Annihilator
Metal

THE REVIEW

Calling themselves Annihilator and choosing a term like "Metal" as the album title must be understood as a claim of belonging by guitarist Jeff Waters and his band, as it has always been. However, when placing them in a specific category, one should opt for the box labeled thrash metal.

Moreover, it's a career defined by two historically significant albums such as "Never, Neverland" and "Alice In Hell" that point in this direction, even if in the subsequent works they have not held back (sometimes with unexpected choices, think of the positive "Remains") and despite a concentration of "power" (legitimized by evident skill), which has penalized him. For this new release, he has further changed his working approach and decided to be accompanied, for each track, by other musicians/singers, specifically: Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), Danko Jones, Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), Steve "Lips" Kudlow (Anvil), Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Anders Bjørler (The Haunted), Michael Amott (Arch Enemy), Jesper Strømblad (In Flames), Corey Beaulieu (Trivium), Jacob Lynam, and Willie Adler (Lamb Of God). Collaborations that began spontaneously but then became the cornerstone around which the work revolves.

A work that thrives on instrumental and stylistic diversity, with variability that occasionally feels a bit disjointed ("Couple Suicide" is an accelerated punk/rock piece that clashes significantly, just as the mandatory attempt to sound classic in "Army Of One" has rendered the track trivial). For the rest, we can say we are in the presence of a compendium of metallic art, from thrash (both in its more aggressive and technical forms) to speed, from power to melodic death (including "new" openings) while not overlooking some boundary blending with hard rock and certain blues.

All of this is always spiced with a good groove, compelling riffing, and an effervescent sound. Not indispensable, but enjoyable.