Criteria for a Black Widow
Criteria for a Black Widow is the seventh studio album by Canadian band Annihilator, released in 1999 on Roadrunner Records. It sits between Remains (1997) and Carnival Diablos (2001), and it blends progressive, speed and thrash metal in a way that suits a band known for technical, riff-driven playing.
The record's big talking point is the line-up. It brought back the players from the Alice in Hell era, the band's 1989 debut, and it remains the only album to feature that reunited group. Bassist Wayne Darley chose not to return, so Russ Bergquist took his place. For anyone who loves those early Annihilator records, it is a curious and rewarding chapter to hear, with old partnerships picking up again ten years on.
Criteria for a Black Widow: tracklist and credits
10 tracks · 52:52Tracklist
- 1BloodbathJeff Waters and Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz5:22
- 2Back to the PalaceJeff Waters and Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz5:35
- 3PuncturedJeff Waters and Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz5:49
- 4Criteria for a Black WidowJeff Waters5:57
- 5Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part IIIJeff Waters5:53
- 6Nothing LeftJeff Waters and Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz4:52
- 7Loving the SinnerJeff Waters4:39
- 8Double DareJeff Waters and Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz5:27
- 9Sonic HomicideJeff Waters4:31
- 10MendingJeff Waters4:47
- Produced by
- Jeff Waters
- Recorded at
- Phantom Blitz Studios, Watersound Studios
- Recorded
- Phantom Blitz Studios, Watersound Studios Inc., Ottawa, Canada
- Mixed by
- Jeff Waters
- Mixed at
- Bakerstreet Studio
- Engineered by
- Paul Blake, Jeff Waters
- Mastered by
- Craig Waddell
- Label
- Roadrunner Records
- Length
- 52:52
Line-up
- Dave Scott Davis · guitar
- Ray Hartmann · drums (drum set), membranophone
- Jeff Waters · guitar, bass guitar
- Randy Rampage · lead vocals
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 1 June
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The best of 1999
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date sources disagree on the year (1999, 2000)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1 June 1999 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 1 June 1999 | |
| Wikidata | 2000 | |
| US release | 1 June 1999 | earliest US date |
7 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | Sanctuary Records | 4099964193336 | other |
| 1 June 1999 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861864026 | original |
| 21 June 1999 | JP | Roadrunner Records | 4988015085815 | other |
| 25 January 2000 | US | CMC International Records | 060768628427 | other |
| September 2010 | GB | Earache Records | 5055006539615 | other |
| 20 January 2021 | XW | earMUSIC | 4029759160236 | other |
| 13 May 2022 | XW | X5 Music Group | 5059460134898 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| coverartarchive | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |