Jeff Waters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Waters
|
|
|---|---|
Jeff Waters at Rockharz Open Air 2016 in Germany
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | February 13, 1966 Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Thrash metal, speed metal, progressive metal, heavy metal, groove metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record engineer & producer, songwriter, studio owner |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Jeff Waters (born February 13, 1966) is a talented Canadian musician. He is best known as the founder, leader, and producer of the heavy metal band Annihilator. Jeff was born in Ontario, Canada, and now lives in the UK.
Since 1994, Jeff has owned his own recording studio called Watersound Studios. It was first in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, then in Ottawa, Ontario, and now it's in the UK.
Contents
Jeff Waters' Early Life
Jeff Waters grew up with a father who was in the military and a mother who was a teacher. His family lived in different places, including Ottawa and Camp Borden in Ontario, and London, England. When he was young, he took lessons for both classical and jazz guitar.
Jeff has mentioned many famous musicians and bands who inspired him early on. These include Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Michael Schenker, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath. He started by listening to bands like Elton John, Kiss, and AC/DC.
Later, he moved on to heavier rock music like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. He also got into "thrash metal" bands like Razor and Exciter. These early bands had a big impact on his own metal music.
Annihilator: Jeff Waters' Band
Jeff Waters started the band Annihilator in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1984. He wrote and recorded a song called "Annihilator" with singer Big John Bates. This first version of the song was later released on a special album in 2005.
Over the years, Jeff often changed the musicians who played in Annihilator. Because of these changes, Jeff took on many roles himself. He played bass guitar, worked as an engineer and producer, and wrote songs, all while being the main guitar player.
Eventually, Jeff started to enjoy working with different musicians. He had vocalist Dave Padden in the band for 12 years, from 2003 to 2014. Jeff Waters has also sung lead vocals on six of Annihilator's studio albums. He also sang on specific songs like "Holding On" and "Too Far Gone."
Annihilator has been touring a lot in Europe and Asia since 1989. Even though they don't tour much in Canada and the US, Annihilator is one of the best-selling Canadian metal bands ever. Most of their music sales come from Asia and Europe.
Jeff Waters' Musical Impact
Jeff Waters is highly respected in the metal music world. People admire his amazing technical skills and how well he can play different styles on the guitar. In Annihilator, he plays very difficult parts on rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, and even acoustic and classical guitar.
He plays challenging music with great speed, smoothness, and accuracy. He has also made acoustic versions of some Annihilator songs.
Many metal musicians around the world say that Jeff Waters has influenced their own music. Artists from bands like Slipknot, Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, and Lamb of God have said he influenced them. Others are simply big fans of Annihilator or Jeff's guitar playing.
A music writer named Joel McIver even called Jeff Waters the third best metal guitar player in his 2008 book. Jeff Waters has also been compared to Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters. This is because both musicians can play many different instruments.
It is also said that Jeff Waters has secretly written many popular country and pop songs for other artists.
His studio, Watersound Studios Inc., has been around since 1994. In 2003, Jeff moved his home and studio to Ottawa, Ontario. He is known as a skilled engineer and producer for mixing and mastering music.
There is another independent musician named Jeff Waters from Baltimore, Maryland. However, their music is different, and they are not related.
Jeff Waters' Equipment
When Jeff Waters first started his career, he used a Hamer Flying V guitar. Around 1994, he began trying out other guitars. For a few years, he used classic models like a Gibson SG and a Gibson Les Paul. This helped him get many different sounds for Annihilator's music.
He also sometimes used a Fender Stratocaster in the studio. For live shows, he used a Gibson Flying V Gothic. Jeff has also used an ESP Dave Mustaine signature Flying V guitar. He used this guitar to record the album Schizo Deluxe.
Currently, Jeff Waters plays Epiphone Annihilation-V Guitars. These are his own special models, available in red or black. They have a special tremolo system, custom pickups, and a "kill switch." The Annihilation-V shape is similar to the original Flying V, but it's smaller. It also has four decorative lines and a rubber patch to stop it from slipping.
For his amplifiers, he used the Hughes and Kettner Coreblade head. Now, he uses the EVH 5150III amplifier. He also had his own special overdrive pedal called the Jeff Waters Devil Drive, but it is no longer made.
Jeff Waters' Personal Life
Jeff Waters married Angie in 2018. They live in Durham, England, where he continues to run his recording studio, Watersound Studios.
Annihilator Discography
- Alice in Hell (1989)
- Never, Neverland (1990)
- Set the World on Fire (1993)
- King of the Kill (1994)
- Refresh the Demon (1996)
- Remains (1997)
- Criteria for a Black Widow (1999)
- Carnival Diablos (2001)
- Waking the Fury (2002)
- All for You (2004)
- Schizo Deluxe (2005)
- Metal (2007)
- Annihilator (2010)
- Feast (2013)
- For the Demented (2017)
- Metal II (2022)
Amerikan Kaos Discography
- Armageddon Boogie (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Waters para niños
