King of the Kill

King of the Kill is a powerful fourth album on which Jeff Waters, while keeping Annihilator’s thrash bite, shifts toward heavier riffs and a direct, powerful songcraft. On it, Waters himself handled vocals and bass in addition to guitar, fully displaying his talent as the band’s central figure. The guitar, even showing complex movement, never loses the songs’ core, building sure tension through the alternation of speed and mid-tempo. From the aggression of the opener “The Box” and the catchy drive of the title track “King of the Kill” to cuts like “Bad Child,” “Second to None” and “Speed,” memorable phrases and somewhat dark melody are deftly placed behind the sharp chopping. There is a sure song strength that by no means ends as mere technique. Its appeal is uniting a 1990s heavy center and Annihilator’s own character by slightly organizing the crazed speed of past works and strengthening the whole songs’ drive. One wants to savor not only the flash of the solos but how the repetition of the riffs connects to the chorus and where the rhythm steps in heavily. A record showing the band’s new fullness.