ANNIHILATOR

    Waking The Fury

   - 8 -

I've had this album for about a month now, and it's convinced me of one thing: ANNIHILATOR is the band SLAYER should have become.  This is pure aggressive, if quite flashy 80's Thrash, and nothing reminds me of the good ole' days when I was still in diapers (I'm a generation late, ok?).  This is a work that could have been released in 1988 and nobody would have been able to tell the difference.  I love it, I can't rave about Waking The Fury enough.  But enough blind praise, let's break it down.

There are three components in my opinion, to successful thrash: aggression, flash, and speed. Waking The Fury has managed to, while not the fastest album I've heard, pull off a significant balance between the three that is both pleasing to the ears and conducive to some serious headbanging.  If I had to pick the strongest element of the three, however, I would pick flash, perhaps a remnant of the very 80's and very overdone Carnival Diablos, particularly in the vocals, and the way the vocals are highlighted and featured in the music.  This is obviously not typical of a genre of music where the guitar solo is king.  However, it works.  The lyrics are the typical aggressive sort, however I at least find it unique to be able to make them out amongst the guitars, drums, and bass; let alone to have them sung comprehensibly.  Not since early METALLICA have I heard this style, and to be quite frank, I didn't realize I had missed it.  In fact, this whole album reminds me of METALLICA and MEGADETH, circa 1986 or 1988, which were two bands that got me into metal in the first place.

Returning from our little tangent, I'd like to address the other components.  The speed here is curiously mid-paced, but it genuinely works.  I think it's mostly due to the particular vein of thrash that ANNIHILATOR have chosen to play, that of the big four in Thrash (METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX), but the added flashiness and pure anger with which this music is played I think truly throws you off from any detractions the speed may cause.  Which brings me to their aggression.  It must be something in the snarls of vocalists Joe Comeau and Jeff Waters and the slow chugging riffs, but this album reeks of anger.  This is good stuff for breakups, losing your job, getting robbed, all those joyous events that make you want to scream.

Ok, in short: If you liked the big four of 80's thrash and miss them, if you're pissed off at SLAYER, METALLICA, and MEGADETH for going the way of Nu-Metal, or if you just want something flashy, aggressive, and fun to listen to, I highly suggest you look for a copy of Waking The Fury.  You'll understand when you hear it.
 
 

Contributed by Matt Gold

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