Still coming across like the bastard child of vintage Metallica, Megadeth and Judas Priest, Annihilator sound remarkably vital on this, their seventeenth album since 1989’a Alice In Hell unleashed the band upon the thrash scene. Essentially a two-piece in the studio, Ballistic. Sadistic features Fabio Alessandrini on drums and Jeff Waters pretty much handling everything else, a streamlined approach that minimises compromise and allows for Jeff’s vision to emerge unscathed. The result is an album that rarely lets up, Jeff’s astonishing skills given free reign over the course of the ten tracks on offer. It’s not an approach without its problems, as we shall see, but for the most part, Ballistic. Sadistic is a potent entry in the band’s armoury.
Opening with the gleaming tech-thrash firebomb of Armed To The Teeth (a line from which provides the album with its name), Annihilator hit the ground running, pumped up like Schwarzenegger in Commando and fully armed with a selection of scything riffs that threaten shellshock. It’s a powerful opener and Jeff’s remarkable dexterity on the guitar continues to leave jaws agape. Despite a slower start, The Attitude soon picks up its pace, the harmonised guitars and arch bass runs paving the way for a vicious, Sepultura-infused chorus that brims over with snotty, punk attitude. With numerous tempo shifts and seismic lead breaks, The Attitude is full-throttle thrash at its best, so it comes as some surprise that Psycho Ward is even faster, albeit with a greater emphasis on melody and a chorus that does its best to worm its way into the subconscious, harking back to mid-90s Megadeth with its gleaming production and technicality. Similarly, the stabbing assault of I Am Warfare manages to hit that sweet spot between out-and-out aggression and melody, the chorus recalling Testament at their catchiest. However, such a pace is difficult to maintain and Out With The Garbage allows for a certain sense of fatigue to set in . It’s not a bad song as such, but it falls foul of being simply too similar to the preceding songs for comfort, and whilst it boasts some sweet riffs, a touch more light and shade at this point would have helped to maintain the impetus of the album overall.
Opening the album’s second half, Dressed Up For Evil offers some interesting digressions, with the latter half of the song filled with expertly executed tempo changes and superlative leads. Riot earns its name, the track sounding like a riot has erupted in your living room as Jeff spits the lyric out from between gritted teeth. One Wrong Move keeps things moving at a brisk pace, only to throw in an unexpected clean passage that seems to have been beamed in from a Queensryche album, all progressive flow and shimmering synth. It’s an unexpected sidestep that occurs just a little too late in the album, but there’s no question that the final third of the song is all the more effective for the calm that preceded it. Opening with a throbbing bass line, Lip Service has a more classic rock vibe, although the sneering vocal and dynamic colouring of the track is pure Megadeth. It leaves The End Of The Lie to close the album, mirroring the primal urgency of Armed To The Teeth. It’s a strong finale and it leaves the listener in no doubt as to Jeff’s technical mastery.
In many ways, Ballistic, Sadistic does exactly what it says on the tin, offering ten gleaming thrash tracks replete with a sense of looming threat and simmering violence. However, whilst the album does much to showcase the band’s immense instrumental skill and power, the full-on approach starts to act as an analgesic, lessening the impact of the record, with the final third of the record proving all the more effective for the moments of calm it offers amidst the towering riffs. As such, Ballistic. Sadistic. does little to stand out from Annihilator’s consistent back catalogue and, while it will surely please fans, it will do little to draw in those who remain unconvinced. 7.5/10
