ANNIHILATOR Frontman JEFF WATERS Confirmed For Frankfurt Musikmesse 2017; New Album "Will Be Close To Finished By Summer"

Annihilator has checked in from the road in Europe with the following update:

“You metal fans are killin’ it. Annihilator loves you. Switzerland tonight, then France, Germany x 2 and finally Mother Russia, in Moscow and closing the final touring for the super-successful Suicide Society run in the mighty St. Petersburg, Russia. Get your tix and support these last dates… make ’em the best ’cause we think that is exactly what is going to happen! Then home, writing, recording, Epiphone Revolver Music Awards to do something special, then onto the 70k Tons Of Metal madness with Annihilator making its third appearance on the boat and J. Waters hosting his now-legendary Jamming With Waters In International Waters All-Star jam. Then the long-awaited 3 DVD/2 audio CD + Blu Ray version package will be release via UDR Records. This one features a live acoustic set, a live concert in Germany and a mini-documentary disc centered around events in the late-Spring/summer of 2016. 

Then, Jeff Waters hits the monstrous Musikmesse in April and a new Annihilator CD (16th studio CD!) will be close to finished by summer, with Annihilator already confirmed for its fifth appearance at the massive Wacken Open Air 2017 Festival as well as a pile of other soon-to-be announced festivals. Busy much?! 

It’s all thanks to hard work, family and friends, good comapnies and most-importantly loving what you do and who you do it for: The Metal Fans. Doing it for a living and all the bonuses that go with it is great and amazing, but it really comes down to you. Annihilator has stayed true to it’s style which is, essentially, doing whatever musical style comes up at the time of writing; so it is 100% genuine. Survivial and integrity are first and we hope that is why we still have you! We are going to try to knock the next studio CD out of the park… and that you catch it.” 

Annihilator, have lacerated many senses over the years with their supreme, aggressive metal mastery, and on January, 27th, their legion of loyal fans can look forward to a series of fresh sensory experiences as Annihilator present Triple Threat, a three-disc collection of Annihilator’s music in a trio of very different scenarios.

The main disc comprises a set of Annihilator’s classics performed acoustically, with band leader/guitarist/ songwriter and vocalist Jeff Waters bringing together band members Aaron Homma and Richard Hinks, Vancouver, BC drummer and friend Marc LeFrance plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Recorded and mixed by Waters (with Marty Sobb), this quintet recorded everything live, off the floor and in single takes at Watersound Studios in Dunrobin, Canada during late May and early June, 2016, giving Waters one of the most challenging, satisfying and perhaps ‘electric’ creative moments in his career.

The second disc will feature Annihilator’s vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head Festival, a set which illustrates the very best of what Annihilator is known for – tight, sharp, technically-excellent and melodic thrash metal music. It will also contain some exclusive inside-Annihilator off-stage perspective, courtesy of Jeff Waters’ own camera, which captures further elements, flavours and detail of the band which fans will flip over.

“This was one of the coolest things I have done in my long career. Having 5 people in a room, from all different backgrounds and talents, coming together to play songs from the past and to try to sound like we are one but totally live and with feel. This was one of the biggest challenges that Annihilator has faced, musically, but what impressed me the most was how you can hear all the individual styles each player has and how we were able to glue the playing and feel together. Done all in one take and with all the musical blemishes and imperfections that I would never normally let slide!

“This set covers some of the melodic songs, one even from 1984 (when a few of these guys were not even born!) and I just had to do this once in my life… to challenge myself and maybe show some others that it’s not always just about the metal and the thrash! Rock n’ Roll & and ballads are found everywhere in Heavy Metal.

“Annihilator are made up of a helluva lot of styles, mixed into one. That’s exactly what kind of musicians I put together for this set… a mixed bag of Rockers & Metalheads and they made our legacy proud!

“Enjoy… we sure love this one.” – Jeff Waters

Triple Threat will be available via UDR Music in several formats, including DVD/2CDs, Blu-Ray/2CDs, a 2CD audio-only and digital download.

Tracklisting:

Unplugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions

“Sounds Good To Me”
“Bad Child”
“Innnocent Eyes”
“Snake In The Grass”
“Fantastic Things”
“Holding On”
“Stonewall”
“In The Blood”
“Crystal Ann”
“Phoenix Rising”

Live At The Bang Your Head!!! Festival

“King Of The Kill”
“No Way Out”
“Creepin’ Again”
“Set The World On Fire”
“W.T.Y.D. (Welcome To Your Death)”
“Never, Neverland”
“Bliss”
“Second To None”
“Refresh The Demon”
“Alison Hell”
“Phantasmagoria”
“Crystal Ann”
“Phoenix Rising”