CD Review: Annihilator - Feast

Artist: Annihilator
Title: Feast
Genre: Thrash Metal
Release Date: 23rd August 2013
Label: UDR Music

Album Review

ANNIHILATOR is a Canadian Thrash Metal band, founded in 1984 by Jeff Waters, who is the only original member left. The band was especially influencing during the 1980s with albums like ‘Alice In Hell’. They are also among the best-selling Canadian Thrash Metal bands. With ‘Feast’, their fourteenth studio record will be released in 2013, which does not only offer nine brand new songs but also a bonus CD, with 15 re-recorded “classic” ANNIHILATOR tracks. The opener, ‘Deadlock’, is a fast, monotonous but grooving title with melodic inputs and a characteristic, staccato-like chorus. Vocal-wise, harsh as well as clean-sung parts can be found, the guitar work is very ambitious and demanding.

On ‘Feast’, ANNIHILATOR combine Old School Thrash Metal with Modern elements. The tempo varies between fast, like on ‘Smear Campaign’ but also shows some variation like in slower parts in ‘No Surrender’. With ‘Perfect Angel Eyes’, even a soft ballad is included, which also delivers a nice atmosphere. ‘Demon Code’, in contrast, sounds darker and harsher, whilst incorporating electronically distorted vocals. ‘Fight The World’ begins in a calm way, but veers towards a fast Thrash/Speed Metal song with an almost anthem-like chorus. With ‘One Falls, Two Rise’ the longest song concludes the first CD, which again includes clean and softly sung harmonies and in general combines mid-tempo elements and faster parts to an epic-like ending. In general, all songs are of high quality and no (negative or positive) surprises are to be heard.

The second, bonus disk offers re-recorded versions of ANNIHILATOR’s most well-known tracks, like ‘King of The Kill’, ‘Alison Hell’ and ‘Refresh The Demon’, thus providing an interesting perspective on almost thirty years of band history. Yet, as with re-recordings is mostly the case, a lot of the original vibe gets lost. Regarding the sound and the production, the songs sound technically better and fuller, although a lot of their raw, youthful and impetuous aspects and shades disappear. The bonus CD is definitely recommended to anyone who is new to ANNIHILATOR, but fans of the Old School material might find its purpose debatable.


Tracklist

Line-up

Jeff Waters – Guitars, Vocals
David James Padden – Lead Vocals
Mike Harshaw – Drums
Alberto Campuzano – Bass


Website

www.annihilatormetal.com


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 9
Extras: 7
Total: 8 / 10