Anihilated - Anti Social Engineering

Anihilated are a fucking class act. Their last album, iDeviant, was so good that I even awarded it my second favourite release of 2013 - an accolade that isn't easy to get from yours truly! So it goes without saying that my expectations of Anihilated's followup were extremely high, almost unrealistically so... how can you top an album like i-fucking-Deviant? By releasing Anti Social Engineering, that's how.

Never ones to shy away from addressing the state of the world, Anihilated have this time turned their attention to technology; namely, how the overabundance of technology has completely changed the way we live, the way we interact, and the way we receive information. Instead of having a good old chinwag face to face, everyone just emails or texts each other... technology has destroyed the basics of human interaction that we've held so dear since the dawn of mankind, and suffice to say, the band are more tha a little pissed off over this level of social isolation. So Anti Social Engineering isn't exactly your average Beatles record, somehow managing to be faster and heavier than iDeviant, yet boasting a colossal leap forward in songwriting quality and variation that really sets it apart from its predecessor.

Songs such as Zombie 13 and the crushing title track bring about the blistering thrash metal that the band are so well known for, yet we're treated to some more melodic leads and interludes throughout the record that really give everything a kick in the balls; Seas of Red has a particularly memorable lead refrain that I just can't get out of my head (you fuckers, Anihilated!) and I find myself chanting the chorus to Seas of Red in the shower almost daily now. Perhaps one of the more alluring features of the record is the allstar lineup on Thrashing Crew: vocalist Simon Cobb is joined by none other than D.A.M's Jason McLoughlin, Virus' Coke Finlay and Onslaught's Sy Keeler to belt out a real UK thrash metal anthem that, in this critic's semi-professional opinion, has been long overdue. My love of all four gents' bands is well known, so to hear them collaborating on such a fantastic song is sure to moisten to knickers of all British thrash fans within seconds... as for the rest of the album, what can I say about it without doing a pathetic track-by-track rundown? Not much, so I'll simply end this review abruptly by stating that Anti Social Engineering serves as further proof - if any was needed - that Anihilated are one of the best bands to ever emerge from the British heavy metal scene. Disagree? Fair enough. But you're still wrong, you cunt.


  1. They Lie We Die
  2. Seas Of Red
  3. The Slaughter Continues
  4. Anti Social Engineering
  5. Zombie 13
  6. A Vile Congregation
  7. Torn By The Tooth
  8. Thrashing Crew
  9. Vultures
  10. I Am The Beholder

7th Vile Records
Reviewer: Dave Ingram Jr.
Apr 25, 2015

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