Search - Annihilator :: Bag of Tricks

Magical! A must for every Schizo!

Z. William Arkosy | California, USA | 12/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of Annihilator, especially the early works, then this album is a MUST for you! It has some early demos, live & alternate versions. The songs are really cool!



The opening classic "Alison Hell," is basically the same version as what ended up on the debut, except that it was remastered & thus has more "punch" to it. On the demo of "Phantasmagoria," we can hear Randy Rampage on vox & this version is very different in comparison to the one we can hear on Neverland. Next we have 2 unreleased songs, "Back to the Crypt" & "Gallery." These are extremely raw, thrashy songs with Randy R. singing and have riffs & pieces from the song "Never, Neverland." This take of "Human Insecticide" (which was originally on the debut)is taken from the "In Command - Live" album. Here it's played MUCH faster than the original studio version! Next up is an extended version of "Fun Palace," where we can hear some additional riffs. I prefer this to the studio version on the actual "Never, Neverland" album. The next 3 songs (W.T.Y.D., Word Salad & Live Wire) are all live & feature Coburn on vox. These are superior to the studio versions in my opinion. if for no other reason, then Coburn's impressive vocal range alone is worth the price of admission. And yes, Live Wire is an AC/DC cover. "Knight Jumps Queen" & "Bats in the Belfry" are demos that once again feature Coburn on vox. It's interesting to compare these version to the way they ended up on the "Set The World On Fire" CD. However, The real gem from this album is an unreleased track called "Fantastic Things." This is a lighter, more melodic song that was left off of STWOF, but would have fit that album perfectly. It has bassist Wayne Darley doing vox & he sounds GREAT! This track is very strong, even if it's not heavy, fast or thrasy. It's more on the catchy side. "Evil Appetite" is basically a demo version of what ended up being "Don't Bother Me" from the STWOF album. We have Coburn singing again & some of the lyrics were re-written for the final version. The last 3 songs (Gallery, Alison Hell & Phantasmagoria) are old demos from 1986. They are EXTREMELY raw & unpolished. The rhythm guitar sound is so thick & beefy it is unreal! Master mind Jeff Waters himself did the vox & he has a very coarse, Death metal type of voice. It is unbelievably BRUTAL!



So all in all this is a nice stroll down memory lane with the best Canadian metal band ever. This is really a treat for the hardcore. If you have all the other studio albums you shouldn't miss out on this, but if you don't know the band, get their studio albums first! Start with "Alice In Hell" & "Never, Neverland" first & work your way up!"