Annihilator discussion...

BESIDES Alice in Hell and Never, Neverland, which I know most hold as classic, what would you say was the best and worst of Annihilator?

Never Neverland is the best

Actually I like "Criteria" the best after the first 2. The worst is "All For You". I even like "Remains" more than those Padden albums.

Best: "Set the World on Fire" / "Critera for a Black Widow" (tie)
Worst: very hard to say. About 6 albums are tied for this spot.

Waters is a monster guitarist with flashes of brilliance but really needs some songwriting help. Especially when it comes to vocal melodies and lyrics.

Worst is, Metal, that album has a few songs that are ok but as a whole the albums is not good the bad songs out way the good.
One of my favorite is All For You, but I know many people hate that album ........a lot

Worst-Remains I guess, but even that one isn't as bad as most people say and has some good songs.
Best-Carnival Diablos

Carnival Diablos is amazing. Joe Comeau came out of the blue, at least to me, and I was real surprised. The songs are great too - fast, catchy, groovy. This has to be my favourite Annihilator album.

Faves:
Carnival Diablos
Criteria for a Black Widow
Refresh the Demon
Set the World on Fire
Waking the Fury
King of the Kill

Worst
Remains (really the only Annihilator album I don't care for at all)

"Remains" has 2 great songs: "Tricks and Traps" and "Reaction", which are both on my MP3 player that I work out to. Some serious riffing in those songs.

Carnival Diablos for best - great album there. I love Waking The Fury too but the fuzzy guitar tone is annoying on that one.

Worst - Remains.

Temple of Blood wrote:

"Remains" has 2 great songs: "Tricks and Traps" and "Reaction", which are both on my MP3 player that I work out to. Some serious riffing in those songs.

Thanks. I'll give those a second listen.

Temple of Blood wrote:

"Remains" has 2 great songs: "Tricks and Traps" and "Reaction", which are both on my MP3 player that I work out to. Some serious riffing in those songs.

I agree that Reaction is the best song.

1. Alice in Hell
2. Never, Neverland
3. Criteria for a Black Widow
4. Set the World on Fire (music only)

Best (after the first 2) - Criteria For A Black Widow
Worst - Remains (mainly because of the White Zombie-like tunes on it;the rest isn't too bad)


The Padden albums catch alot of flack but I don't mide them at all.

I've never actually heard an Annihilator album past Never, Neverland. I got into them late and there were other bands I was tracking deeper.

Criteria For a Black Widow. It's just a perfect mix of the first three albums but heavier at the same time. I talk it up all the time, but I think it deserves it.

My other two top albums are Set the World on Fire and Waking the Fury. Those were my first two Annihilator albums and both are still favorites.

Worst is probably either Remains or Metal.

I'd go with either Criteria For A Black Widow or Waking The Fury. If you can get past that annoying guitar tone, I think Waking The Fury has some killer tunes on it. Criteria kinda rekindled that old magic of the first two to a very large degree.

Worst is easily, in my opinion, Remains. 1 or 2 decent songs, but the rest is just garbage.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Waters is a monster guitarist with flashes of brilliance but really needs some songwriting help. Especially when it comes to vocal melodies and lyrics.

100% agreed. The entire Annihilator catalogue seems to be marred by somewhat dull and uninspired lyrics and vocal lines. It's a shame, because there are some truly brilliant moments, but there could be so many more if Waters just stuck to the musical side of things.

I hate the singer's voice on Set the World on Fire. (musically it was good)

I always imagined with Set the World on Fire that Waters didn't notice Aaron Randall's massive lisp in the audition process. Then when it came to recording the album, it became more and more apparent until it was too late... they'd already thet the world on fire.

...I don't think that one will be going in my stand-up routine.

I'd have to say CARNIVAL DIABLOS is my fave post-ALICE disc.

Worst, I'd have to say ALL FOR YOU. Padden's vocals were textbook definition of "irritating" on that record.

Im only a casual Annihilator fan.Other than the first two I like Carnival Diablos and the newest S/T is really good.Their worst IMO is Metal.

Great topic Ult!

Being a huge fan of Annihilator, i particularly enjoy Waking the fury and Carnival Diablos, which are in my top ten thrash metal albums of all time.

I also consider their latest self titled album to be very good. It just needs repetitive listens to really start enjoying it.

Surprisingly, i also enjoy Metal.

Smindas wrote:

I always imagined with Set the World on Fire that Waters didn't notice Aaron Randall's massive lisp in the audition process. Then when it came to recording the album, it became more and more apparent until it was too late... they'd already thet the world on fire.

...I don't think that one will be going in my stand-up routine.

Randall reminded me of Daffy Duck at times... I think Jeff should redo the vocals himself on that one.

The only two I own besides ALICE and NEVERLAND are CRITERIA and SET THE WORLD ON FIRE, both of which, IMHO, suck.

Smindas wrote:

I always imagined with Set the World on Fire that Waters didn't notice Aaron Randall's massive lisp in the audition process. Then when it came to recording the album, it became more and more apparent until it was too late... they'd already thet the world on fire.

...I don't think that one will be going in my stand-up routine.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I swear I read somewhere that it was actually the production that made Aaron Randall sound like he had the lisp.

His vocals made me very unsure of Annihilator when I first heard that cd, but I came to appreciate them and think they work in some of the songs pretty well.