Heavy metal act Annihilator‘s catalogue revival continues apace with fully remastered editions of their 1999 album Criteria For A Black Widow and 2001’s Carnival Diablos, via earMUSIC.
Both will be reissued on 180g black double vinyl with 45rpm high-quality audio and as CD digipak editions, featuring refreshed artwork and brand-new sleeve notes by Alex Milas, based on new interviews with Jeff Waters conducted specifically for this series.
Founded in 1984 by guitarist and songwriter Jeff Waters, Annihilator remain Canada’s most successful heavy metal/thrash metal export and one of the genre’s most technically formidable acts. Following their 1989 breakthrough Alice In Hell, widely regarded as a landmark thrash release, Waters steered the band through shifting trends, line-up changes and the turbulence of the 1990s while maintaining Annihilator‘s signature fusion of precision, speed and melody.
By the end of the decade, the band stood at a crossroads. Nearly ten years after Alice In Hell, the experimental direction of 1997’s Remains and the changing metal landscape had left Waters reassessing his path. A pivotal moment came when he witnessed Slayer deliver a blistering set in a small venue, a reminder that metal thrives on intensity, not fashion.
Waters responded by stripping Annihilator back to its core. Reuniting with classic-era members Randy Rampage (vocals) and Ray Hartmann (drums), alongside guitarist Dave Davis, he abandoned studio excess in favour of speed, sharpness and real drums. The result was Criteria For A Black Widow, a direct, unfiltered return to form.
The momentum carried forward into Carnival Diablos. Touring behind Criteria For A Black Widow reignited the band’s live energy, but line-up instability persisted, and ex-Overkill vocalist Joe Comeau came on board. Recorded at Watersound Studios in British Columbia, Carnival Diablos captured a revitalised Annihilator: muscular, confident and unapologetically heavy.
Both albums are available via earMUSIC.
