Alice in Hell

Last updated
Alice in Hell
AnnihilatorAliceInHell.jpg
Studio album by
Annihilator
ReleasedApril 17, 1989
Recorded1988
Studio
Genre Thrash metal, speed metal
Length37:27
Label Roadrunner
Producer Jeff Waters
Annihilator chronology
Alice in Hell
(1989)		 Never, Neverland
(1990)
Singles from Alice in Hell
  1. "Word Salad"
    Released: 1989

Alice in Hell is the debut studio album by Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator, released on April 17, 1989 through Roadrunner Records. This was the only Annihilator album for ten years to feature Randy Rampage on vocals, until he returned for their seventh studio album Criteria for a Black Widow (1999).

Contents

Album information

Although the album's insert lists five members, Annihilator was a three-piece (Randy Rampage, Jeff Waters and Ray Hartmann) at the time of its recording in 1988. In addition to guitar, Waters provides bass and backing vocals on the album, produced it and wrote all the songs, with the exception of "Crystal Ann". Although Anthony Brian Greenham and Wayne Darley are noted on the album's insert as playing guitar and bass respectively, this was a mistake and they did not join Annihilator until after Alice in Hell was finished; [1] Darley does, however, provide backing vocals on the album. Waters has explained in interviews the reason Greenham and Darley were listed in the credits was at the behest of Roadrunner.[ citation needed ]

Alice in Hell was the first of six Annihilator albums to feature songwriting contributions from former singer John Bates, who was credited as the (co-)writer of the songs "Alison Hell", "W.T.Y.D.", "Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade" and "Human Insecticide". Bates also co-wrote some songs on Never, Neverland (1990), King of the Kill (1994), Refresh the Demon (1996), Remains (1997) and Criteria for a Black Widow (1999).

To promote Alice in Hell, Annihilator supported Onslaught internationally on their In Search of Sanity tour, and Testament (along with Wrathchild America) in the United States on their Practice What You Preach tour. [2] After the tour was over, the band began preparations for their next album Never, Neverland .

The title track "Alison Hell" was released as part of a DLC package for Rocksmith on April 16, 2019.

Reissues

The album was re-released twice: 1998 with three demo tracks as bonus tracks and again on September 9, 2003, in a two-disc compilation set along with Never, Neverland , entitled Two from the Vault. One of the demo tracks, "Powerdrain", serves as the base of the song "Sonic Homicide" on Annihilator's 1999 album Criteria for a Black Widow .

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Rock Hard 9.0/10 [5]

Alice in Hell has received mostly positive reviews. Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia gave it three stars out of five, and states that "Annihilator's brand of technical, thinking man's thrash metal garnered many fans with this fine debut, arguably the best release of the band's career." [3] Adam McCann of Metal Digest referred to Alice in Hell as "a real classic thrash metal album", and wrote, "For a debut album, Annihilator blasted it out of the park, the Canadian band hit the ground running with one of thrash metal's best albums, tracks such as 'Human Insecticide', 'W.T.Y.D. (Welcome to Your Death)' and 'Alison Hell' in particular still stand tall today as thrash metal anthems as Jeff Waters demonstrated his prowess on guitar backed up by the indomitable vocals of the late Randy Rampage which drove Alice in Hell into MTV's heavy rotation." [6]

Accolades

Track listing

All music is composed by Jeff Waters

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Crystal Ann" (instrumental) 1:40
2."Alison Hell" John Bates, Waters5:00
3."W.T.Y.D." (Welcome to Your Death)Bates, Waters3:56
4."Wicked Mystic"Waters, Jody Weil3:38
5."Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade"Waters, Bates, Weil3:33
6."Word Salad"Waters5:49
7."Schizos (Are Never Alone) Parts I & II"Waters4:32
8."Ligeia"Waters4:47
9."Human Insecticide"Bates, Waters4:50
Total length:37:27
Bonus tracks - 1998 re-release
No.TitleLyricsLength
10."Powerdrain" (Demo)Waters2:49
11."Schizos (Are Never Alone), Parts I & II" (Demo)Waters4:18
12."Ligeia" (Demo)Waters4:56
Total length:49:53

Credits

Annihilator

Additional personnel

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References

  1. ↑ "MusicMight :: Artists :: ANNIHILATOR". Archived from the original on 2016-07-09. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2012-10-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. 1 2 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Review of Alice in Hell". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  4. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (July 2000). "Déjà Vu". Classic Rock . No. 16. Future plc. p. 78.
  5. ↑ Stratmann, Holger (1989). "Review Album: Annihilator — Alice in Hell". Rock Hard (in German) (31). Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Annihilator – 'Alice in Hell' – Metal Digest – The Normless Magazine". metal-digest.com. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  7. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (May 15, 2014). "10 Best Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4". Loudwire . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ McPadden, Mike (June 11, 2015). "10 Greatest Thrash Metal Debut Albums". VH1 . Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (August 30, 2017). "Top 50 Thrash Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ Bennet, J. (December 4, 2020). "10 Criminally Underrated 80s Thrash Albums". Revolver . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  11. ↑ DiVita, Joe (June 3, 2020). "The 40 Best Debut Thrash Albums of All Time". Loudwire . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
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