Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Annihilator
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2007
Canadian thrash metal legends are making us happy again with a new record two years on, simply titled Metal. With their first two albums, Alice in Hell (1989) and Never, Neverland (1990), Annihilator earned a spot among the giants of thrash metal. Sadly, their later attempts sank into oblivion, as they tripped up over and over with seriously mediocre releases. Will Metal finally bring them back among the elite?
Unfortunately, that’s hard to believe. Metal is yet another mediocre Annihilator record, with a few bright moments that sadly don’t stick in your memory among the heap of dull ones. The mountain shook, but a mouse was born. Yep, there was quite a buzz around Metal before it dropped. Jeff Waters kept insisting it would be, without a doubt, his best work yet, loaded to the brim with fantastic guitar parts. And the big-name guests sure made it sound promising. Waters really picked the creme de la creme of metal, and hopes for a killer record were that much higher.
The twelfth studio album moves closer to classic metal, though you can still feel the thrash influences. Jeff Waters has once again taken over guitar and bass duties and used his lovely little voice for a single track (Operation Annihilation), but most of the vocals are handled by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dave Padden, with Mike Mangini sitting behind the drums. Mangini is the one who really shines on the new record and even delivers the best performance of his career… Whereas the exact opposite can be said of Padden. The songs may hold up instrumentally, but Padden wrecks any illusion of great metal with his neutered, hopeless and tediously disastrous vocals. Vocalists have always been Annihilator’s Achilles’ heel, and the same goes for Waters’ attempt on Operation Annihilation. And at last, we’ve made it to the “all-star” lineup of guests.
On the excellent opening thrasher and one of the album’s better tracks, Clown Parade, the first guest to show up is the out-of-this-world guitarist Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), who more than lives up to his reputation, yet stays within the bounds of Annihilator’s metal and doesn’t push himself too far into the spotlight. The same goes for all the other guests, whose contributions you can’t even tell unless you know them really well. Only Loomis and Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), with his “trademark” licks and soloing on Downright Dominate, are truly recognizable.
Sadly, the good start with Clown Parade gets ruined by the disgusting (I really can’t find another word) Couple Suicide, where Danko Jones (Danko Jones) lends his voice and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) contributes a tender, angelic little female voice. Why on earth did you need this sugary “funky” tune, Jeff!? A big minus for the record and a stain that, at least in my humble opinion, won’t be easy to wash off. Army of One is no better, with its clichéd lyrics about metal being in the blood and a roll call of metal bands. Smothered, decent instrumentally, is again spoiled by the castrato Padden, who on top of everything adds a pathetic spoken part in the middle. On Operation Annihilation, Michael Amott (Arch Enemy) adds a competent solo, but sadly Waters’ vocals sound no better than Padden’s. Luckily, an explosive mix follows in the eight-minute Haunted, set ablaze with venomous riffs by Waters and Jesper Strömblad (In Flames). Haunted more than proves that classic thrash metal, rather than groove excursions, suits Waters like a glove. The only other track worth mentioning is the closing thrash metal burner Chasing the High, where Padden finally shows some balls, and Waters, together with William Adler (Lamb of God), serves up a varied batch of thrashy riffs and passages.
Waters’ specific style of writing and playing has sadly gone stale like a childhood crush, and for the love of God, Jeff, find a proper vocalist already!
In the end, there’s nothing left for you to do but judge the new Annihilator release for yourself. Metal is without a doubt a record that needs several listens to get under your skin. For me, after at least fifteen, it sadly hasn’t yet, and only the trio of Clown Parade, Haunted and Chasing the High will get spun now and then. Personally, I’d still rather join Alice in Hell and travel to Neverland.
Lineup
Dave Padden – vocals and rhythm guitar
Jeff Waters – lead/rhythm guitar, vocals
Mike Mangini – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Jeff Loomis (Nevermore) – guitar
Danko Jones (Danko Jones) – vocals
Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) – vocals
Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (Anvil) – guitar, vocals
Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom) – guitar
Anders Bjørler (The Haunted) – guitar
Michael Amott (Arch Enemy) – guitar
Jesper Strømblad (In Flames) – guitar
Corey Beaulieu (Trivium) – guitar
Jacob Lynam (Lynam) – guitar
William Adler (Lamb Of God) – guitar
Production
Jeff Waters
Tracklist
1. Clown Parade – feat. Jeff Loomis
2. Couple Suicide – feat. Danko Jones & Angela Gossow
3. Army Of One – feat. Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow
4. Downright Dominate – feat. Alexi Laiho
5. Smothered – feat. Anders Bjørler
6. Operation Annihilation – feat. Michael Amott
7. Haunted – feat. Jesper Strømblad
8. Kicked – feat. Corey Beaulieu
9. Detonation – feat. Jacob Lynam
10. Chasing The High – feat. William Adler
