Canada’s Annihilator have long had a reputation for delivering technically sophisticated thrash, and Feast will do nothing to harm their stature.
Mainman Jeff Waters yet again combines a virtuoso headiness with some brutally effective riffs, while vocalist Dave Padden has a growling menace that suits the songs. From the fury of Deadlock onwards, Feast is stockpiled with the sort of material that will guarantee moshpits everywhere. No Surrender is a racing tirade, Demon Code has a darkly rhythmic eeriness and Fight The World thrusts two fingers straight into the eyes of those who decry metal.
There’s also a limited edition version of the album with a bonus CD called Re-Kill. This features re-recordings of 15 tracks from the band’s past, done because a lot of these are currently unavailable. Sure, they lack the magic of the originals, but they prove the current line-up does have a connection to Annihilator’s history.