2004-09-17
One of the world's best metal bands releases an album which is the best they did in about a decade, if that ain't cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.
As usual, the band is mainly Jeff Waters, the riff god has assembled another bunch of merry men, two this time, to share his ability to write and record metal masterpieces.
This time its new vocalist Dave Padden, and returning drummer, Mike Mangini.
Padden is the best thing that happened to the band since Aaron Randel left, he manages to sound like every past vocalit of the band, while also doing some new, aggressive vocals that no one could do before, the guy ten vocalists warped into one person, and he does a sterling job, giving the right vibe and exact amount of aggression in each song.
Mike Mangini is one the best in the business, and some even consider him to be the best metal drummer there is, just listen to his work in All For You and you can hear why people think that…
The sound, that truly sucked on the last album, has finally been corrected, Waters explains the change as a result of his new studio, whatever it is, the album sounds great.
Opening track is a great melodic piece, it has a simple, crunching riff and has Padden doing his aggressive best, before going into a great melodic bit, the song is simple, catchy, and really good.
Demon Dance is well known Annihilator territory, a continuation of the Never, Neverland them, most evident in the Brain Dance track, off Set The World On Fire album, the track also ends with one hilarious studio tidbit, funny as hell.
The album has two ballads of sorts, one sang by Padden and one by Waters himself, an accomplished vocalist himself, both are quite good, though its always the faster, thrashier track that I like in their albums, tracks such as Bled, with its brilliant riff, and great middle bridge sections, Both Of Me is another stand out track, Paden doing his Manic best, and The Nightmare Factory, with its strange, almost industrial riffing, all are fine examples of the brilliance of Jeff Waters.
I truly hope that this line up will continue, since that's something that only happened twice in the past in the band, it's unlikely, but I think that Mr. Waters has finally hit his stride again, and it’s a shame to go off track again…
Alon Miasnikov
