ANNIHILATOR Guitarist Recalls Touring With JUDAS PRIEST

ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters has posted the following statement on the band's web site responding to questions about a possible ANNIHILATOR/JUDAS PRIEST North American tour in support of their upcoming release, "Schizo Deluxe":

"I've had quite a few people ask if ANNIHILATOR was supporting the mighty JUDAS PRIEST again on their second leg of the North American tour this fall. Nope. Obviously the reunited ANTHRAX were chosen rightfully for the support slot but ANNIHILATOR was on their 'list' of possible support acts. It sure would have been great to tour with them for a third time (yikes, how lucky would that have been?!) but until we spread 'Schizo Deluxe' through the USA/Canada, tours like that won't be coming our way!

"Last summer was a blast for us as the Metal Gods asked us again to join up again for pat of their reunion Europe tour. As ANNIHILATOR and European fans know, we also supported PRIEST in 1991 on the 'Painkiller' Europe tour. An unknown-in-Europe act named PANTERA was the opener. What a killer tour that was, as you could imagine: PRIEST, ANNIHILATOR and PANTERA. I think the next time PANTERA travelled to Europe, I'd heard they'd had sold out the entire tour before even leaving the USA!

"Anyway, that tour alone was an honor to hook up with these great bands but to get asked again last summer??!! I look forward to seeing them from the crowd rather than the stage this time; not too bad for a kid from Ottawa!"

ANNIHILATOR's eleventh studio album, "Schizo Deluxe", is scheduled for release on the following dates: Japan (Marquee Inc.) on October 21; North America (Locomotive/Warner) on November 8; and Europe (AFM Records) on November 14.

"Schizo Deluxe" (view cover at this location) track listing:

01. Maximum Satan
02. Drive
03. Warbird
04. Plasma Zombies
05. Invite It
06. Like Father, Like Gun
07. Pride
08. Too Far Gone
09. Clare
10. Something Witchy

+ 3-4 bonus tracks, depending on the territory

Commented ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters: "This CD is dedicated to our fans and all metal fans. This time around, I went right for the throat: 100 percent thrash metal with an attitude. No ballads. No breaks in the insanity. 'Schizo Deluxe' is what a lot of metal fans have been screaming at me to give them this time: brutal guitar riffs and solos, second-to-none musicianship and back-to-the-roots thrash/heavy metal metal songwriting."

ANNIHILATOR's last album, "All for You", was released in Europe in May 2004 through AFM Records. The CD, which was produced, mixed and engineered by ANNIHILATOR mastermind Jeff Waters at Watersound Studios in Canada, marked the recording debut with the group of new singer Dave Padden, who replaced previous vocalist Joe Comeau (ex-OVERKILL, LIEGE LORD) in June 2003. A five-song EP, entitled "The One", was also issued containing two bonus video clips.