Label: Xtreem Music
Release date: October 22nd, 2024
In the land of world’s famous barbecue and rodeo, which are my first associations on Texas, Anialator was born. Maybe not too creative band name and easy to confuse with their genre brothers from Canada, Annihilator, but the band from Corpus Christi does have a lot to offer. Anialator was formed in 1986, and today, thirty-eight years later, with three EPs and three compilations behind, turbulent history, Anialator remained the underground legend.
The album contains seven songs: “Kill Till Death”, “Memories of Terror”, “Iron Grinder”, “Hear the Death Call”, “Battlefield Messiah”, “Relentless” and “Terror Tactics”. On August 22nd, 2024, the band released the single, “Hear the Death Call”, and after listening to it, you can say that the band still has the flame. Aggression is their last name, and in vocal interpretation you will hear the rage. Technically, Anialator are very precise, musically and lyrically powerful, aggressive, brutal. The best example is the song “Relentless”.
Opening song, “Kill Till Death” shows that Anialator are highly experienced and know how to attract attention of the listener. And once they get your attention, they will not leave you. At least not in the next 33 minutes (33:06 to be precise). “Memories of Terror” goes in the same direction: fast, furious and aggressive (especially vocals) and musically very precise when it comes to technique. “Iron Grinder” begins a bit slower; we could say that the band gives us an opportunity to catch our breath. Rhythm in this song is very infectious, and even the tempo accelerates in around 1:20, still, this is a bit calmer song than the previous ones. Already mentioned, “Hear the Death Call”, attacks without warning, and the song depicts the essence of the band’s philosophy. “Battlefield Messiah” delights listeners with its precision, again, it is fast and furious but at the same time the melody balances that fury perfectly. The beginning of “Relentless” might make you think somebody, somehow, made a mistake during the recording process, because the first 24 seconds sound like everything, but not something that you expected. But from that 24 second, you will hear what I already wrote the trademark of the band is: technical precision, rawness, power, rage, brutality, because that is what Anialator’s music is all about. Packed in a bit more than 6 minutes, this song is my personal favourite and highlight of the album. The last one, without any tactic, perfectly closes the album. “Terror Tactics” offers a well-balanced tempo change, proves that the band offers no compromises when it comes to the path they have chosen thirty-eight years ago and explains why they are legends.
