Founded by Jeff Waters, Annihilator hasn't received much commercial success. Not very famous anywhere really, however their largest fanbase is in Europe. The Canadian thrash band is heavily influenced by other thrash greats like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus and Slayer. Their debut album, Alice in Hell is one of their best to date as well.
Track 1- Crystal Ann (1:40)
A short instrumental, it really shows the guitar skills that Jeff Waters has, which is a lot.
Track 2- Alison Hell (5:00)
Starts off with the slow bass intro, but quickly moves into a nice fast-paced song. The liner notes read "a young girl, terrified, there's something out there. but is it real? it must be, because it's watching her. her pleas for comfort and reassurance are ignored, and soon, all she has left is her imagination... and that's the most terrifying thing of all."
Track 3- W.T.Y.D. (3:56)
Stands for "Welcome to your Death". The song shows their influences from Metallica and Megadeth (just listen to the intro for example). The liner notes read "death seen through the eyes of the dying and a summons from the great beyond to join the masses of lapsed lives. mystery and, sometimes, fantasy. theory and legend. the plight of dying or the fight to freedom? a supernatural transition to a world that is known only in dreams and in death. welcome..."
Track 4- Wicked Mystic (3:38)
One of the heavier songs on the album, a great song regardless. Liner notes read "hatred in its personified form surely is the devil itself. those who are weak are easily controlled by this emotion so destructive and overpowering. the capacity to hate lies dormant in each one of us and when in full force, it changes who we are, as if by possession."
Track 5- Burns like a Buzzsaw Blade (3:33)
One of my favourites. The song has a kickass solo in the intro and a catchy chorus to boot. Liner notes read "the realisation of fantasy beyond what is pleasurable. seizure of both mind and soul as lust and passion overcome their bodies in rhythmic waves of sexual delight. gushing energies generate intense erotic sensations, fulfilling every imaginable yearning. the ultimate gratification of physical love."
Track 6- Word Salad (5:49)
A strange song, one of the weaker ones on the album. However a good song to listen to. Liner notes read "white coats swarm about the patient. they've come to see inside his head. white coats say he's incoherent and tell him that he's sick. straps and restraints don't hold back the horrible visions, and the syrup in the syringe only causes them to melt into a vile blob. they don't understand his monosyllabic utterances, yet the patient babbles on in his foreign tongue... lobotomy."
Track 7- Shizos (are never alone) (4:32)
Actually a 2 part song that was put into 1 for the album. its another intrumental and features many riffs that are used in later albums. A great instrumental and one of the best songs on the album. Liner notes read "there are so many people in my mind, all trying to speak at once. how can it be so quiet on the outside when there is such a confused noise in my head? my brain is racing, pounding. i want to be free and happy, but the voices are so angry, they contradict my wish to be content. voices. voices. will i never be alone?"
Track 8- Ligea (4:47)
A GREAT song. One of Annihilator's best. The song has fairly simplistic riffs but it still sounds great. Much like Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction album. The liner notes read "edgar allen poe's strange tale of a gentleman whose true love succumbs to a fatal illness, is retold in the true fashion of the bizarre. a dreamy, drug induced state is no escape from the pain felt after losing his beautiful ligeia. in time, he remarries. soon after, however, wife number two falls ill and becomes comatosed. life now drained from her body, an odd cry is heard from her death bed. the eyes stare back... ligeia is reborn."
Track 9- Human Incesticide (4:49)
Another great Annihilator song. This one shows Jeff's songwriting skills at a great level. The liner notes read "incarcerated in an age old asylum , his cell runs rampant with menacing little creatures who flaunt their freedom by roaming so freely. powerless to the cruelty and extreme disconcern of his human restraints, he finds timeless contentment by playing officer, judge and executioner over his 'cell mates'. the final sentence is always obliteration."
Thats the album, a really great album. After listening to this you'll realize that Jeff Waters is one of the world's most underrated guitarists. I gave this album a 4.5/5, not nearly as good as Metallica's Master of Puppets, but still a fantastic album.
