Since its inception, Annihilator has released fifteen studio albums and has undergone many line-up changes. Waters is the only remaining original member of the band, and sometimes assembles touring musicians to perform with him. Their latest studio album, Suicide Society, was released in 2015.
History
Early career (1984–1988)
Annihilator was formed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada by Jeff Waters in 1984. Waters later wrote on his Facebook page that he named the band after the tank that Eddie Murphy's character rode on in the 1984 film Best Defense. Waters 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) with singer John Bates. This original version of "Annihilator" was released on the special edition of the 2005 album Schizo Deluxe.
Waters and Bates then recruited drummer Paul Malek and bassist Dave Scott. This lineup lasted a year, producing a demo titled "Welcome to Your Death" during their time together. The demo received worldwide recognition and became highly sought after. After John Bates and Dave Scott left the band before its release, citing "artistic differences" and "personality conflicts", Jeff Waters and drummer Paul Malek recorded another successful demo titled Phantasmagoria in 1986. This was said to be the third most-traded metal cassette tape in the 1980s, behind Metallica and Megadeth's demo tapes. Some songs written at this time, by Jeff Waters and John Bates, ended up on Annihilator's first two official studio albums (Alice in Hell and Never, Neverland).
A third demo was recorded by Waters and Malek in 1987 and was sent only to labels. It included more songs that would end up on the first two Annihilator studio albums. Waters relocated to Vancouver in 1987, 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 was in and out of a recording studio recording guitar and bass tracks and producing what would become the band's debut album. Once the album was finished, he hired bassist Wayne Darley and guitarist Anthony Greenham.
Rise to fame (1989–1993)
The band gained more recognition within the metal community after releasing their debut album Alice in Hell, in 1989. Annihilator embarked on their first world tour, opening up for Testament along with Onslaught in the US and Canada, after which singer Randy Rampage quit the band to retain his seniority at a job on the shipping docks in North Vancouver.
Without a singer, Jeff Waters found ex-Omen singer Coburn Pharr and the band released their second album, Never, Neverland, in 1990. The album's sales surpassed Alice in Hell, becoming the band's only album to chart in the UK at No. 48. After opening up for Judas Priest, and then little-known Pantera and headline tours around the world, 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 was signed to Sony USA by this point.
The band's third studio album, Set the World on Fire, distributed by Epic Records, was released in 1993 and was successful in Europe and Asia, but did poorly in the US. Bassist Wayne Darley had to leave the band in August 1993 as he was unable to enter Japan, where the band was touring in support of the album. Annihilator was among the many metal bands dropped by Roadrunner Records (and most other labels) that year.
Brief hiatus and later years (1994–1998)
The line-up then dissolved, but Jeff Waters kept the band name going when he, along with drummer Randy Black recorded and released King of the Kill in 1994. This album was more of a solo album for Waters, as it featured himself performing all instruments and writing most of the album's material apart from playing the drum tracks, which were recorded by Randy Black. Bassist Cam Dixon later joined the band followed by Lou Bujdoso from Meatwagon who went on to tour and perform during the King of the Kill and Refresh the Demon tours. Jeff Waters continued performing lead vocals until 1997. 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, in 1996 and Remains, a more industrial metal-oriented album which turned out to be the biggest flop of the band's career, in 1997.
By the time Remains was being recorded, Waters was the sole remaining band member. The album featured an electric drum machine (programmed by Jeff Waters, of course) and there was no tour in support of it.
Continued career (1999–present)
Annihilator did not play again until 1999, when Waters decided to reunite the Alice in Hell line-up to record another album. All members apart from Wayne Darley, who had health problems, agreed to reunite. Bassist Russ Bergquist joined the band in Darley's place. This lineup released Criteria for a Black Widow and toured successfully. However, Rampage was fired following the tour for his erratic and often drunken behaviour. Former Overkill guitarist and Liege Lord frontman Joe Comeau replaced him on vocals, while Curran Murphy replaced Davis on guitar and Randy Black rejoined on drums.
During the early 2000s, Annihilator released the albums Carnival Diablos (2001) and Waking the Fury (2002), both triumphant thrash metal masterpieces. After considerable success, the band's lineup once again dissolved. Following years of line-up changes, Jeff Waters decided to work with a touring-only lineup 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. 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; the first time the band has played live in North America since 1993. On July 10, 2011, Annihilator headlined the Quebec City Imperial Theatre to a sold-out crowd. Annihilator 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 entitled Feast on 23 August 2013.
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 bands bassist from the classic early 90's lineup, 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 of 2014, telling Jeff Waters over a telephone call that he was sick of constant touring and the lifestyle he was living in Annihilator and citing the biggest contributing factors were that he was away from his family too much and he had not been happy being in the band over the past five years, despite Waters' offers of more money after the next record was done. Waters then had to refrain from booking Padden's flight from Vancouver to Ottawa, admitting in a German radio interview he was emotionally shaken as well. After taking a couple of weeks' time and looking at various singers, Waters decided that he would handle vocals himself in addition to doing everything but play drums in the studio. The information was not made public until six months later, in June 2015, when Waters made the post 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.
Never, Neverland singer, Coburn Pharr surprised audiences when he returned for a short time on 70000 Tons of Metal concert in January 2015. Coburn will only sing, Reduced to Ash, The Fun Palace, I Am in Command, Road to Ruin and Stonewall.
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.
Discography
Alice in Hell (1989)
Never, Neverland (1990)
Set the World on Fire (1993)
King of the Kill (1994)
Refresh the Demon (1996)
Remains (1997)
Criteria for a Black Widow (1999)
Carnival Diablos (2001)
Waking the Fury (2002)
All for You (2004)
Schizo Deluxe (2005)
Metal (2007)
Annihilator (2010)
Feast (2013)
Suicide Society (2015)
Word Salad
Annihilator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt
Devoid strength my life, inert
Anger fills they're shocked me back
White corpses turn to black
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad, no ballad
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
Tetanus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Hatred turned to apathy, led down this black abyss
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad
Woken up from death, nausea
Catatonic stupor, anoxia
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
Scourge of god he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
The lyrics of "Word Salad" by Annihilator are full of vivid images that depict the singer's descent into madness. The opening lines describe the destruction of the closets in his mind, which is likely a metaphor for the breakdown of his mental defenses. The white corpses that have strapped him down symbolize his own mortality and his fear of losing control. The tactual hallucination of cockroaches infesting the wall is a graphic way to show the singer's sense of disgust and unease.
The second verse showcases the pain and frustration the singer feels at being trapped in this state of mind. He feels powerless and inert, and the anger that fills him is not enough to bring him back to reality. Instead, his hallucinations turn even darker, with the white corpses turning black. The final lines are a defiant assertion of his determination to fight back - he will use his psychic gasoline to burn down everything in his path.
The chorus is where the title of the song comes into play - the "word salad" refers to the singer's jumbled and incoherent thoughts. It's no ballad - there's no romanticism or sentimentality in this song. It's a brutal and raw depiction of mental illness.
Line by Line Meaning
Closets of my mind destroyed, as I enter outward from a void
My mind's secrets have been exposed, as I try to escape emptiness
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
I feel restrained by death, unable to escape the cycle of life and demise
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
I experience sensations that aren't real, seeing bugs crawling around me
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt
I feel an emotional anguish that's numbed, but still present
Devoid strength my life, inert
I have no energy, no motivation to do anything
Anger fills they're shocked me back
I'm so angry that it brings me back to reality
White corpses turn to black
Death erodes everything, turning what was once pristine into decay
I run on psychic gasoline, my fuel shall burn you all
My anger and pain give me power, which will cause destruction to those around me
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
My twisted plan is to use my own mind to destroy my demons
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
I recognize when harmful people or substances are introduced into my life
Tetanus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
I wish I could go back to a time before I became so jaded
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Though I have unlocked my mind's secrets, I feel trapped in darkness
Hatred turned to apathy, led down this black abyss
My hatred has brought me to a place of despair, where I no longer care
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
I'm ready to leave this world, hoping to never return
Woken up from death, nausea
Being brought back to life produces sickness and discomfort
Catatonic stupor, anoxia
I'm in a state of physical and psychological paralysis, unable to breathe
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Though I'm immobile, I feel like my existence is steadfast
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
I'm afraid of pain and suffering, and feel like life is just a sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
My ethics and body are deteriorating, and my hatred is diminishing
Scourge of god he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
I feel punished by a higher power, and feel like I'm stuck in limbo
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
I've been stuck in a vegetative state, with the only option being to cry
Word salad, no ballad
My thoughts and emotions are disorganized and chaotic, not poetic
Word salad
My mind is overwhelmed and cannot make sense of anything
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFFREY BRUCE WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@petergrtz2281
LYRICS:
Closets of my mind destroyed, as I enter outward from a void
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt. Devoid strength my life, inert
Anger fills they're shocked me back, white corpses turn to black
I run on psychic gasoline, my fuel shall burn you all
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad, no ballad
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
Tetnus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Hatred turned to apathy, led down this black abyss
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad
Woken up from death, nausea. Catatonic stupor, anoxia
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
Scourge of god he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
@juzepe.1
Closets of my mind destroyed, as I enter outward from a void
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt
Devoid strength my life, inert
Anger fills they've shocked me back
White corpses turn to black
I run on psychic gasoline, my fuel shall burn you all
Word Salad, no ballad
Word Salad, no ballad
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
Tetanus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Hatred turns to apathy, led down this dark abyss
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
Word Salad, no ballad
Word Salad
Woken up from death, nausea
Catatonic stupor, anoxia
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
Scourge of God he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
@jtjdrums
Such an eerie and massive sounding song. One of their best.
@slimmmshaney5695
It's a crime how underrated Jeff waters and annihilator is.
@RafaelCDet
That's what happens when you can't hold a stable lineup, especially vocalists, which are the most important part of a band's identity when it comes to commercial success.
@vilitoivola2439
@zTundra every single one has been their best vocalist each on their own way TBH
@titantron5840
Can't compare the other dudes to randy rampage, he had those straight up thrash vocals that fit perfectly.
@petergrtz2281
LYRICS:
Closets of my mind destroyed, as I enter outward from a void
Corpses white have strapped me down, I rise above then fall
Tactual hallucination, cockroaches infest the wall
Psychic pain on ice, I hurt. Devoid strength my life, inert
Anger fills they're shocked me back, white corpses turn to black
I run on psychic gasoline, my fuel shall burn you all
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad, no ballad
Diabolic plot, a toy, my brain the corpses to destroy
Prick my arm, injection fed, it's poison, I'm no fool
Tetnus shot, be sure it's not, I wish I were at school
Closets of my mind destroyed, but I enter inward, black void
Hatred turned to apathy, led down this black abyss
Good night, farewell you pig from hell, this world I shall not miss
Word salad, no ballad
Word salad
Woken up from death, nausea. Catatonic stupor, anoxia
Remaining still I hold onto a sense of permanence
Negativistic fear of pain, algophobic life sentence
Moral, physical decay, hatred withered away
Scourge of god he makes me pay, I shall not live or die
Vegetative judgment passed, my only thought to cry
@sampelletier5067
One of the best song of this album 0:25 brutal riffs - Word salad, no ballad * 😈✨
@maxq2066
Annihilator Rocks! 🎸🎸🎸🎸
@tytallica9623
What a W I L D guitar sound! i heard aliens landing, and cats fighting, and lasers i was truly frightened @5:00 mark. Love iT
@joshuagerthoffer2321
I think its trying to convey schizophrenia I believe.