ANNIHILATION TIME
"Annihilation
Time II" (Manic Ride; 2005)
Reviewed by Spudbeast
The sophomore album by California?s gritty, punk-soaked hard rock outfit, Annihilation Time, easily outclasses their self-titled debut in many, many aspects and what it produces is truly a contemporary classic.
The record kicks off with the dirty, grinding riff of ?Imaginary Mirror,? a riff that lies somewhere between Black Sabbath?s ?Sabotage? and Discharge?s ?Hear Nothing.? That riff is a pretty much the gist of the entire album.
"Annihilation Time II" is truly a strong album throughout, with fast to slow tempos and most songs having a complex breakdown. The blazingly fast songs are tracks like ?Too High To Die? and ?Fast Forward to the Gore? (the latter of which is an ode the zombie movie genre). There are a few slower, sludgy songs as well, like the instrumental ?Blast Off? (with a riff that sounds a lot like Sabbath?s ?Electric Funeral?).
The record?s real triumph, however, is the crowd pleaser ?The Worm? which has a genuine punk-like beat and a chorus that will have you throwing your fist into the air.
"Annihilation Time II" is definitely a great investment, and receives heavy rotation in my player. I took off half a point only because it sometimes feels like the album is a little heavy on filler, but that does not detract from their truly great songs.
For more information, check out http://www.annihilationtime.net.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright ? 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 01 Jul 2024 12:10:24 -0400.
