Canadian thrash mainstay Annihilator's reputation is founded on their early Roadrunner catalog, and as The Best of Annihilator shows, it's with good reason. Drawing from their first three albums, Alice in Hell (1989), Never Neverland (1990), and Set the World On Fire (1993), The Best of Annihilator highlights guitarist and group mastermind Jeff Waters' eclectic tastes and massive chops. From the precise acoustic picking of "Crystal Ann" and its natural follower, the over the top electric histrionics of "Alison Hell," to Annihilator riff classics "Phantasmagoria" and "Set the World On Fire," Waters steers the band on a course between the thrash metal in his hands and the power metal in his head. The two styles don't always sit well together, but few could make them sound as bonded as Annihilator on this classic material. There are two live cuts thrown in as well, "Human Insecticide," taken from 1994's outtakes collection Bag of Tricks, and "I Am in Command," from the live collection In Command, proving that Waters could pull off his guitar antics outside the safety of the studio. ~ Wade Kergan