"Carnival Diablos"
Metal-Is Records
By Vinnie Apicella A band that's very existence has been built on pride and principle would've had the right to hang it up long ago in response to the less than enthusiastic following they've unfairly managed to achieve and yet the Jeff Waters-led metal clinic has remained dedicated to their profession, their fanbase and the heavy music tradition. Annihilator's gone through one undercurrent of difficulty after another; personnel departures, lack of respect, commercial avoidance, and so on and yet miraculously they pull off one startling feat after another and here with "Carnival Diablos," the riff-ravaged Canadian bashers have once again defied the odds with another pounding release. This time featuring an unlikely lead singer in the form of former Overkill guitarist Joe Comeau-and if you want to venture even further back, having once manned the helm for obscure 80s thrashers Liege Lord. With all parts in place, this "Carnival" of chaos is thrust upon us with such force that I'm not sure anything they've done previously can really feel safe. And yet, like with much of their former, all of the traditional Annihilator elements are in place. Admittedly "borrowed" from several of the late great metal acts of yesteryear, the sound, ironically enough is still unique to Annihilator. Ingrained since their inception with wide ranging elements of speed, thrash, melody and progressive instinct, Waters is a one man wrecking crew behind the guitar, seemingly wringing its neck in a battle of wills to see what snaps first, his sanity or the goddamned instrument-and let's face it, few can stand up to the punishing pounding this man applies to the holiest of riffs! Now for the first three tracks, we're wandering down the vintage highway toward our ultimate destination-Hell and this nightmarish dream first explored some twelve or thirteen years ago. For about ten minutes, "Denied," "The Perfect Virus," and "Battered," smash and slash their way in true Annihilator fashion, challenging as always, with laterally precise lyrics that take the usual step beyond simplistic intent. "Carnival Diablos" stands out as one of the true gems of the record-an unexpected find which sees them slowing things down in a melody heavy layer that's about as captivating as anything they've yet done. "Shallow Grave" is classic AC/DC right from the opening riff, and the pace simply carries the rest-and not since the mighty Exodus has "Overdose" ever sounded so powerful! Multiplicity maintains one of the true strengths within the sometimes complex song structures from the band, while at other times, as we're getting here, the versatility comes forth in an effortless change up from one song to the next-"Time Bomb," for instance maintains the slowly ground pace of "Shallow Grave" before it and you swear for a moment Halford guested on the track and then you're expecting this massive blitzkrieg to carry out the rest of the track after the second chorus and wham! They pulled a fast one by not actually pulling a fast one. all of a sudden we're back in Hell searching for that ever elusive Alice and the darkly tranquil setting we once knew so well. "Carnival Diablos" is a mix and match of not only some of their best work but also that of so many others that through borrowed influences comes off at times like a tribute record while at the same time we've never stepped beyond the parameters that've defined Annihilator as one of the exemplary true metal acts since the beginning.And how great would this album cover look on a shirt! |
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