Today marks the release of legendary Canadian thrash/heavy metal band ANNIHILATOR‘s Triple Threat – a three-disc collection of their music based in a trio of very different scenarios – out via UDR Music. Listen to a sample of the Un-Plugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions portion of the set here.
Triple Threat is available now in several formats, including DVD/2CDs, Blu-Ray/2CDs, a 2CD audio-only and digital download.
Order links:
The main disc of Triple Threat 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 Rich Hinks, Vancouver, BC drummer and friend Marc LaFrance, plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Recorded and mixed by Waters, 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 features 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 also contains some exclusive inside-ANNIHILATOR off-stage perspective, which captures further elements, flavors and detail of the band which fans will flip over.
Unplugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions:01. Sounds Good To Me
02. Bad Child
03. Innnocent Eyes
04. Snake In The Grass
05. Fantastic Things
06. Holding On
07. Stonewall
08. In The Blood
09. Crystal Ann
10. Phoenix Rising
Live At The BANG YOUR HEAD Festival:
01. King Of The Kill
02. No Way Out
03. Creepin’ Again
04. Set The World On Fire
05. W.T.Y.D. (Welcome To Your Death)
06. Never, Neverland
07. Bliss
08. Second To None
09. Refresh The Demon
10. Alison Hell
11. Phantasmagoria
The BluRay and DVD visual content is split in 3 parts:
Chapter I – Annihilator Un-Plugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions (62 mins)
Chapter II – Annihilator Live at the BANG YOUR HEAD Festival (45 mins)
Chapter III – ANNIHILATOR: Summer Mini-Documentary 2016 (45 mins)
Plus Bonus Video Chapters: “Jeff’s Commentary On The Acoustic Songs” and “Jeff Answers Fan Questions”
Jeff Waters states, “This was one of the coolest things I have done in my long career. Having five 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 feeling. 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 and metalheads – and they made our legacy proud! Enjoy… we sure love this one.”