Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Annihilator Annihilator Company: Earache Records Release: 2010 Genre: Thrash, shred Rating: 4 Reviewer: Chris Kincaid

Sweet shred session sea of speed

Back with their 13th studio album Canadian Metal soldiers ANNIHILATOR have delivered an album that is a tight, thrash and bash machine with so-so vocals.

The self titled release boasts an incredible 66...count em...66 solos spread throughout all 10 tracks. The guitar work? It's nothing short of polished. However it never upstages the constant barrage of drums and bass work that keeps the pace flowing through songs of anger and vengeance.

But that's Jeff Waters for you! He is afterall one of the most influential guitarists of all time being voted number 3 in Joel McIvers book 'The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists'. Without him there is no ANNIHILATOR--one man show who serves as producer of his own work.

And it shows in tracks like the opener 'The Trend' which starts off with a mid-tempo beat...changes into a sweet shred session...before plunging into a sea of speed led by charging guitars and even flexs a melodic chorus. 'The Coward' which kicks off with a lightning quick fight riff with the vocals tending to be a mixture of high pitched Metal bravado one minute then shouting lines like 'I will deliver pain. When our 2 worlds collide' the next. The short but sweet 'Ambush'. 'Betrayed' with a great solo that serves to bridge the song together. The most unusual track on here is '25 Seconds' that starts with a bass line not lacking in groove then shifts into a fast and furious mixture of rage with some nice fret tapping reminiscent of Eddie Van Halen. 'Nowhere to Run' sounds like it could've been written by Slayer. While cuts like 'The Other Side' slide in with more of a groove oriented Metal feel. Or the stomping mad 'Payback'.

Hell, speaking of Van Halen there's even a classic cover of 'Romeo Delight' on here that is a little more agressive than the original but still kicks ass!

The production is top notch compared to earlier works like "Alice In Hell" and draws more from popular efforts such as "King of the Kill" or "Carnival Diablos" and less of the Deathcore style they were heading in on the heavy laden "All For You" and "Metal".

It's no secret that some of the more hardcore fans fled upon this change in direction but they'll be flocking back for a disc that is pure...brutal...shred.