Review: "Alice in Hell" by Canadian Thrash Metal Band Annihilator

Alice in Hell is the famous debut album by Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator and was released in 1989 and it features the punk style vocals of Randy Rampage. Immediately, Jeff Waters shows his guitar excellence in the instrumental song called "Crystal Ann" which has a neoclassical influence and feel to it. "Alison Hell" is another famous song and this one is a song about a young girl named Alice who is terrified that some evil force or influence may be watching her. Is there really something out there that is watching her?

"Wicked Mystic" is a song with interesting lyrics in it. There is a reference to the idea that all of us have evil inside of us and those with weak minds can be manipulated from the inside. There is a riffing part that sounds like the song called The Fun Palace which would be on the band’s 1990 album called Never Neverland.

The cover art for this album is similar to the cover art of their next album. There is that young girl pictured standing on the steps with a bunch of dolls all around her. The other side of the album photo has a doll standing in the doorway with its shadow showing up. There is also a window up after the first flight of stairs and outside shows that the full moon is up and shining. The impression that I get from the album cover is that Alice is looking worried and despondent. Is she having nightmares? She is clearly afraid of something, similar to kids that are afraid of the dark.

"Schizos are Never Alone Parts 1 and 2" is a mostly instrumental two-part song that has fast leads, fast riffs that define the style of the era and some vocals in there as well. "Human Insecticide" is a song that may have started the tradition of the band covering the theme of psychological and mental illnesses. At the time, this song was the fastest song in the band's career. We can also hear the bass guitar in the mix. This song is also in a way about a serial killer that is intent on snuffing out human life. For the time that this album was written it is a decent debut but it is not as good as 1990's Never Neverland, an album that stands in my mind as the band's best album even now.

The good news for Annihilator is that Alice in Hell was only the beginning of what would mark the excellence of this Canadian band. Actually, listening to this album early in 2022 is more than just nostalgia for thrash metal fans but the neoclassical influenced part in the song W.T.Y.D. shows the musical versatility for Annihilator early on in their career. Welcome to the rawest sounding release for Canada’s Annihilator. For that time period (1989) it was the heaviest album for them.