This is simply too good of a deal to pass up. Head on over to the Earache Records website (http://www.earache.com/totalannihilation/) to download a free, 14-track compilation from the long-running Canadian technical thrash band Annihilator. Entitled Total Annihilation, this compilation is to promote Earache's reissue campaign of six Annihilator albums: King Of The Kill (1994), Refresh The Demon (1996), Remains (1997), Criteria For A Black Widow (1999), Carnival Diablos (2001), and Waking The Fury (2002). These six albums cover a broad range of creative styles and sounds, not to mention a revolving cast of band members centered around guitar phenomenon Jeff Waters. Even on an album like Refresh The Demon, not Annihilator's best album by any means, you can always be guaranteed to hear amazing riffs and innovative solos. "City Of Ice" is my favorite track from that album. Hands down the best in this reissue series is Criteria For A Black Widow and Carnival Diablos. Criteria For A Black Widow ranks up there with the first two albums, Alice In Hell (1989) and Never, Neverland (1990), as a bonefide thrash classic - be sure to check out "Loving The Sinner" and "Bloodbath". After Never, Neverland Annihilator seemed to drop off the face of the earth in the US, and it's a real shame that they aren't more widely known here. Alice In Hell was actually Roadrunner's top-selling debut album for ten years until Slipknot came along, and Annihilator continued to tour Europe with the likes of Judas Priest and Pantera. Jeff Waters also nearly joined Megadeth on two different occasions - imagine having to choose between Jeff Waters, Diamond Darrell (as Dimebag was then known), and Marty Friedman for your band! Total Annihilation serves as a great introduction to some key parts of the Annihilator catalog that are worth your time, so go download this now.
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