An entryway to a freak show is unexpected, dangerous even, who knows what shapes and images that mind will be setting in. After getting out of hand with the "Suicide Society", it was probably a good timing to get back to the drawing board of the human mind, take back the cool features of the brain that have always been a potential attraction. Work and play without really being there, that is the spirit. Throughout the decades of the Canadian ANNIHILATOR, featuring their respectful leader Jeff Waters, the general joint conclusion was that insanity has its magical moments. It might be a crypt of some of the deadliest deeds and sceneries that could be battered out of a human being, but also a place of comfort, an out of body experience that has the knack of being endless, even if subdued. Unfortunately, there is no Alice, but there enough of the demented stuff to take you on yet another journey through the course of thoughts that would better not surface in real life in "For The Demented", via Silver Lining Music.

I took the time to read the statements about this album, even though its diverse style has already been known to me. Back to the grizzled game has been a common ground among long lasting bands, to restart the old energies, and check out if there is enough juice to ride with. Apparently, Waters and Co. had everything they need in order to retrace previous footsteps and put the blast into the past. In the course of their time machine travel, ANNIHILATOR never put aside some of the modern aspects that took a stature as means of their evolution, especially in the last decade or so, such as the groove element that took a hard bite at the riffs for instance. Amassing the old and the new, sewn together like a freshly made rag doll, resulted in an interesting exploration, melodic Speed and Thrash Metal fashioned by the band's heritage along with stints out of the box to rattle the cage, into different universes of music.

Call me sentimental, but this time I am starting out with the softer touch. "Not All There" is an all-out ANNIHILATOR. It is a perfect unification of the first several albums, channeling the special atmosphere created with the human brain as main. Furthermore, the attributing of compelling heaviness portrayed by amazing riffs along, gets a fine mix with a few surprises along the way coming different varieties of Rock direction along with emotional motifs. This is a major hit, a special song that should last for ages. This is what I see as an all-around artist people. Continuing with the tenderhearted type, or is it? I never thought that I would ever again come across such a ballad out of this band as "Pieces of You". This is a highly special mix of the softness of "Sounds Good To Me" / "In The Blood" along with a deadliness that is immensely soothing, a pictorial of insanity that is off the charts and a bit meaty. "The Way" is another jackpot, a derailing Hardcore oriented grooving with a shot of Punk end up being a cool Hard Rock meets Metal. Waters with one of his better singing performances of late, commanding over an 80s kind of MOTLEY CRUE with swings, employing late 60's Rock N' Roll jive with great soloing. If insanity is what you were looking for, this one takes the pick. "Altering the Alter" as if spawned off the "Refresh The Demon" or "Alice In Hell" albums, a strong lyrical tune, the keyboards along with the mixed riffing surely made an impact on the road into dissonance. A hell of a deranged tune, one of the album's cleverest. Lastly, I think that Waters made a genius effort on this one, an official return back to the early days with an eruption of a gruesome attitude, attacking at will, "Twisted Lobotomy" demonstrates the madness that served the debut album with a few pieces of the sophomore. The riffs are complex, destructive, brutal with a smelting sense of melody. I recommend to take shots of: "One to Kill" and "Phantom Asylum".

After the social crumble of 2015, "For The Demented" came as an utmost blessing, a crucial moment in ANNIHILATOR's career in my view, and a wonderful turning point that would sound better and better on each listen. Don't expect mere Thrash Metal guys, this guy has more up his sleeves than mere head bashing and skull breaking. This is what I have been waiting for.