ANNIHILATOR - Alice in Hell LP 1989 (RR 9488 1) ORIG. PRESS .. Great condition

$

37

Annihilator are a beacon of hate for some, and the only thing that most every metal head, Annihifan or not, can agree on about them is that their debut Alice in Hell, is fucking awesome. Though I believe it is that awesomeness that allows a fair amount of haters for this band. Alice in Hell is gritty, heavy, dark, violent, technical, and blazing fast for much of it. That draws in listeners that given their later sound would never even try the band out in the first place, and then when they listen to some of said later material it's like culture shock, as Jeff Waters would fuse multitudes of styles together into what would become the 'schizo' sound of the band. For though at least some of those elements mentioned above would be on all future Annihilator records, they wouldn't really come together like they did here, the most traditional thrash album by the band.

Anyway, what you should take from the above paragraph is whether or not you like/are interested in/despise or have never heard they're later ballad playing, pop and groove infused metal, this album here should absolutely be in your collection. Because after the beautiful classical guitar intro of Crystal Ann, the type of clean guitar work that would become an integral part of some later album's (Set the World on Fire, King of the Kill etc...) sound, here it’s one intro and BOOM straight up tech-thrash until the album is finished.

Obviously influenced heavily from the bay area thrashers, this album is easily (though too generally) described as early Megadeth with wackier riffing and more progressive songwriting. The production is very polished for a thrash debut, as each instrument breaths well on its own and still sound great when brought together. The crunch on the guitars has a percussive sound to it that I love in my thrash albums. Even on the fastest sections (see Schizos, Human Insecticide) no note is wasted, and everything sounds crisp and clear. Furthermore, the acoustic guitars on Crystal Ann sound perfect, something many thrash albums struggle to sound right.

I've listened to a lot of thrash in my day, and Jeff Waters has a riffing style all his own. One of the reasons EVERY thrashaholic should pick this up is though this has a classic bay area sound to it, Waters style and unique blend of influence come together to make this album STILL stand out in a genre full of sound alikes. He is very talented from a technical stand point, and he covers all guitars: rhythm, lead, and bass on this album. The results are awesome. Riffs? Fucking right. Leads? DUH! Sick bass licks? Even that! Overall a great guitar album. Just check out the instrumental intro of the classic, Alison Hell, or the nearly-instrumental song Schizos (Are Never Alone). A final note, on some of the riffs I hear Waters eclectic influences that would later become more prominent. I swear I hear some happy funky bouncing in the riffing of Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade, and Ligeia. That type of crazy and often random touch to the music is one of the things I love most about the band, as it gives the music a different touch, as well as make the music often sound very happy, though this is more prominent on later albums.

Randy Rampage (-_- I know...) delivers an aggressive snarling vocal performance, not unlike a particularly pissed off Dave Mustaine would sound, making the Megadeth comparison all the easier. He brings dignity to even the more awkward lyrics here, like Word Salad, and Buzzsaw. Lyrically this album is if nothing else unique, with some more original topics thrown in with the more typical metal ones (W.T.Y.D., Wicked Mystic). Wonky lyricism has become a trademark of the band and either you'll embrace it or you won't, but this album doesn't really offend in that regard.

When it comes down to it, Alice in Hell stands out not just amidst not only Annihilator's discography, but in thrash metal as a whole. Every song delivers powerful, blazing guitar work on all fronts from bass to lead work. Throw in a great production job, a charismatic and fittingly angry vocal delivery, and what’s left is one of the absolute best thrash debuts. Future albums would take many twists and turns, and how you enjoy those albums I feel is heavily dependent on how open minded you are. In the end, this album is perfect, and I wouldn't change a note of the mania within, but nor would I base the bands whole career off this one opus. I view this as an anomaly. The band was young, and not unlike many bands, the sound would develop and change. But that's for different reviews. As for you, don't you have some shopping to do? Album is still in shrink.