Alice in Hell

Although the album's insert lists five members, Annihilator was a three-piece (Randy Rampage, Jeff Waters and Ray Hartmann) at the time of its recording in 1988. In addition to guitar, Waters provides bass and backing vocals on the album, produced it, and wrote all the songs. Although Anthony Brian Greenham and Wayne Darley are noted on the album's insert as playing guitar and bass respectively, this was a mistake and they did not join Annihilator until after Alice in Hell was finished;{{Cite web |url=http://www.rockdetector.com/artist/canada/british+columbia/vancouver/annihilator |title=MusicMight :: Artists :: ANNIHILATOR |access-date=2016-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709163316/http://www.rockdetector.com/artist/canada/british+columbia/vancouver/annihilator |archive-date=2016-07-09 |url-status=dead }} Darley does, however, provide backing vocals on the album. Waters has explained in interviews the reason Greenham and Darley were listed in the credits was at the behest of Roadrunner.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Alice in Hell was the first of six Annihilator albums to feature songwriting contributions from former singer John Bates, who was credited as the (co-)writer of the songs "Alison Hell", "W.T.Y.D.", "Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade" and "Human Insecticide". Bates also co-wrote some songs on Never, Neverland (1990), King of the Kill (1994), Refresh the Demon (1996), Remains (1997) and Criteria for a Black Widow (1999).

To promote Alice in Hell, Annihilator supported Onslaught internationally on their In Search of Sanity tour, and Testament (along with Wrathchild America) in the United States on their Practice What You Preach tour.{{cite web |url=http://www.metallipromo.com/on.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-10-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130128170555/http://www.metallipromo.com/on.html |archivedate=2013-01-28 }} After the tour was over, the band began preparations for their next album Never, Neverland.

The title track "Alison Hell" was released as part of a DLC package for Rocksmith on April 16, 2019.

The album was re-released twice: 1998 with three demo tracks as bonus tracks and again on September 9, 2003, in a two-disc compilation set along with Never, Neverland, entitled Two from the Vault. One of the demo tracks, "Powerdrain", serves as the base of the song "Sonic Homicide" on Annihilator's 1999 album Criteria for a Black Widow.

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web | url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=alice-in-hell-mw0000204025|pure_url=yes}}| title = Review of Alice in Hell | website = AllMusic | publisher = All Media Network | first = Eduardo | last = Rivadavia | accessdate = February 23, 2018}}

| rev2 = Classic Rock

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=July 2000 |title=Déjà Vu |journal=Classic Rock |publisher=Future plc |issue=16 |page=78}}

| rev3 = Rock Hard

| rev3Score = 9.0/10{{Cite journal |last=Stratmann |first=Holger |title=Review Album: Annihilator — Alice in Hell |url=https://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen/6259-alice-in-hell.html|journal=Rock Hard|language=German |year=1989 |issue=31|access-date=February 23, 2018}}

}}

Alice in Hell has received mostly positive reviews. AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia stated that "Annihilator's brand of technical, thinking man's thrash metal garnered many fans with this fine debut, arguably the best release of the band's career." Adam McCann of Metal Digest referred to Alice in Hell as "a real classic thrash metal album", and wrote, "For a debut album, Annihilator blasted it out of the park, the Canadian band hit the ground running with one of thrash metal's best albums, tracks such as 'Human Insecticide', 'W.T.Y.D. (Welcome to Your Death)' and 'Alison Hell' in particular still stand tall today as thrash metal anthems as Jeff Waters demonstrated his prowess on guitar backed up by the indomitable vocals of the late Randy Rampage which drove Alice in Hell into MTV's heavy rotation."{{cite web|url=https://metal-digest.com/2022/04/17/annihilator-alice-in-hell/|title=Annihilator – 'Alice in Hell' – Metal Digest – The Normless Magazine|publisher=metal-digest.com|access-date=April 23, 2022}}

• In 2014, Loudwire ranked the album the 9th best thrash album not released by the Big Four.{{cite web|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|url=https://loudwire.com/best-thrash-albums-not-released-by-big-4/|title=10 Best Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4|website=Loudwire|date=May 15, 2014|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
• In 2015, VH1 listed the album as one of the greatest thrash debuts.{{cite web|last=McPadden|first=Mike|url=https://www.vh1.com/news/9waw2w/10-greatest-thrash-metal-debut-albums|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624192054/https://www.vh1.com/news/9waw2w/10-greatest-thrash-metal-debut-albums|url-status=live|archive-date=June 24, 2022|title=10 Greatest Thrash Metal Debut Albums|website=VH1|date=June 11, 2015|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
• In 2017, Loudwire also listed the album as the 30th best thrash metal album of all time.{{cite web|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|url=https://loudwire.com/top-thrash-metal-albums-all-time/|title=Top 50 Thrash Metal Albums of All Time|website=Loudwire|date=August 30, 2017|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
• In 2020, Revolver placed it on their list of "10 Criminally Underrated 80s Thrash Albums."{{cite magazine|last=Bennet|first=J.|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/10-criminally-underrated-80s-thrash-albums#slaughter-strappado|title=10 Criminally Underrated 80s Thrash Albums|magazine=Revolver|date=December 4, 2020|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
• The same year, Loudwire included the album on their list of the best debut thrash albums of all time.{{cite web|last=DiVita|first=Joe|url=https://loudwire.com/best-debut-thrash-metal-albums/|title=The 40 Best Debut Thrash Albums of All Time|website=Loudwire|date=June 3, 2020|access-date=March 16, 2022}}

{{Track listing

| all_lyrics = Jeff Waters, except where noted

| all_music = Jeff Waters

| total_length = 37:27

| all_writing =

| title1 = Crystal Ann

| note1 = instrumental

| length1 = 1:40

| title2 = Alison Hell

| lyrics2 = John Bates, Waters

| length2 = 5:00

| title3 = W.T.Y.D.

| note3 = Welcome to Your Death

| lyrics3 = Bates, Waters

| length3 = 3:56

| title4 = Wicked Mystic

| lyrics4 = Waters, Jody Weil

| length4 = 3:38

| title5 = Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade

| lyrics5 = Waters, Bates, Weil

| length5 = 3:33

| title6 = Word Salad

| length6 = 5:49

| title7 = Schizos (Are Never Alone) Parts I & II

| length7 = 4:32

| title8 = Ligeia

| length8 = 4:47

| title9 = Human Insecticide

| lyrics9 = Bates, Waters

| length9 = 4:50

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Bonus tracks - 1998 re-release

| total_length = 49:53

| title10 = Powerdrain

| note10 = Demo

| lyrics10 = Waters

| length10 = 2:49

| title11 = Schizos (Are Never Alone), Parts I & II

| note11 = Demo

| lyrics11 = Waters

| length11 = 4:18

| title12 = Ligeia

| note12 = Demo

| lyrics12 = Waters

| length12 = 4:56

}}

Annihilator

• Jeff Waters – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, classical guitar, bass, backing vocals, producer, mixing, lead vocals on bonus demo tracks
• Randy Rampage – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Ray Hartmann – drums
• Anthony Brian Greenham – rhythm guitar (credited, but does not perform)
• Wayne Darley – bass (credited, but does not perform), backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Dennis Dubeau – lead vocals (bridge on "Alison Hell"), backing vocals ("Alison Hell")
• Paul Blake – engineer
• Frank Donofrio – engineer
• Victor Dezso – photography
• Chris Gehringer – remastering
• Satoshi Kobayashi – reissue design
• Len Rooney – logo, cover art
• Recorded and mixed at Live West Productions, Fiasco Bros. Studios, New Westminster, Canada

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Category:Annihilator (band) albums

Category:1989 debut albums

Category:Roadrunner Records albums