolation prize for everyone who’d wanted even more from »Never Neverland« that evening — Jeff described it as a sort of plaster on the wound. According to him, the composition is inspired by the guitar phrasing of the »Never Neverland« classic Stonewall. And fair enough — Psycho Ward hit hard with all the intensity that Waters’s old-school thrash metal charisma typically brings. That said, this was where the band hit their only stumble of the night. Everything was going fine up to the chorus, then Jeff stopped the song. He turned right and looked at Rich: “Rich? Do you know the lyrics to this song?” The bassist had jumped into the chorus too early. Jeff explained that the track was new and they hadn’t fully drilled it together yet, then gave Fabio the signal and the band kicked into it again. This time without a hitch.
Nobody should expect vocal miracles from Jeff. That’s why he regularly handed the chorus lines in the classics over to the crowd. As always — in Set the World On Fire, in the »Refresh the Demon« surprise of Ultraparanoia, and in the no-less-surprising »Remains« treat of Tricks And Traps. The audience gave him excellent support on all the choruses. Jeff was really handing out candy that evening. The setlist was brilliantly spiced up by the outstanding classic instrumental Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part I & II, in which the devilish guitarist once again showed off every inch of his mastery. One more absolute surprise has to be mentioned: the inclusion of another »Set The World On Fire« classic — Night Jumps Queen — for which Jeff rightfully demanded crowd participation. And got it.
Jeff didn’t forget to pay tribute to the late Randy Rampage — he told quite a few stories about Randy. The encore belonged entirely to the cult debut »Alice In Hell« with three classics from the album. First up, the Annihilator tackled — in Jeff’s own words — the only two songs from that record that Rampage actually liked. The first was, ladies and gentlemen, Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade. Insane! A track that Annihilator have performed at their shows extremely rarely — if at all — since 1991. That was followed by W.T.Y.D. (Welcome To Your Death). Another absolute haymaker! The only thing missing was Human Insecticide to make it a full house. And then to close? Jeff: “And now, of course, the song we have to play — even though Randy didn’t like it at all.” What followed was, naturally, that famous acoustic intro (Crystal Ann), and then the leap into the famous “psycho thriller” and brilliant classic Alison Hell, with which Annihilator brought this outstanding show at Graz’s Explosiv to a close.
What more is there to say. Jeff remains exceptional. Annihilator are an absolute live treat — especially when they put together a setlist like this. At 53, Jeff is remarkably vital. On stage he still comes across as the most unhinged and untethered of the lot, despite the fact that he could be his Annihilator bandmates’ father in terms of age (certainly to 26-year-old Fabio on drums). Jeff doesn’t run low on energy. He remains an exceptional, one-of-a-kind guitarist who simply can’t be caught — and in 2019 he’s still giving his absolute maximum on stage. He’s one hundred percent locked in on everything happening around him, a great commander who misses nothing. A guitar sorcerer. You could feel on the vocal side that things don’t always function at their optimum, but as said, Jeff balances it well — with more breaks where the band stepped offstage for a few seconds between songs, and pauses where he took time for longer addresses to the crowd.
Honestly, it would be better if Jeff had a dedicated vocalist alongside him again. That’s not a new revelation — it’s just a fact. Not strictly necessary, but desirable. Both of the tracks the band has already unveiled from the upcoming new album »Ballistic, Sadistic« sound old-school Annihilator through and through, and for that reason they promise a lot! Encouraging news. The evening wrapped up all too quickly. But the announcement of the new album and — as Jeff mentioned — the »Never Neverland« tour softens the blow somewhat. Annihilator will be back on stage soon. One final thought: in Graz we witnessed an outstanding performance from a legendary band, led by an exceptional Waters who shows no shortage of dynamite, massive charisma, and devilishly bubbling energy. The man is not fading. Quite the opposite — he remains driven and fully committed. That’s why we know that Annihilator still have a long road ahead and a bright future.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
ANNIHILATOR:
1. Betrayed
2. King of the Kill
3. No Way Out
4. One to Kill
5. Set the World on Fire
6. Ultraparanoia
7. The Trend
8. Schizos (Are Never Alone) Parts I & II
9. Drum Solo
10. Knight Jumps Queen
11. Twisted Lobotomy
12. Psycho Ward
13. Tricks And Traps
14. Phantasmagoria
—encore—
15. Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade
16. W.T.Y.D.
17. Alison Hell
ARCHER NATION:
1. Not My Own
2. Shackled
3. Acedia
4. Hell in a Handbag
5. Day That Never Came
6. Division
7. Severed
8. I Am the Dawn
