Annihilator- Criteria For A Black Widow

Ok im newly getting into Annihilator. I heard this song once called The Fun Palace years ago on a college radio station and even though I didnt really care for the song all that much I didnt really hate it either. I made a tape of the radio show this night and every once in a while i'll throw in the cassette to listen to the songs and I knew all of the bands but I didnt know who did this song until sometime last year thankfully I was able to find out, through this board that it was Annihilator. Since then I started looking for their albums and just recently completed the collection.

The last cd of theirs that I got was Criteria For A Black Widow. When I put this album up in the Collectors Corner section Spec said it was his favorite. So knowing that Spec sometimes has good taste in music I really had high hopes for this album. Most of the line up from the first 2 albums was back together on this one and I couldnt wait to listen to it.

On my radio show we started a new segment where we pick a cd, listen to it for a week and then give our thoughts on what we liked, disliked and play the track that we thought was the best. Well what an album to pick for our new segment, and I dont mean that in an enthusiastic way either. I found it really hard to listen to this cd for the first time. The vocals were rough, the lyrics Holy crap.. the lyrics...... What was Jeff Waters thinking? I know he doesnt write a lot of the lyrics but does he atleast read them first? Some of the stuff is just so immature sounding its embarassing to listen to. Lyrics and vocals aside the music is great. Jeff is a great guitarist and the instrumental on this album is probably one of my favorites now. I just dont get it with this band though. Why the horrible lyrics? Is Jeff just more interested in how his guitar solos sound than his music as a whole? This is one of the strangest bands I have ever come across. People think Dave Mustaine is nuts with what he has done with Megadeth over the years but I think Annihilator and Jeff Waters fits right in there along side Dave Mustaine.

So back to the album.

Bloodbath- I liked how it started out and then it got thrashy like old Annihilator musically it was great then the vocals start with awful lyrics and I completely lost interest.

Back To The Palace- Ok... I knew that since the original line up is back together that they would bring something back from one of the older albums and what better song to do it with than the song I got into them with. I actually liked this song and it was the song that I ended up picking as my favorite on my radio show. The music is once again really cool, the vocals dont bother me so much on this one maybe because its a little more catchier than the first song, either way the album was starting to get better.

Punctured- This ones a little different. Its a little more main stream sounding but I still like it and once again the vocals dont bother me as much anymore but im still not 100% into them. The funny thing is though is once he will sing something a certain way and id wish he would just sing like that more but he doesnt. So this song was ok too.

Criteria For A Black Widow- I really dont know what to say about this one. I thought that maybe for a title track this song would have been somewhat good but hey I guess I was wrong. Actually this album was suppose to be called Sonic Homicide but the record label made him change it. Either way both songs are horrible. Its a shame I like the chorus in this song even though its nothing really more than Randy saying Criteria For A Black Widow over and over again and then theres the guitar solo part thats really cool too but its wasted on such a bad song.

Schizos- Great instrumental. Finally a break from the vocals!

Nothing Left- Sure tease me with a song name like that. Theres still 4 songs left.

Loving Sinner- Not a bad song, but the cd I have has a demo version with Jeff Waters singing it and I think I really like that version a lot more. Hes not a great singer either but I think he does better than Randy did on this album.

Double Dare- With different lyrics this song could have been good. Again the music is cool just dont like they lyrics.

Sonic Homicide- See Criteria For A Black Widow....

Mending- Just an acoustic instrumental outro. Its interesting but nothing exciting thankfully its the end of the album.

I also have a bonus track with Jeff Waters talking about the album. He said that when he recorded this album he didnt tell Randy Rampage that the vocals he was recording for the demo was the vocals he was going to use so maybe that could be a contributing factor on why these vocals really get on my nerves, but from listening to the first 2 albums I really doubt it.

Anyone else like/hate this album?

So thats my review. Im not good at this stuff but im trying. haha. On my radio show next week were reviewing another cd by a band called Eluveitie so when I get around to listening to that one i'll write some thoughts on it.

I loved this cd. It got my attention, when I heard that this was a reunion from the original lineup and that they were trying to sound like in the old days.

I thought I was going to like it too because of those reasons but unfortunetly for me I was dissapointed. Oh well they got 11 more albums and some of those are hit and miss as well. My favorite one so far is Set The World On Fire. Even though the guy has a terrible lisp hes not a bad singer. Metal wasnt bad either.

I dig that Annihilator album... in fact I like all their stuff up to the ALL FOR YOU disc when Jeff drafted that Anselmo wannabe to be the new vocalist... figures, he changes vocalists like socks for almost twenty years and when he finally gets a guy I can't stand, he sticks with that guy for three records in a row now

Haha.. Yea I know what you mean. I went to listen to All For You the other day and right when he went to sing I almost immediatly turned it off but I skipped around to see if what I was hearing was right and to my surprise it was. It'll be a while before I give that one a good listen.

This is a band that I want to like, but I just can't seem to get into. I was late in the game and never even heard of these guys until a few years ago after reading about them on Ult's site. Sounded good on paper (or cyber-paper), so I eventually bought a few cd's here and there.

I agree that the music has always been great. Jeff is quite a talent, but the lyrics and the ever-rotating door of vocalists never clicked with me. Even the goofiest of lyrics I can overlook if it's a good singer, but I've never truely liked any of the many vocalists I've heard with the band. Some were ok, some we not. But noone sounded great and I think that's what put me off of these guys.

I got into'em late in the game too, MG... in fact, my first Annihilator CD was CARNIVAL DIABLOS, which was the first one with Joe Comeau on vox. He played guitar with Overkill for a couple of records so I was curious if he could sing as well as he played his gee-tar. CARNIVAL turned out to be pretty damn good so I eventually tracked down the rest of their catalog up to that point (all pretty cheap too). The rotating cast of band members does make me wonder why Jeff doesn't just scrap the Annihilator name at this point and just call it "Jeff Waters and Friends" or "The Jeff Waters Project," but he's got some decent records under his belt.

Yea Carnival Diablos is a pretty good album. Joe Comeau is now singing for Tad Morose.

Maybe he should call it Jeff Waters Annihilator.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Yea Carnival Diablos is a pretty good album. Joe Comeau is now singing for Tad Morose.

Not anymore he isn't. Last I checked, he was gone and Tad Morose's new singer is the guy from Steel Attack.

Speaking of which, I've been listening to my Tad Morose CDs this week and gawd they're awesome!! I don't care who sings for'em they oughta put out something new already!!!

Wow really? When did that happen?

They are a great band. I saw them play with Edguy 2 or 3 years ago I think and I was instantly hooked on them. I ended up getting a picture with the band as well because I saw them walking around. They were nice guys. That was back when Urban Breed was in the band. Hes a great vocalist.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Wow really? When did that happen?

A while ago, apparently... the update on their website announcing the new guy is from August '08... http://tadmorose.com/

Quote :

They are a great band. I saw them play with Edguy 2 or 3 years ago I think and I was instantly hooked on them. I ended up getting a picture with the band as well because I saw them walking around. They were nice guys. That was back when Urban Breed was in the band. Hes a great vocalist.

Yea, I have TM's last three albums (UNDEAD, MATTERS OF THE DARK and MODUS VIVENDI) and they all smoke. Urban Breed has got one of the best sets of pipes I've heard in a long time. He's taking over for Matt Barlow in Pyramaze now, that should be interesting!!

I hadn't heard about Breed going to Pyramaze. So he's out of Bloodbound again?

tohostudios wrote:

I hadn't heard about Breed going to Pyramaze. So he's out of Bloodbound again?

Just call me the Metal Walter Cronkite today, I guess.

Announcement of Urban joining Pyramaze:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=100721 (from July '08 )

Info about new Bloodbound album:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=117038 (from March '09)

Looks like Bloodbound's new album was supposed to be out this month so I guess he's doing two bands at once.

Yea I knew about the Pyramaze and Bloodbound thing with Urban Breed again. I downloaded their new song I believe its on their website called Take One. Pretty cool. I never picked up any Bloodbound albums. I was going to get the first one but when I heard the second album with the other singer I didnt bother cause it sounded bad but now that hes back its a possibility.