A name that should not need an introduction in the metal world but, for those who need one: ANNIHILATOR is a metal band that started in Canada in late 1984 and since then, they has been touring and releasing records (selling millions of Albums to date), non-stop, for 30 years. Their new album, “Ballistic, Sadistic”, will be released on January 24, 2020 via Silver Lining Music, and the disc’s belligerent and pugnacious first single, “I Am Warfare”, is available now and can be streamed below.
Cited by bands in the likes of MEGADETH, PANTERA, DREAM THEATER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH, TRIVIUM and many, many more as having some influence on their music, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Waters — ANNIHILATOR founder, producer and songwriter — and his bandmates have continued to tour the world year after year while consistently putting out high-quality “true metal” music.
Written, performed, engineered and produced by none other than Waters himself, “Ballistic, Sadistic” was recorded at the brand new, state-of-the-art Watersound Studios UK in Durham earlier this year.
Waters says: “Almost every artist initially loves the songs they create. They are like your babies. In my case, it is difficult to be the main writer/producer and stay fresh, come up with new ideas or make old ones better and I am well aware of that. Since ‘we’ love what we do, we can be blinded to just how good or bad a song or record really is. Time will tell. Press, fans, band members, label, etc., they ALL will tell you what they think and, in their own ways, they are usually right. In this case, I throw that nonsense in the garbage and can tell you that we have made a record that is angry, technical, back to the first three records vibes and it is going to be difficult to continue writing another record after releasing this one. Best record I’ve made since 2005’s ‘Schizo Deluxe’ and I think many will argue that this new one is in the top three. From the ‘Stonewall’-esque track ‘Psycho Ward’ to the haunting ‘I Am Warfare’, the pissed-off ‘The Attitude’ to the aggression and old-school technicality of ‘Out With The Garbage’, the record is like this: take the ‘Alice’, ‘Neverland’ and ‘Set The World On Fire’ records, make them angry, combine the old-school production with modern high-tech studio gear, then add the best guitar work I didn’t know I still had in me, and you’ve got the best we could possibly offer. I honestly cannot wait for everyone to hear this.”
“Ballistic, Sadistic” will be available as a limited-edition digipak, colored vinyl and digital formats and will be available to pre-order from October 11.
On October 12, ANNIHILATOR will embark on a 43-date, 18-country, European tour.
ANNIHILATOR is:
Jeff Waters / Vocals, guitar
Rich Hinks / Bass
Aaron Homma / Guitars
Fabio Alessandrini / Drums