Band:	Annihilator
Album:	Feast
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	August 23, 2013
A review by:	omne metallum

Disc I
01. Deadlock
02. No Way Out
03. Smear Campaign
04. No Surrender
05. Wrapped
06. Perfect Angel Eyes
07. Demon Code
08. Fight The World
09. One Falls, Two Rise

Disc II [bonus] [Re-Kill: Best of re-recorded 2012]
01. Fun Palace
02. Alison Hell
03. King Of The Kill
04. Never, Neverland
05. Set The World On Fire
06. Welcome To Your Death W.T.Y.D.
07. Nozone
08. Bloodbath
09. 21
10. Stonewall
11. Ultra Motion
12. Time Bomb
13. Refresh The Demon
14. Word Salad
15. Brain Dance

Disc III [Bonus DVD Special Limited Edition] [Live Wacken 2013]
01. Smear Campaign
02. King Of The Kill
03. No Way Out
04. Clown Parade
05. Set The World On Fire
06. Welcome To Your Death
07. Funpalace
08. I Am In Command
09. No Zone
10. Fiasco
11. Alison Hell

Annihilator finally find their feet and plant their boot squarely in your face; back with a vengeance and a higher level of purpose, Feast is the sound of a re-invigorated band who are trying to make up for lost time. Do as the album says, and crack it open and gorge yourself on what's within.

Feast carries on the inconsistent nature of the band that had been a mainstay throughout their career, though it does make significant improvements in terms of the quality of the moments it gets right. When the album clicks, it hits hard and has a level of vitality that had eluded the band for much of the last twenty years of their career. When it gets it wrong? It is yet another misfire to be added to the ever-growing pile that has grown larger with each step of their career.

Feast separates itself from the pack however by being their first album since Refresh The Demon that the amount of good songs outnumber the bad. 6 of the album's 9 tracks are some top-shelf material. The first three tracks kick the album off in style and run the gambit between the all-out thrash of "Deadlock" to the ebbing and flowing "Smear Campaign", before hitting a dud in "No Surrender".

"Wrapped" and "Demon Code" punctuate the rest of the album and provide some highlights as the album hits bumpy ground as it runs its way through the rest of the album. "Wrapped" sees an appearance by Danko Jones. who leads the band through a fun punk-infused track that provides a nice twist halfway through the album.

The highlight of the 21st century for the band though has to be "No Way Out", a track that is one of the best of their career; it is one of the best examples of how a thrash band can modify their sound to fit the current climate of metal without shedding its impact or roots. Catchy and just as deadly, hit play and stand back in awe.

It is a shame Padden would leave the band after this release, as he is one of the best vocalists the band has had; his vocal work elevates the tracks and builds upon the solid work the rest of the band provide him. Waters is much his usual self, offering up some great guitar work that makes you recall a time when he was seen as one of the brightest lights in the thrash scene.

Where the album falls short is much the same as most of Annihilator's discography, the band still do offer up what is either a misguided attempt at an idea ("No Surrender") or nothing more than filler ("Fight The World"). While they're in the minority on this album, it does mean the album doesn't set into a solid groove beyond the run of the first three tracks.

Feast is the first album in a long time I would recommend from Annihilator, where I can say you'll hear more good than bad in it, and it makes a nice change to say that.