The first time I heard Anialator was in the late 80's. Then, years later I ended up purchasing their first demo tape. After many years Their sound stuck to my memory. It wasn't until I discovered that they reunited and released this Ep, after seeing news feed about Anialator new line up that I took time to look more into this band these days. I am a big fan of Metal in general specially of classic bands that started it all in the underground scene. Thanks to Inferno Records finally i got this killer Ep and It is here to stay in my prized collection of music. What an incredible sound. Guitars. Guitars guitars guitars. The dual guitar assault doesn't deviate much stylistically. However, Roland and Armando really know what they are doing, and it shows. Riffs and speed are varied enough to give each song an sense of independence. Their riffs are an onslaught of originality, and nothing sounds recycled. Bass lines are superb. All 5 songs sound great here, this Ep is a collective statement that really kicks ass, rather than a collection of stellar or diverse songs. OJ is a hell of a drummer too. The way he pounds his drums, the punch and the accuracy of the beats that unleashes upon the listener's ears, sounds so dangerous that it sometimes evokes an image of bullets piercing through bodies and puncturing concrete walls. Although I'm certainly a fan of thrash metal, I've barely come across a thrash band with a drummer that truly stood out. Aside from Dave Lombardo and Hoglan, what other bands do you think of when you think of "great drummer"? Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus, OverKill, Rigor Mortis, or Testament? I've never heard anyone talk about how great Lars Ulrich or Nick Menza is as a drummer. Have you? Allow me to humbly suggest OJ Landa as one of the great thrash drummer. Possessed but not processed - that's how I would describe Angel Gonzalez vocal works here. What makes this Ep ultimately an incredible experience is the sense of danger that comes of violence, and nothing sounds more violent here than the vocals and the lyrics. Rather than tough-guy low growls or distortions, Dolving shouts with urgency triggered by primal need self-defend, as if he's a rat cornered by a cat, it just serves as a counterpoint to the knife-sharp delivery of vocals, which in turns makes the shouting all the more purposeful. Lyrics are worth reading too - I wouldn't say they are brilliant, but they are real. All in all this is a great Ep. This is one of the most definitive thrash albums post-Metallica-and-Megadeth-gone-mainstream. This is a must have!!
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www.xtreemmusic.com
www.inferno-records.net
Review by Paul Caravasi
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