Annihilator frontman Jeff Waters has recruited a bunch of guest musicians for the album who contribute solos and other parts. Some of the guests include Angela Gossow and Michael Amott (Arch Enemy), Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Corey Beaulieu (Trivium), Willie Adler (Lamb Of God), Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), Jesper Stromblad (In Flames), Steve "Lips" Kudlow (Anvil) and others. Every track on the album features a guest.
Metal delivers what Annihilator does best: thrash and traditional metal with powerful riffs and ample room for solos. The guests are a bit of a gimmick, because for most of them you wouldn't know they were there if you didn't see their name on the CD cover. The exception is "Couple Suicide," a melodic song with vocals by Danko Jones and Angela Gossow. It's a very distinctive track that doesn't sound anything like Annihilator.
Annihilator has always flown under the radar and hasn't toured in North America since the early '90s. They are an underrated metal band, and even though there are a couple of filler songs on Metal, overall it's a solid CD. It's also vocalist Dave Padden's strongest effort to date.
(released January 15, 2008 on SPV Records)
