Artist: Annihilator
Label: CMC International
Release Date: 1/25/00
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Title: Criteria for a Black Widow Artist: Annihilator Label: CMC International Release Date: 1/25/00 |
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Abyss's Review:
Annihilator are back on North American soil thanks to CMC International. This is the first release of theirs on this continent since 1993, but they have been releasing and touring elsewhere all this time. Jeff Waters recorded this piece right after a stressful time in his life, in which he goes into detail on a bonus track at the end of the disc. What he came up with was the reunion of the original members, and hopefully a rebirth on this side of the world. Criteria for a Black Widow, is a straight-up eighties thrashfest that completely disregards musical trends of the nineties, and because of that non-compromise, it has its good and bad points. As with any thrash, the basis of the music is in the riff. And there are riffs galore on this album, ranging from some that are mind-blowing or at least catchy, to some that are labored and unimpressive.
"I've never been much of a fan of retro bands that are so true to a certain time period. As time moves on, so should the music, and unfortunately, this band is stuck in the mid-to-late eighties." I've never been much of a fan of retro bands that are so true to a certain time period. As time moves on, so should the music, and unfortunately, this band is stuck in the mid-to-late eighties. While this period holds a great deal of nostalgia for me, and this record reminds me of more care-free times, I can't help but feel it would be much more effective if it was just modernized a bit. While I find the riffs themselves the biggest redeeming factor for this album, the vocals pretty much ruin it for me. Randy Rampage returns (that's alliteration boys and girls) with his late Exodus inspired croaking, which is a vocal style I didn't even dig that much back then. That is coupled with lyrics that strike me as inane, oversimplified rhyme schemes, and a cadence that, in some songs (last verse of "Bloodbath") is so simple it sounds like it's one of the improvised songs on "Whose Line is it Anyway?" And the "creepy crawler, sidewalk maulers" chorus on "Back to the Palace" just sends me running (or least start dancing to the "Toxic Waltz").
This is a shame because the guitar work underneath is really good most of the time, and this is made even more impressive by the fact that this record was basically made in an apartment. The title track also suffers the same fate, and even Mr. Waters himself acknowledges its mediocrity when describing how it became the title of the album. Not all of the songs are like this, however, "Punctured" is a really cool song, strong enough to make me forget my problems with the vocals, helped in part by a sick riff come chorus time. The third incarnation of the "Scizos (Are Never Alone)" is also a high point of this album. Its best part? It's an instrumental, no seriously, it puts a whole bunch of shit together, and shows where this band could head if it wanted to. The best thing for Mr. Waters to do would be to try to update his sound a little. Testament's newest has proven that thrash can evolve into the next millenium, and perhaps the hiring of an outside producer could bring this band up to its potential.
Death's Review:
"Welcome back to the palace," beckons the reunited Alice in Hell team of guitarist/main man Jeff Waters, drummer Ray Hartman, vocalist Randy Rampage and co-lyricist John Bates. With Criteria for a Black Widow, Annihilator is back in business with its first U.S. Release since 1993 and the critical elements of their most classic lineup. What results is a twelve- track (including U.S. Bonuses and commentary) set of absolutely shredding thrash-speed greatness. The album's killer drumming, razor sharp quasi-technical metallic rifling, blazing solos and neck-snappingly catchy song structures and arrangements induce pure headbanging delight on every listen. The added bonus of a bitterly spiteful lyrical attack adds a personal venom to Criteria's impact and solidifies the effort as one of the new year's landmark metal releases.
"A twelve- track set of absolutely shredding thrash-speed greatness." Evoking the best of late eighties riffmeisters like Forbidden, Exodus, and Rust- era Megadeth, while carrying forth the fury of Waters' signature guitar sound and attack, Criteria manages to not only satiate our need for catchy 80's thrash/speed nostaligia, but to remind us why many lost interest in the subgenre in the first place: nobody was putting out records as good as this one. In short, Waters and company have returned these Canadians to American prominence much like Doug Flutie returned from Canadian football banishment to dominate the NFL highlight reels. As did Testament's The Gathering, Criteria proves that this type of music can still sound both fresh and inspired in the new millennium.
Tracks like "Bloodbath," (indirectly a tribute to Waters' attendance at a Slayer show in '98 which reinvigorated his love for the thrash/speed metal stylings), with its inspired Waters soloing and memorable groove, gallop and shred like Pleasures- era Exodus (Rampage often sounds like Zetro Sousa on this album, to be honest). The aforementioned "Welcome to the Palace" is classic Annihilator, with the requisite multiple parts and cool changes throughout. The title track (the commentary reveals that the original title was, Sonic Homicide, named for a song whose middle riff sounds like Faith No More's "Surprise, You're Dead," (among several other changes) but was rejected by the record company) is, unfortunately, one of the album's more adventurous yet clearly weaker moments, aiming for a more commercial and straightforward vibe (although built around an extended riff), which ends up with Rampage sounding a lot like eighties Alice Cooper or something. But this quasi-down moment is where criticism of this record must end. Tracks like the instrumental "Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part III" and the lyrically hateful "Loving the Sinner" (sung a second time with a personal bile by Waters himself as a bonus track) waive the banner of metal high. It doesn't take much listening to Criteria at all to realize that Waters and Annihilator are metal practitioners of the highest order -- it clearly shows throughout this excellent release.
"Waters and Annihilator are metal practitioners of the highest order -- it clearly shows throughout this excellent release." Adding to what otherwise might be more of a four and a half skull package is a DVD-style "director's commentary" type of track featuring Waters' explanation of the band's recent history, the evolution of the current project and a track-by-track comment on the Criteria songs themselves. This unique approach adds to the enjoyability of the album and shows the care and passion with which it was crafted. If the rumors prove true and Waters really is being considered as Marty Friedman's replacement in Megadeth, we can only hope that his influence will inspire Mr. Mustaine to produce Megadeth material of such a high caliber. Listening to Criteria, it seems obvious that anything Waters is associated with will shine with absolute metallic integrity. If you like classic Annihilator or other bands from that era like Testament, Overkill, Forbidden, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth and the like, Criteria for a Black Widow is a special record which is not to be missed.
Rating Revised for Metal Judgment Anniversary
Hel's Review:
If you're a person looking for a solid no-frills metal album, you can stop searching. It's not all crazy high- pitched vocals, or even cookie-monster death metal vocals. No ambient keyboards, no female vocals, operatic or otherwise. On the whole, you get straightforward, solid vocals and straightforward, solid metal riffs.
That's not to say that everything is the same on this album. There's a great variety of styles and a lot of incorporation of bits and pieces of different genres of metal. There's also a few fun tidbits for the longtime fan, including a bonus commentary track and a second version of "Loving the Sinner" featuring the vocal stylings of Jeff Waters himself, which I think is even better than the first.
"If you're a person looking for a solid no-frills metal album, you can stop searching." It all comes down to this, if you loved Annihilator up to now, I sincerely doubt this album would not please you. If you are a fan of straightforward metal, I can't imagine you not liking this. Definitely a good album and worth checking out.
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