Annihilator

Annihilator is a Canadian thrash metal band from Ottawa, Ontario, formed in 1984. The group is led by Jeff Waters, who remains its only constant member. Waters serves as guitarist, bandleader, primary songwriter, producer and engineer, and at times also plays bass and sings.

Style and status

The band works across thrash metal, speed metal, heavy metal and technical thrash metal. It is commonly placed with Sacrifice, Voivod and Razor among the “Big Four” of Canadian thrash metal, and it is associated with the second wave of thrash metal acts that emerge in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Annihilator is also regarded as the highest-selling Canadian heavy metal band, with most of its sales taking place outside Canada.

Albums and reception

Annihilator releases seventeen studio albums. Its early records, Alice in Hell and Never, Neverland, are often cited as important releases in Canadian metal. The third album, Set the World on Fire, is the group’s only major-label album and receives positive critical attention, while also achieving commercial success in Europe and Japan. Later studio albums include King of the Kill, Refresh the Demon, Remains, Criteria for a Black Widow, Carnival Diablos, Waking the Fury, All for You, Schizo Deluxe, Metal, Annihilator, Feast, Suicide Society, For the Demented, Ballistic, Sadistic and Metal II.

Line-up changes

The band changes line-up frequently and Waters often works with touring and session musicians. Members associated with the group include Big John Bates, Dave Scott Davis, Paul Malek, Richard Death, Dennis Dubeau, Ray Hartmann, Randy Rampage, Wayne Darley, Coburn Pharr, Neil Goldberg, Aaron Randall, Mike Mangini, Randy Black, Cam Dixon, Lou Bujdoso, Dave Machander, Russell Bergquist, Joe Comeau, Curran Murphy, Dave Padden, Sandor de Bretan, Robert Falzano, Tony Chappelle, Brian Stephenson, Alex Landenburg and Carlos Cantatore.