Sometimes an album catches you off-guard, something you did not expect to see or hear. I was quite surprised when I learned Jeff Waters and Annihilator were about to release some re-recordings of 2007’s ‘’Metal.’’ The album was a collaborative effort with a bunch of special guests and was my real introduction to the band itself. There is a changing of the guards in the band and this album is the next evolution of the Thrash Legends.

Jeff Waters enlisted long-time friend and drumming guru, Dave Lombardo to be the new driving force on these songs. He also decided to hire singer Stu Block, fresh off his stint his forgettable Iced Earth stint. As for Stu Block, he has been hired as the new Annihilator frontman, Jeff Waters leaving his duties after being the lead singer of the last two albums. Dave Lombardo was the session drummer but replacing the drum parts from Mike Mangini (presently the Dream Theater skinsman) was no easy task, but he was up to the challenge.

I always believed Dave Padden was the best singer the band ever had, his style and range were outstanding, and he was a natural. I was able to see them back in 2011 and he blew me away with his presence and live performance, but Waters replaced him in 2015. Stu Block adds a lot of experience and intangibles and hopefully, he will come back to what he was when he was with Into Eternity.

He knows what he wants, and he felt it was time to re-record its 2007 album, ‘’Metal’’. This album is my go-to album for the band. When I decide to put on an Annihilator album, this is always the first one that comes to mind. It has special guests, surprises and is a celebration of what is great in Metal. This release felt like a real party, it has that atmosphere, and the album was recorded with such unbridled passion.

The 2022 version of this album is a reimagination of sorts. All the songs are in a different order and Jeff Waters decided to include two covers, Exciter’s Heavy Metal Maniac and Van Halen’s Romeo Delight. He also omitted one awesome song, unfortunately, ‘’Operation Annihilation’’. He asked the same friends from back in 2007 to come back and re-record their parts even Alexi Laiho (RIP) from Children of Bodom. This was one of the last albums Alexi contributed before his untimely death in 2020.

The production quality is top-notch when you compare it with 15 years ago. Jeff Waters’ new UK studio provides an added depth and layer to the songs, and everything sounds much crisper. I know that technology has come up a long way in the last decade or so and it truly shows on this album. I think adding a guy like Maor Appelbaum to help master the album was such a blessing. The album production shines the brightest and was such a breath of fresh air. He did a fine job of the new Abbath album and has been one of the best producers in all of Metal the last few years or so.

You have a lot of standout tracks on this album including ‘’Army of One’’. This song is very anthemic, it’s them versus the world mentality, what Metal has been all about since the very beginning, it’s the underdogs’ fight! It talks about Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Black Sabbath amongst countless others. It literally name-drops every band I just mentioned! It feels a bit cheesy, but this has always been a favorite of mine. It reminds me of ‘’Metal Machine’’ by Sabaton which uses song titles (from bands they loved) as lyrics throughout the song.

The most underwhelming track is ‘’Couple Suicide’’. Angela Gossow provides the harsh vocals but they are a backdrop and an afterthought. She still has it and I was happy to hear her again but this song is such a disappointment. She is almost not involved in this song compared to its 2007 version. The emphasis is on the clean vocals and it felt quite empty.

The pleasant surprise was the Van Halen cover. Jeff Waters shines on ‘’Romeo Delight’’ and it’s such a fitting homage to one of his guitar heroes. He does a masterful job, and I was really impressed by his technical abilities. I know for a fact that this album is dedicated to him and fellow guitar hero, Alexi Laiho. Alexi was one of the Waters’ closest friends and they played together live on numerous occasions. Eddie Van Halen, well his name is synonymous with his instrument and was and will always be an inspiration to guitar players all around the globe.

Is there any guitarist more underrated than Jeff Loomis in the Metal world? I sure as hell don’t think so. The Nevermore and Arch Enemy axeman let loose of ‘’Clowns on Parade’’, probably my favorite track from this album and from all of Annihilator’s brilliant career. I mean his work with Nevermore was never acknowledged as it should, so it was nice to see him deliver a masterclass for the masses.

The album is more a celebration than anything else. I truly feel that it was the right way to introduce Stu Block to their fanbase and show everyone what he has to offer. I don’t think re-recording albums is always a great thing, I seem to think that is a way to fill up time on a recording contract. I was never really impressed by such a task, but they did a fine job tweaking songs here and there. This album shows what they can deliver and brings forth its fair share of optimism for the future of the band. I felt the last 3-To 4 albums were subpar at best and this album might put them back on their very way.