Annihilator

Biography

Annihilator is a Canadian thrash metal band, formed in Ottawa, Ontario in 1984 by Jeff Waters. Waters is the band's sole constant member and has acted as its guitarist, bandleader, writer, producer, engineer, and occasional bassist and vocalist. Annihilator has released seventeen studio albums and has undergone many line-up changes, with Waters regularly assembling touring or session musicians to perform with him. Along with Sacrifice, Voivod and Razor, Annihilator has been referred to as one of the "Big Four" of Canadian thrash metal. They are also considered to be part of the "second wave" of thrash metal bands from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Annihilator is the highest-selling Canadian heavy metal group, although most sales have been generated outside of Canada. The band's first two studio albums, Alice in Hell×Alice in Hell5 July 1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Crystal Ann1:412Alison Hell5:013W.T.Y.D.3:564Wicked Mystic3:385Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade3:346Word Salad5:497Schizos (Are Never Alone), Parts I & II4:328Ligeia4:479Human Insecticide4:50 (1989) and Never, Neverland×Never, Neverland12 September 1990 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Fun Palace5:422Road to Ruin3:393Sixes and Sevens5:134Stonewall4:435Never, Neverland5:236Imperiled Eyes5:227Kraf Dinner2:378Phantasmagoria3:549Reduced to Ash3:0510I Am in Command3:29 (1990), are considered influential Canadian metal records. Many of their subsequent albums — including their third and only major-label album Set the World on Fire×Set the World on Fire26 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Set the World on Fire4:302No Zone2:483Bats in the Belfry3:384Snake in the Grass4:565Phoenix Rising3:486Knight Jumps Queen3:467Sounds Good to Me4:188The Edge2:579Don't Bother Me3:2410Brain Dance4:5211Hell Bent for Leather2:54 (1993) — also received praise from critics and enjoyed success in Europe and Japan. Their most recent studio album of original material, Ballistic, Sadistic×Ballistic, Sadistic22 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Armed to the Teeth4:262The Attitude4:023Psycho Ward4:394I Am Warfare4:465Out With the Garbage4:276Dressed Up for Evil4:417Riot3:468One Wrong Move4:369Lip Service5:4910The End of the Lie4:16, was released in 2020.

Early years (1984–1988)

Annihilator was formed in Ottawa, Ontario, by Jeff Waters and guitarist John Bates. Waters said he named the band after the tank that Eddie Murphy's character rode on in the 1984 film Best Defense. Waters and Bates wrote and recorded the song "Annihilator" (not to be confused with the song of the same name released on the 1994 album, King of the Kill×King of the Kill10 October 1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Box5:312King of the Kill3:133Hell Is a War5:204Bliss0:525Second to None5:156Annihilator4:287214:248In the Blood4:199Fiasco (The Slate)0:0910Fiasco3:5611Catch the Wind3:4912Speed4:3613Bad Child3:39). This original version of "Annihilator" was released on the special edition of the band's 2005 album Schizo Deluxe×Schizo Deluxe21 October 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Maximum Satan4:362Drive4:593Warbird4:424Plasma Zombies4:465Invite It4:586Like Father, Like Gun4:207Pride4:578Too Far Gone4:249Clare6:4610Something Witchy5:2211Weapon X3:3312I Am in Command3:5213Annihilator4:03.
Waters and Bates then recruited drummer Paul Malek and bassist Dave Scott. In 1985, the band produced a demo titled "Welcome to Your Death×Welcome to Your Death1985 · EP · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Crystal Ann1:03A2Welcome to Your Death3:30A3Lust of Death4:54A4Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade3:35B1Back to the Crypt4:07B2I Am in Command3:17". Bates and Scott left the band before its release, citing "artistic differences" and "personality conflicts". In 1986, Waters and Malek recorded another demo, "Phantasmagoria×Phantasmagoria1986 · EP · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Gallery3:51A2Alison Hell5:02A3Phantasmagoria3:48A4Ligeia4:51". A third demo, "Wicked Mystic" / "Word Salad", was recorded by Waters and Malek in 1987 and sent only to labels. Waters then moved to Vancouver, where he assembled an entire line-up, including drummer Ray Hartmann and former D.O.A. bassist Randy Rampage on vocals. In 1988 and 1989, Waters recorded guitar and bass tracks and produced what would become the band's debut album. Once the album was finished, he hired bassist Wayne Darley and guitarist Anthony Greenham for touring.

Rise to fame (1989–1993)

In 1988, Annihilator was signed to Roadrunner Records, and released their debut album Alice in Hell×Alice in Hell5 July 1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Crystal Ann1:412Alison Hell5:013W.T.Y.D.3:564Wicked Mystic3:385Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade3:346Word Salad5:497Schizos (Are Never Alone), Parts I & II4:328Ligeia4:479Human Insecticide4:50 in April of the following year. The band embarked on its first world tour, opening up for Onslaught in Europe on their In Search of Sanity tour, and along with Wrathchild America, they supported Testament in North America on the latter's Practice What You Preach tour. The band also opened for Exodus and Metal Church. After the tour to support Alice in Hell ended in December 1989, frontman Randy Rampage left Annihilator to retain his seniority at a job on the shipping docks in North Vancouver.
Rampage was replaced by former Omen singer Coburn Pharr and the band released their second album, Never, Neverland×Never, Neverland12 September 1990 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Fun Palace5:422Road to Ruin3:393Sixes and Sevens5:134Stonewall4:435Never, Neverland5:236Imperiled Eyes5:227Kraf Dinner2:378Phantasmagoria3:549Reduced to Ash3:0510I Am in Command3:29, in 1990. The album's sales surpassed Alice in Hell, becoming the band's only album to chart in the UK, peaking at No. 48. Annihilator spent half a year touring with such bands as Reverend, Pantera and Xentrix, and opened for Judas Priest on the latter's Painkiller tour in Europe. After the Never, Neverland tour ended in the spring of 1991, Hartmann and Pharr left the band and were replaced by Mike Mangini (though the band would find a more permanent replacement in Randy Black) and Aaron Randall, respectively.
The band's third studio album, Set the World on Fire×Set the World on Fire26 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Set the World on Fire4:302No Zone2:483Bats in the Belfry3:384Snake in the Grass4:565Phoenix Rising3:486Knight Jumps Queen3:467Sounds Good to Me4:188The Edge2:579Don't Bother Me3:2410Brain Dance4:5211Hell Bent for Leather2:54, distributed by Epic Records, was released in 1993 and was successful in Europe and Asia, but did poorly in the United States. It saw Annihilator toning down the speed and thrash elements of its predecessors in favour of a more radio-friendly sound. Bassist Wayne Darley left the band in August 1993 as he was unable to enter Japan, where the band was touring in support of the album. The band embarked on extensive tours to promote Set the World on Fire, touring in Europe with Coroner and in North America with Lillian Axe, and appearing at the Dynamo Open Air festival in the Netherlands. Also in 1993, Annihilator was dropped by then-surging Roadrunner Records.

Temporary hiatus, return and more albums (1994–2002)

Annihilator temporarily dissolved, but Waters kept the band name going when he, along with drummer Randy Black, recorded and released 1994's King of the Kill. Black played the drums; Waters wrote the songs (the title track and a few others with John Bates) and played the rest of the instruments. This album was an improvement from Set the World on Fire×Set the World on Fire26 April 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Set the World on Fire4:302No Zone2:483Bats in the Belfry3:384Snake in the Grass4:565Phoenix Rising3:486Knight Jumps Queen3:467Sounds Good to Me4:188The Edge2:579Don't Bother Me3:2410Brain Dance4:5211Hell Bent for Leather2:54, as it returned to the thrashier sound of the early albums, and also leaned towards a groove-oriented vein. Bassist Cam Dixon then joined the band, followed by Lou Bujdoso from Meatwagon. In 1996, the band released Refresh the Demon, which was, for the most part, a return to the speed and technicality of the band's earlier days.
That was followed, in the next year, by Remains, a more industrial metal-oriented album. Waters is the only musician on the album (he used a drum machine); by this time, he was the sole band member.
Inspired after seeing Slayer perform in Vancouver in the summer of 1998, Waters decided to reunite the Alice in Hell line-up to record another album. All members apart from bassist Wayne Darley, who had health problems, agreed to reunite. Bassist Russ Bergquist joined the band in Darley's place. This line-up released Criteria for a Black Widow and toured successfully. However, Rampage was fired following the tour for his erratic and often drunken behaviour. Then-Overkill guitarist and former Liege Lord frontman Joe Comeau requested to replace him during the tour, while Curran Murphy replaced Davis on guitar and Randy Black rejoined on drums.
During the early 2000s, Annihilator released the albums Carnival Diablos×Carnival Diablos23 January 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Denied5:252The Perfect Virus4:443Battered5:224Carnival Diablos5:085Shallow Grave4:236Time Bomb4:497The Rush4:508Insomniac6:169Liquid Oval3:5110Epic of War5:4711Hunter Killer / Chicken & Corn9:10 (2001) and Waking the Fury×Waking the Fury18 March 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ultra-Motion5:082Torn5:023My Precious Lunatic Asylum5:484Striker5:005Ritual5:176Prime-Time Killing4:337The Blackest Day5:108Nothing to Me4:359Fire Power4:5410Cold Blooded3:5311Shallow Grave (live)5:0812Nothing to Me (radio edit)3:39 (2002), both very critically successful. After considerable success, the band's line-up once again dissolved.

The Dave Padden era (2003–2013)

Following years of line-up changes, Jeff Waters decided to work with a touring-only line-up so he recruited Dave Padden as a permanent vocalist/rhythm guitarist, while Waters recruited touring bassists and drummers. Annihilator's first two albums in this three-man band format as Waters played both bass and guitar, with Padden on vocals and a hired drummer were All for You (2004) and Schizo Deluxe (2005). Mike Mangini rejoined for the former album in 2004 and Tony Chappelle was hired for the latter's recording in 2005.
In 2007, Annihilator released their twelfth album Metal×Metal11 April 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Clown Parade5:152Couple Suicide3:543Army of One6:014Downright Dominate5:135Smothered5:096Operation Annihilation5:177Haunted8:068Kicked5:569Detonation3:5410Chasing the High6:16Disc 21Carnival Diablos5:062Time Bomb4:473Blackest Day5:064My Precious Lunatic Asylum5:475Shallow Grave (live)5:046Murder4:277Tricks and Traps4:588Refresh the Demon5:269Ultra Paranoia4:2810King of the Kill3:1211Second to None0:52. It features several guest performers, such as Corey Beaulieu (Trivium), Willie Adler (Lamb of God) and Jeff Loomis (Nevermore). The band's self-titled thirteenth album was released in 2010, coming to be in a more modern thrash metal-styled sound.
Annihilator returned to Canada for two live shows, making it the first time since 1993 that the band had played live in North America. On July 10, 2011, Annihilator headlined the Quebec City Imperial Theatre to a sold-out crowd. They played the main stage (along with Kiss and Motörhead) on July 24, 2011 at Montreal's Heavy MTL Festival.
Annihilator released their fourteenth studio album, Feast×Feast6 September 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Deadlock4:222No Way Out5:193Smear Campaign4:154No Surrender5:365Wrapped3:466Perfect Angel Eyes4:267Demon Code6:228Fight the World6:539One Falls, Two Rise8:33, on August 23, 2013.

Departure of Dave Padden and Suicide Society (2014–2016)

In the summer of 2014, Oscar Rangel replaced Al Campuzano, their bassist since 2010. Jeff Waters said on his Facebook that he had actually contacted Wayne Darley, the band's bassist from the classic early 1990s line-up, about having him rejoin, although once again he declined, in Jeff's words "Wayne wanted to do it but couldn't ... personal reasons." The band has continued their touring cycle since then.
Dave Padden left the band sometime in December 2014 via a phone call to Waters, informing him of his desire to step away from the constant touring in order to spend more time with his family. Waters unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Padden to remain in the band, offering him a pay rise. He later admitted in a German radio interview to being emotionally shaken by the departure. After a number of weeks searching for a replacement vocalist, Waters decided that he would handle vocals himself once again, in addition to doing everything but play drums in the studio. Padden's departure was not made public until six months later, in June 2015, when Waters made an announcement on Annihilator's Facebook page, but attaching a YouTube link directly below of audio snippets from various songs on the band's then-upcoming album, Suicide Society×Suicide Society16 September 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Suicide Society3:502My Revenge5:073Snap4:554Creepin’ Again4:165Narcotic Avenue5:206The One You Serve5:457Break, Enter5:488Death Scent5:119Every Minute5:00. Canadian metal guitarist Aaron Homma from Killitorous, Erimha and Vital Remains was announced as Paddens replacement on guitar while Waters returned to vocals.
Never, Neverland singer Coburn Pharr surprised audiences when he returned for a short time on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise in January 2015. Pharr performed the songs "Reduced to Ash", "The Fun Palace", "I Am in Command", "Road to Ruin" and "Stonewall×Stonewall1990 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Stonewall4:532W.T.Y.D. (live)5:003Word Salad (live)6:36".
By April 2015, Annihilator had begun work on their fifteenth studio album. Waters stated that the album's musical direction would be "something quite different." The album, titled Suicide Society, was released on September 18, 2015.
Drummer Mike Harshaw announced via his Facebook page in May 2016 that he had parted ways with Annihilator amicably after four years in order to spend more time with his family as well as to pursue other musical interests as he continued work with his own band, Prismind. Fabio Alessandrini joined Annihilator shortly thereafter.
In September 2016, Annihilator played Calgary Metalfest alongside fellow Canadian speed/thrash metal pioneers Exciter, Razor, Sacrifice and a local band Gatekrashör.
In late November 2016, the band announced a compilation album, entitled Triple Threat×Triple Threat25 January 2017 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11King of the Kill5:572No Way Out5:563Creepin' Again5:454Set the World on Fire4:575W.T.Y.D. (Welcome to Your Death)4:596Never, Neverland6:457Bliss1:288Second to None5:549Refresh the Demon5:5710Alison Hell6:5011Phantasmagoria5:27Disc 21Sounds Good to Me5:552Bad Child4:033Innocent Eyes4:204Snake in the Grass5:545Fantastic Things5:016Holding On4:107Stonewall5:488In the Blood4:279Crystal Ann2:0710Phoenix Rising3:55, which was released through UDR Records on January 27, 2017. The album consists of three discs, including one containing Annihilator's Jeff Waters, Aaron Homma, and Rich Gray (formerly Hinks) along with other artists playing an acoustic set of the band's most well-known ballads and acoustic songs, all done in single takes. The second and third discs were released as Blu-ray DVDs, one containing Annihilator's full set at Bang Your Head Festival in Germany, and the other containing a documentary profiling the band's extensive career.

For the Demented, Ballistic, Sadistic and upcoming eighteenth studio album (2017–present)

By the end of 2016, Annihilator had begun working on their sixteenth studio album. Waters stated, "On the next one, the changes I'm gonna make… I only said two things. I've got all these people telling me, 'You've gotta go back to this album,' or that album, or that album, or that album. 'You've gotta do this,' 'You've gotta do that.' So what I do is I block it out. But I've decided that I'm going to not worry about catchy, commercial choruses — 'commercial,' as in you remember it, where you intentionally make that chorus the most important part of the song and you want people to remember that one every time. That kind of is the opposite of what I used to do in the earlier days. In the earlier days, I would go, 'I don't care about the chorus being the main part; I want the whole song to be cool.' So therefore the choruses were not as commercial or catchy. And they remained heavy back then; the choruses would end up being heavy. Whereas on my Suicide Society record I just did, you could have a heavy song, but then you hit the chorus and you go, 'Woah, that's pretty mainstream stuff in the choruses.' And the other thing was, since I'm such a fan of so many bands, I let myself go a little bit on the last album with being too blatantly obvious with my influences and my musical loves as a fan. So you really heard a song that had a lot of the Master of Puppets era of music from Metallica, and you really heard a Megadeth-y song on there, and you really heard in my vocals some Hetfield and Mustaine-isms. And I think that was great, as a fan, to get it out, but I think I need to do more of my own thing on the next record."
In February 2017, Waters said that the sixteenth Annihilator studio album was being co-produced and co-engineered by bassist Rich Gray, making it the "first time I've actually had somebody else in the studio since 1990 (Never, Neverland) working with me on stuff." On September 12, 2017, it was announced that the album was titled For the Demented×For the Demented3 November 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Twisted Lobotomy4:442One to Kill4:433For the Demented5:224Pieces of You6:105The Demon You Know4:436Phantom Asylum6:147Altering the Altar5:058The Way3:189Dark2:0910Not All There5:42, and would be released on November 3; more details on the album, including track listing and artwork, and the music video for "Twisted Lobotomy×Twisted Lobotomy2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Twisted Lobotomy4:44" were released on the same day. In support of For the Demented, Annihilator (along with Death Angel) opened for Testament on the latter's European Brotherhood of the Snake tour, which took place in November and December 2017. The band toured Europe twice in 2018; first with Testament and Vader in March and April, and toured there again from October to December.

On August 14, 2018, former Annihilator vocalist Randy Rampage (who sang on the albums Alice in Hell×Alice in Hell5 July 1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Crystal Ann1:412Alison Hell5:013W.T.Y.D.3:564Wicked Mystic3:385Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade3:346Word Salad5:497Schizos (Are Never Alone), Parts I & II4:328Ligeia4:479Human Insecticide4:50 and Criteria for a Black Widow×Criteria for a Black Widow1 June 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Bloodbath5:222Back to the Palace5:353Punctured5:494Criteria for a Black Widow5:575Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part III5:536Nothing Left4:527Loving the Sinner4:398Double Dare5:279Sonic Homicide4:3110Mending4:47) died of an apparent heart attack, at the age of 58.
In September 2018, Waters reported that Annihilator would release their seventeenth studio album in 2019. He later confirmed that it would be released in January 2020. On October 10, 2019, Annihilator released "I Am Warfare×I Am Warfare11 October 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Am Warfare4:46" as the lead single of the then-upcoming album Ballistic, Sadistic×Ballistic, Sadistic22 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Armed to the Teeth4:262The Attitude4:023Psycho Ward4:394I Am Warfare4:465Out With the Garbage4:276Dressed Up for Evil4:417Riot3:468One Wrong Move4:369Lip Service5:4910The End of the Lie4:16, which was released on January 24, 2020.
In 2019, Waters got married and moved to England. The band released Metal II, a near complete re-recording of their 2007 album Metal×Metal11 April 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Clown Parade5:152Couple Suicide3:543Army of One6:014Downright Dominate5:135Smothered5:096Operation Annihilation5:177Haunted8:068Kicked5:569Detonation3:5410Chasing the High6:16Disc 21Carnival Diablos5:062Time Bomb4:473Blackest Day5:064My Precious Lunatic Asylum5:475Shallow Grave (live)5:046Murder4:277Tricks and Traps4:588Refresh the Demon5:269Ultra Paranoia4:2810King of the Kill3:1211Second to None0:52, on February 18, 2022, which serves as a tribute to Eddie Van Halen and Alexi Laiho, the latter of whom appears posthumously on one of the album's re-recorded tracks "Downright Dominate×Downright Dominate12 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Downright Dominate5:38", which also features Dave Lombardo on drums and Stu Block on vocals. In January 2022, Waters announced that he would be once again stepping down as lead vocalist and focusing solely on lead guitar while Block would handle lead vocals on the band's future live shows.
In June 2023, Waters announced on social media that he had completed work on the next Annihilator album, though as of February 2026 a new album has not been released and there have been no updates since the initial announcement.
Former Annihilator frontman Coburn Pharr died on February 25, 2025, at the age of 62.

Influences

In a 2013 interview with Photogroupie.com, Waters acknowledged his influences, stating:

"I started listening to Elton John, Kiss, Sweet, AC/DC then it evolved from hard rock with electric guitar to Black Sabbath and the heavier stuff, Judas Priest, Maiden, Loudness, Van Halen was coming in. Then I get turned on to the thrash stuff, so then it was Razor, Exciter... Those first albums were a huge influence on metal×Metal11 April 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Clown Parade5:152Couple Suicide3:543Army of One6:014Downright Dominate5:135Smothered5:096Operation Annihilation5:177Haunted8:068Kicked5:569Detonation3:5410Chasing the High6:16Disc 21Carnival Diablos5:062Time Bomb4:473Blackest Day5:064My Precious Lunatic Asylum5:475Shallow Grave (live)5:046Murder4:277Tricks and Traps4:588Refresh the Demon5:269Ultra Paranoia4:2810King of the Kill3:1211Second to None0:52 bands."
Elsewhere in the interview, Waters talked about the impact Iron Maiden had on him and the band:

"They're all great...but Bruce Dickinson is one brilliant, unique, gifted, talented person...the guy's a genius."