Customer Reviews

Metal

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just got this CD, and I couldn't put it away once I started listening to it. It's got the ussual great music done by guitar wizard Jeff Waters, which he covers everything from heavy metal to speed to thrash. A good variety as always and Dave Padden's vocals were ever so good, but as a bonus, Jeff has brought long-time Annihilator fans from members of bands like Trivium, Children Of Bodom, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy and others (Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Danko Jones (Danko Jones), Michael Amott and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), Corey Beaulieu (Trivium), Willie Adler (Lamb Of God), Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), Jesper Strømblad (In Flames), Steve 'Lips` Kudlow (Anvil), Anders Bjørler (The Haunted), Mike Mangini (Vai, Extreme, Annihilator) and Jacob Lynam (Lynam))for back ground singers. METAL is a really good CD that every Annihilator fan should own.

TRACK LISTING
1. Clown Parade - feat. Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)
2. Couple Suicide - feat. Danko Jones (Danko Jones) & Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)
3. Army Of One - feat. Steve 'Lips` Kudlow (Anvil)
4. Downright Dominate - feat. Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
5. Smothered - feat. Anders Bjørler (The Haunted)
6. Operation Annihilation - feat. Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
7. Haunted - feat. Jesper Strømblad (In Flames)
8. Kicked - feat. Corey Beaulieu (Trivium)
9. Detonation - feat. Jacob Lynam (Lynam)
10. Chasing The High - feat. William Adler (Lamb Of God)

This is an awesome album from front to back. Waters does not disappoint and definitely delivers the goods on this one. If you are a fan of classic guitar driven heavy metal then this album should be at the top of your list. I've listened about six times through now. I took it out of my player because there are always other CDs screaming for attention. I had to put it back in this morning. Yes, it's a good album that begs for more playing. The highlights for me thus far are tracks 1, 3, 7* and 8. I starred track 7 because I often find myself starting it again to get some more when it's near finished playing. All in all a great album though and highly recommended if you like Annihilator at all, or if you regularly listen to music by classic metal guitar heroes such as Zakk, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Mustaine... to name but a few...

I've been a fan of Annihilator since '89 and it's rare that Jeff Waters disappoints. While this isn't the one-two punch of back-to-back opuses Carnival Diablos and Waking The Fury, Metal kicks with a fury that is almost non-existant in today's metallic world. Waters has assembled a virtual who's who of heavy metal guest artists for this release, and from that point on, it's heads-down, pedal-to-the-metal THRASH, bay-bee! You either come along for the ride, or get steamrollered over, it's that simple, punk!

I could use a whole bunch of superlatives to describe the songs herein, and wax poetic over the thrill of hearing such rippin' solos by Jeff's guests, but I sorta doubt you wanna read all that. Suffice to say, this is one solid album from start to finish. If I HAD to give Metal less than stellar marks, I'd have to point out the glaring Black Sabbath opening riff rip-off of "Detonation" (not to worry, Jeff veers away from that soon enough so that he can't be unfairly accused of stealing) and the rock, rather than metallic thrash, of "Couple Suicide"; it really does take some getting used to hearing that song. But honestly, that's about the only blunders on an otherwise nigh-to-perfect disc. And if that's all there is, then that's pretty d**n good to me! Go ahead, pick up this album, and be glad you did!

The Good
The Canadian thrash-metaller Jeff Waters returns with another Annihilator album. This time around his bringing some of the heaviest guitar players in metal today (appearance include members of Children of Bodom, Arch Enemy, Trivium, Lamb of God, In Flames, and The Haunted). Despite its goofy title, Clown Parade is a pure metal track that is no joke. A break-neck guitar run leads the charge. Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis tears it up with a blazing solo. Fellow Canadian rocker Danko Jones is the guest vocalist on "Couple Suicide." The classic rock groove is no big challenge for Jones, but it is certainly different territory for Annihilator.

"Army of One" may just be Water's anthemic battle cry, as he is one of the few classic metal artists out there doing the same thing he was doing in the beginning. Lyrically it's a tribute to his metal peers that came up with him. "Operation Annihilator" is dominated by monster riffs and blood-thirsty vocals, not to mention pounding drums. Waters takes aim at the "bands of the week" on this one. Who needs lyrics when you have some of the fastest speed metal guitar you'll ever hear on "Haunted." Let's see the popular acts of today pull this one off. "Chasing the High" continues the speed-of-light guitar work and adds more ferocious vocals and machine gun drums.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
Waters says it himself on his website; Annihilator has made the album of its career. I couldn't agree more. This is heavy metal as I remembered and loved growing up in the eighties. Now if we could just turn back the clock 20 years, then Annihilator would have a hit record on their hands.

I have to admit that im not an Annihilator fan. To tell you the truth i don't like the vocals in all their albums. But they know how to play the guitar, they have very fast solos -> it reminds me Dream Theater in this part . Really fast and technical solos. I like very much the song Haunted -> really fast track and the guitar rocks.

ANNIHILATOR WHAT CAN I SAY .... IM A TRUE TO LIFE METAL FAN I HAVE COLLECTED SO MUCH OF THE STING AND FORCES OF METAL FOR A LONG SPAN. JEFF WATERS IS LEGENDARY FOR HIS STYLE,PRODUCING,A ENDLESS TECH IN HIS FIELD OF DUTY TO THE METAL WORLD. METAL IS A MIXTURE OF ARTIST IN JEFFS GUIDANCE FOR TRACKS THROUGHOUT AND IS GREAT BY FAR.... IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ROOTS OF ANNIHILATOR YOU SEE JEFF LIGHT UP A GUITAR LIKE IT WAS HIS LAST DAYS AND STILL TODAY HE HAS FIREPOWER TO SPARE.I HAVE TO ADMIT FOR CANADA I HAVE BEEN A RUSH FAN FOR ROCK BUT FOR METAL ANNIHILATOR HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS ON MY LIST AND I (LOVE) THESE GUYS LIKE THEY WAS MY OWN BROTHERS.......

This is one of the few albums that come along and you can just hit play and sit back and jam!! This is by far the best Annihilator album.

great album. jeff waters has not dissapoint too many times. at least every album he produced had at least couple of songs that were worthy to even be recorded. but this album is excellent. songs like ARMY OF ONE, DETONATION, reminds me of ALICE IN HELL, NEVER NEVERLAND albums era. GREAT SINGING at the same time.

Solid release from these Canadian veterans.

With close to a dozen musical guests, and a slightly cliched album title, you'd might suspect that this album is a stinker. Thankfully, it isn't. There's nothing very original here though, musically it often sounds like a mix of Anthrax and Metallica circa 1987, but the songs are well written, well performed and catchy. Adding some progressive elements to some songs adds variation; although it may be off-putting for die-hard metal fans to hear thrash mixed with Rush-influenced passages.

Solid release with solid songs; worth checking out as long as you don't mind hearing music with clear and distinct influences noticeable here and there.

Woooooooooooh....Indian metal fans rate this album 5 plus stars...just awesome. Fantastic production of kickass metal...Well done Jeff. Keep it comin buddy...