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Rating:
This is an album recommended by the "spiladur de satana," as the owner of Stratos, my favorite bar, likes to call himself. One evening he said to me: "Do you like Annihilator?" Me (slightly drunk): "Yes, for fuck's sake and all the angels in a row! The Rush - a song from another album - is amazing". His response: "What the hell are you saying! They’ve gone soft now, listen to 'Alice In Hell,' their first album: stunning!"
Needless to say, I went and checked it out, and he was right. This album is exceptional. From the first song, you understand why Jeff Waters is considered a great: "Crystal Ann" is a splendid instrumental piece played with finesse... a worthy prelude to the hell of "W.T.Y.D.," where Dennis Dubeau's voice (unfortunately only in the group from 1987 to 1989, the year the album was released) is, in my opinion, fantastic, with notably intense angry high notes, while Waters and Dave Scott Davis dominate on the guitar and the drummer, the phenomenal Ray Hartmann, hits throughout the song. The third track is called "Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade," and again here, Waters and Dubeau are the two poles of the sound, particularly with Waters placing a fantastic solo in the middle of the song. As the background noises of the final part of the third track end, the Canadian combo starts hammering again: after a while, it feels like they’re in your house, personally, I love the bass (entrusted, in this album, to Wayne Darley, who will play with Waters until '94) and drums in "Schizos (Are Never Alone)" (that’s the title of this shocking track, perhaps the best among those by Annihilator) are truly splendid, alternating exchanges between the two guitars and pauses with sudden accelerations and overwhelming rhythm changes.
These first four tracks are splendid, but we're not even halfway through... the best aspect of the album is, indeed, the ease with which the songs alternate; as you listen to this CD, time flies. And indeed we find ourselves in front of "Human Insecticide," another skill piece where, besides the prowess of the future despot Jeff, the delirious voice of the singer stands out again. The show for the quintet of musicians continues with "Alison Hell," where, after a magnificent initial arpeggio-solo alternation, Waters & Co. sharply describe the hell in which a "poor girl" has ended up, nothing like "Alice in Wonderland"! The next track, "Wicked Mystic," continues in the vein of the previous ones with shrieks and ghastly B-movie atmospheres, masterfully realized by these psychopaths! Then comes "Word Salad," another piece where Waters invents arpeggios and rhythm changes, splendidly backed by the rhythmic section: I personally love the central part of the song where everything stops and he restarts with a poignant solo that becomes increasingly fast until the overwhelming finale where Dubeau pushes his voice to the max, then leaving the stage to the sound alone...
Finally, another masterpiece "Ligeia," freely inspired by a work of E. A. Poe (a story of the great author that, honestly, I know only from the song, not being among the few I remember having read), which provides an excellent excuse for the Canadian band to enjoy themselves and entertain us once again! Fantastic!
Without a doubt, this was the best lineup Waters ever had: a great voice, not endowed with absolute versatility, but perfect for the style; a second guitarist like Dave Scott Davies, a worthy companion to the leader; a drummer perhaps not as famous as others, but certainly monstrous like Hartmann; and finally a bassist like Wayne Darley who, without overdoing it, gives a crucial contribution in terms of balance and harmony to the band, placing on some occasions real gems. A splendid album... the good old spiller of Satan was right!!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Alison Hell (05:00)
Alice isn't it frightening
Alice aren't you scared
Alice isn't it wonderful
Living life afraid
Don't look around the corner
I might be lurking there
Under the bed at night
You're up till dawn again
Chorus:
Alison Hell, your mind begins to fold
Alison Hell, aren't you growing cold
Alison Hell, you are looking blue
Alice In Hell, what else can you do
I begin my rule, life hideous in your mind
Crying out you've lost your doll, it isn't worth a dime
Chorus:
Alison Hell, your mind begins to fold
Alison Hell, aren't you growing cold
Alison Hell, what are you looking for
Alice In Hell, soon i close the door
Bridge:
Sitting in the corner, you are naked and alone
No one listens to your fears, you've created me
Alice isn't it frightening
Alice aren't you scared
I was killed at birth
I shoot this final scene
You're in the basement
You're trapped insanity
Chorus:
Alison Hell, what were you looking for
Alison Hell, as I close the door
Alison Hell, here you shall dwell
Alice In Hell, Alice dwells in hell
03 W.T.Y.D. (03:56)
["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..."]
catch a shooting star, burn it to a crisp
born into death, will you take the risk
see buckets and buckets, yeah buckets of sin
you'll never end and can never begin
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
no forest of pleasure or fields of pain
high-rise at night see the pavement of stain
a beckoning hand from those who were slain
now you can sleep again
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
i take the night and i stretch it wide
and i see all, you hide, i died
so slip right in, sip the wine
the caution flashes but the water's fine
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
welcome to your death
04 Wicked Mystic (03:38)
All throughout the centuries, existing year to year
Lives on the powerful entity to thrive on pain and fear
A derelict of heavenly Gods, a feeling from within
Weakened minds are perfect prey, corrosion will begin
Chorus:
Some won't fight, the battle is forsaken
Show no might, the dark side has awakened
Even in the holiest the curious can be found
Their wonderment is dangerous as virtue is but bound
Moral codes broken
What's the sin that lurks within, the burning emotion of hatred
Repeat Chorus
Wicked Mystic
Hatred lurks in all of us, no one is exempt
It's proof of evil in our souls, is this the tempter's intent
A derelict of heavenly Gods, a feeling from within
Weak minds are perfect prey for corrosion to begin
Repeat Chorus
Wicked Mystic
Wicked Mystic, Mystic
Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade
Excess perversion, and we'll never let it end
You and I are making a private legend
We've got the hunger, got the thirst
You want it slow, our bodies glow, nails rake my back
Chorus:
Tongue licks sweet parade
Animal lust, and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
Drippin' wet, we laugh at this charade
Screams of love in the air tonight
and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
Gratification, do you want some more
On the bed, entangled on the floor
Feel my eyes burn, we writhe until the dawn
Tease and please, humility is gone
Repeat Chorus
Excess perversion, and we'll never let it end
You and I are making a private legend
Feel my eyes burn, feel everything
On my knees, but I reign as your king
Repeat Chorus
05 Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade (03:34)
excess perversion, and we'll never let it end
you and i are making a private legend
we've got the hunger, got the thirst
you want it slow, our bodies glow, nails rake my back
tongue licks sweet parade
animal lust and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
dripping wet, we laugh at this charade
screams of love in the air tonight and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
gratification, do you want some more
on the bed, entangled on the floor
feel my eyes burn, we writhe until the dawn
tease and please, humility is gone
tongue licks sweet parade
animal lust and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
dripping wet, we laugh at this charade
screams of love in the air tonight and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
come on
what are you waiting for...
excess perversion, and we'll never let it end
you and i are making a private legend
feel my eyes burn, feel everything
on my knees, but i reign as your king
tongue licks sweet parade
animal lust and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
dripping wet, we laugh at this charade
screams of love in the air tonight and it burns like a buzzsaw blade
06 Word Salad (05:49)
Closets of my mind destroyed, as I enter outward from a void
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt
Devoid strength my life, inert
Anger fills they've shocked me back
White corpses turn to black
I run on psychic gasoline, my fuel shall burn you all
Chorus:
Word Salad, no ballad
Word Salad, no ballad
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
Tetanus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Hatred turns to apathy, led down this dark abyss,
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
Chorus:
Word Salad, no ballad
Word Salad
Woken up from death, nausea
Catatonic stupor, anoxia
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
Scourge of God he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
08 Ligeia (04:47)
I do not remember, where we did meet
Lengthened years have built my mind, memories undeep
Yet with instability, one thing stands too clear
Lady perfection, mystery, of whom I shed a tear
Chorus:
Airwoven divinity, mind, soul in victory
Cured of her malady, could this be my lost;
Ligeia
Repeat Chorus
Sickness fell upon Ligeia, all knew she would die
Midnight came to lay her rest, farewell
Opium dreams, grief-stricken years, I took another bride
Replacing that which I did have, Ligeia why
Repeat Chorus (x2)
Bridge:
Chronic disease, my luck cursed
My new wife has died
Coming from her bed of death, I thought I heard her cry
Could a corpse cold, stiff, sedate, sob in the bed it lie
Approaching her, I chilled to stone, for it did swiftly rise
I can never be mistaken, there were, they were, Ligeia's eyes
Chorus:
Airwoven, divinity, mind, soul in victory
Cured of her malady, could this be my lost;
Ligeia
Airwoven divinity, tears shed, vitality
Cured of her malady, yes this is my lost;
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Other reviews
By Dr.Psycho
"Alice In Hell is art, the composer (by syllogism) is an artist, a genius."
"The first bass notes immediately catapult us close to Alison and the nightmare she lives."
