"I'm a big speed/thrash fan from the 80s, and somehow I missed Annihilator the first time around. But I recently picked up a used copy of "Alice In Hell," which is a thrash classic. So when I finally got a copy of "Criteria," I pretty much knew what to expect. But I was wrong! If anything, "Criteria" is better than "Alice." This album provides plenty of good, old-fashioned, straight-ahead thrash, with plenty of musical diversity. Practically all of the songs are good, and none of them sound alike. In my opinion, this album competes with Destruction's "All Hell Breaks Loose" as Y2K's best thrash album of the year. It's great to see speed/thrash make such a strong comeback, with bands like Testament, Annihilator, Destruction, and Sodom still going strong and continuing to release some of their best material. If you're a fan of Annihilator, other bands worth checking out include Forbidden and Vio-lence."
A must listen for those who love killer Riffs.
jekel | Pensacola Fl. | 02/25/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cut is without a doubt the most intensive guitar attack I have heard in many years. I have followed Jeff Waters & the band since Alice in Hell, I have never been let down. If you love Crunch Riffs, and a complete metal package, played with some talent and attitude, this cd, as well as the earlier cd's, are absolutely a must! ENJOY!"
THRASH IS ALIVE AND WELL !!
R. JANKOWSKI | YONKERS, NEW YORK United States | 06/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I RECENTLY HEARD '' ANNIHILATOR '' HAD A NEW CD OUT . SO I DECIDED TO PICK UP THEIR CD '' CRITERIA FOR A BLACK WIDOW '' TO SEE IF THEY STILL HAD IT . JEFF STILL ROCKS ! EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS LINEUP CHANGES WITH EACH CD.EVERY SONG TAKES YOU BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS ! WHEN THRASH WAS AT IT'S BEST ! EVERY SONG IS A WINNER ! LOTS TO BANG YOUR HEAD TO ! SO IF YOU WANT A CLASSIC THRASH CD - THEN LOOK NO FURTHER !'' ANNIHILATOR '' IS BACK AND AS HEAVY AS EVER !!!!!"
Back to palace like never before.
Kari A. Herring | sugar land, tx USA | 05/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"jeff and company deliver with 'criteria' like the old days of annihilator. if old school speed, thrash metal is what you are looking for then be sure to get this cd. i was most impressed with songs bloodbath, back to the palace, and sonic homicide, but all the songs are killer."
Annilihator a blast from the past
vladirules@ameritech.net | 02/16/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"after securing an american record deal for the first time since 1993, jeff waters rounds up most of the original lineup(minus bassist wayne darley) and after a 2 yr hiatus due to a nasty divorce battle, jeff and crue unleash the venom onto this platter. At times it seems they borrow a bit from alison hell, but there is more than enough new riffage and aggression to make this disc a must purchase for fans of 80's style straight ahead metal."