ANNIHILATOR - Set the World on Fire (1993)

MMM

Album number three sees vocalist number three take the mic with Aaron Randall's more commercial voice lending this album a different, more glossy feel. Make no mistake there's some good tunes here, but the best ones are far from Waters' Thrash roots. Indeed, perhaps the best song on the album is an acoustic ballad (Phoenix Rising) while Randall fails to convince on the more hard edged material and Waters already sounds like he's regurgitating ideas on complex album closer 'Brain Dance'.

ANNIHILATOR - Never Neverland (1990)

MMMM

It's a game of two halves here, side one presents an extremely strong brace of songs while side two lets the show down, a shame really. On side one the stand out cuts are 'Stonewall' and 'The Fun Palace' and new vocalist Coburn Pharr fits in well (although like Randy Rampage before him, he will be replaced soon enough). A strong album overall which shows the potential to rival the debut, but doesn't quite manage it in the final analysis.

ANNIHILATOR - Alice in Hell (1989)

MMMM

Still Jeff Waters greatest album to date, this one has class stamped all over it, but comes up short on actual songs. Sure 'W.T.Y.D.' and 'Alice in Hell' are Thrash classics, but overall, it leaves a little to be desired. That said, Waters playing is exemplary and in 1989 this was pretty staggering stuff. It would have been interesting to hear the result of Waters taking up that post he was offered in Megadeth, but I'm sure it would have ended in tears sooner or later.