Over the next few years, earMUSIC is paying tribute to Annihilator – the most successful Canadian speed/thrash metal band of all times – with the rerelease of their highly sought-after back catalogue in a series of CD and vinyl releases. Each studio album will be reissued with fully remastered sound on high-quality 180g black vinyl and as a CD digipak edition. Both formats feature refreshed artwork with brand-new sleeve notes by Alex Milas (a.o. Metal Hammer UK), who interviewed Jeff Waters for this reissue series.
Additionally – and for the first time – the numerous demo recordings and bonus tracks from each album era will be compiled as part of the reissue series on CD and as a digital album.
The catalogue revival begins on 6th June, by revisiting a pivotal era in Annihilator‘s history, breathing new life into King Of The Kill(1994), Refresh The Demon(1996), and Remains(1997). Spanning the mid-to-late ’90s, these albums showcase Band leader Jeff Waters’ evolution as a songwriter, guitarist, and producer, blending thrash intensity with melody, experimentation, and groove. This reissue series highlights a band that constantly pushed boundaries.
King Of The Kill was a comeback and rebirth of a leaner Annihilator impervious to the shifting sands of the industry, and it established Jeff Waters as a guitar-slinging/songwriting titan in a time of great uncertainty.
For anyone just picking themselves up off the floor following the double-barrelled wallop of King Of The Kill, Refresh The Demon was just what the doctor ordered. According to Waters, it was a continuation of the same creative role that had inspired King Of The Kill and felt like a second creative lease on life.
Remains was Annihilator’s boldest experiment, a daring venture into industrial-laced heaviness that defied expectations. With Jeff Waters handling nearly all aspects of the recording, the album took a more mechanical and groove-driven approach. Despite its departure from the band’s earlier thrash roots, the album still retained Water’s signature guitar work. Remains will be released for the very first time on vinyl.
More Noise offers a glimpse into Annihilator’s creative process during this era. This collection of demo recordings and bonus tracks captures the raw energy, experimentation, and Waters’ guitar work, highlighting the evolution of the band’s sound. For the very first time, More Noisecompiles all bonus tracks from these albums on one CD.
The rerelease of the Annihilator years 1994–1997 is just the beginning. Fans and collectors can look forward to more albums coming soon.
Tracks featured on each release are as follow:
King Of The Kill (CD digipak, black 180g LP gatefold): ‘King Of The Kill’, ‘21’, ‘Bliss’, ‘Second To None’, ‘Hell Is A War’, ‘Annihilator’, ‘Fiasco’, ‘The Box’, ‘Bad Child’, ‘In The Blood’, ‘Speed’, ‘Catch The Wind’. CD bonus tracks: ‘21’, ‘Annihilator’, ‘Bad Child’, ‘In The Blood’, King Of The Kill’, ‘Second To None’, all Jeff Waters demos.
Refresh The Demons (CD digipak, black 180g 2LP gatefold): ‘Refresh The Demon’, ‘Ultraparanoia’, ‘Syn. Kill 1’, ‘Awaken’, ‘The Pastor Of Disaster’, ‘City Of Ice’, ‘A Man Called Nothing’, ‘Innocent Eyes’, ‘Voices And Victims’, ‘Anything For Money’, ‘Hunger’.
Remains (CD digipak, black 180g LP gatefold): ‘Tricks And Traps’, ‘Murder’, ‘Never Forget’, ‘Reaction’, ‘Human Remains’, ‘I Want,Dead Wrong’, ‘No Love’, ‘Sexecution’, ‘Wind’, ‘Bastiage’.
More Noise Vol. 1 (CD digipak): ‘Only Be Lonely’ (King Of The Kill bonus track), ‘Slates’ (King Of The Kill interlude), ‘Annihilator’ (1985 Radio Ottawa demo), ‘Fiasco (The Slate)’ (King Of The Kill interlude), ‘21’ (1994 demo), ‘Weapon X’ (2004 demo/No guitars/Playthrough), ‘Bloodbath’ (1999 Criteria demo), ‘Nothing To Me’ (Single version), ‘Back To The Palace ‘ (1999 demo), ‘It’s You’ (Remains bonus rack), ‘The Box’ (Live 1995), ‘Riff Raff’ (Refresh The Demon bonus track).
