JamesT

I really enjoyed reading this response! I listened through 6 full albums today: "Necroshine", "Bloodletting", "Killbox 13", "Immortalis", "The Electric Age", and "White Devil Armory", and I made it through 8 of the 11 tracks on "The Grinding Wheel" before I had to remove the headphones to leave the office. And I must say, even though there aren't any Overkill albums I truly dislike, I've really been sleeping on "Bloodletting"! That album is fantastic. What makes Overkill so great is that there's something to love on every album. And my mistake! I didn't realize I was on the right track with giving a bit of a shortened rundown of the catalog! In that longer list of songs in my previous post, I included 2 tracks from each of the most recent 6 albums, beginning with "Ironbound", so hopefully that gave some insight into my thoughts. But to go a bit deeper on the 3 modern albums that you mentioned aren't your cup of tea as of now, "White Devil Armory" is excellent all the way through. I'd highlight "PIG" and "Bitter Pill" like I mentioned earlier, but also "Down to the Bone" and "Where There's Smoke...". The song structures are interesting and engaging, and the guitar work is great. The drums from Lipnicki are a major highlight that get often overlooked. "The Grinding Wheel" was the album that changed some things up from the preceding 3 albums. The songs were longer and more complex. I've read some complaints that the album is too long, but that's a complaint I'll never understand. That, however, is a soap box for a different day! The album doesn't feel long to me at all. The opening track, "Mean, Green, Killing Machine" is a gut punch immediately, and tracks like "Shine On", "Red, White, and Blue", and "The Wheel" are pure thrashers. Then you have tracks that mix up the tempo a bit, such as "Let's All Go to Hades" and the album closer, the title track. The outro on the title track is almost haunting. The intro to "The Long Road" reminds me of classic Iron Maiden in terms of the guitar harmonies. It's a masterpiece in my view. I know "Ironbound" has been a frequent mention in our posts, but I feel I should at least make a few observations. Firstly, it's incredible that an album so fierce followed a couple of lesser liked albums like "Relix" and "Immortalis". No idea where the ferocious return to pure thrash came from, but I'm so glad it happened! Secondly, the guitar work is phenomenal. Every solo is perfectly placed, and there's actually quite a bit of variation in the song structures. "The Green and Black" is the 8+ minute epic to open the album, and the final 3 tracks are all thrashers. But then you have songs like "The Goal is Your Soul" and "The Head and Heart", which slow things down a bit, but without sacrificing any of the heaviness - and I mean not one single bit! "Endless War" is the X-factor of the album for me. The first few seconds are a great build-up and then the double-bass drumming kicks in with the guitar shredding fading into the sound as the song really gets going. It's just such a well-executed song and a big favorite of mine. And I know you mentioned that you really don't like "Bring Me the Night", but that is one of my favorite thrash songs of all time, period. And hey, it's cool if you still can't get into it after another listen or two - we all have our tastes, as you've said. For me, the blinding pace of the song combined with the solo toward the latter half (with furious drumming), is everything I want in a thrash song. "The Wings of War" is an album that actually had to grow on me a bit after the first couple of listens. But grow, it did! I love that album now. "Batshitcrazy" is killer, and "Welcome to the Garden State" brings that fun punk element into the mix. "Head of a Pin" is a big favorite from that album for me as well. "Where Few Dare to Walk" would be a bit of a wild card for me. It's a great change of pace and a very engaging listening experience. I'd venture to say you and I both are still allowing "Scorched" to continue to digest! As of now, the title track, "The Surgeon", "Twist of the Wick", "Fever", and "Know Her Name" all stand out. But I truly enjoy the entire album - no surprise there! I've listened to it all the way through 8 times now, and it has gotten better with each listen. Can't wait to play it again! Thanks again for the chance to Fanboi about Overkill!

Always great to get a chance to talk Overkill with a fellow Fanboi - which describes me precisely! I actually just recently listened through the entire 20-album catalog again - great timing! For me, production quality comes majorly into play. If the sound is thin, lacking in any sort of "bottom end", or is just generally lacking in "crunch", it's much more difficult for me to get into the music, personally. Having said that, songwriting is what's most important, so I do try and listen to the music with that being the ultimate lens through which I view (or hear) it. For me, "Ironbound" is an absolutely phenomenal release, from beginning to end. "The Green and Black" kicks things off, and the title track and my personal favorite, "Bring Me the Night", continue the blazing trail. The final 3 tracks, "In Vain", "Killing for a Living", and "The SRC" are crushers to end the album. It's a stone cold classic in every sense in my book. As great as it is, "The Electric Age" is my favorite Overkill album of all, which is incredible, given the album it follows. The modern crunch of these recent albums does have a lot to do with it, but I do genuinely think the songwriting is legendary. The material remains interesting and engaging all the way through, which certainly isn't the case for a lot of generic thrash bands, whose music I forget within minutes of listening to it. The appeal of repeated listens is something I use to judge how much I like the music, in any case. As for their classic era when compared with their modern output, I absolutely love the first 5 albums. As I've mentioned before, I have "Taking Over", "The Years of Decay", and "Horrorscope" all in my top 5 of my Overkill discography ranking. In fact, my top 11 consists of those classic first 5 albums and their most recent 6 albums, so I have a solid mix of their catalog represented at the top. "Under the Influence", for example, has incredible songs, but the production is so flat, the songs aren't done the justice they deserve. Perhaps a reissue is in the works! "Taking Over" is a glorious ride from beginning to end. I'd have zero issue whatsoever with anyone who ranked that album as #1. "Deny the Cross", "Wrecking Crew", and "Fear His Name" comprise perhaps the best 3-headed monster to begin any album in the catalog. "The Years of Decay" is probably the most diverse album they've ever done and is legendary and deserving of all of the praise it gets. "Horrorscope" does a great job of mixing up speed and slower tempos but never sacrifices ferocity. I have different things I like about each album, regardless of which era it falls in. "Killbox 13" is a highly underrated album and seemed to herald a return to a more thrash-y sound, although the two albums that followed it didn't exactly continue in that vein. "Ironbound" was the true return to thrash a few years later. "The Grinding Wheel" is a special album. It changed some things up from the trilogy that immediately preceded it, with a lot of NWOBHM (specifically Iron Maiden) influences mixed in with the thrash. The longer, more complex song structures really came together very nicely. "The Wings of War" was an album that really grew on me after a few listens ("Last Man Standing" is just a fierce opener). Anyway, I know you didn't come for a rundown of the catalog! I would just say that songs like "Ironbound", "Bring Me the Night", "Electric Rattlesnake", "Drop the Hammer Down", "PIG", "Bitter Pill", "Shine On", "Mean, Green, Killing Machine", "Last Man Standing", "Head of a Pin", "Scorched", and "Know Her Name" all stand up to anything in the classic era, both in terms of interest level and genuinely masterful songwriting, which just goes to show how incredible this band is. I think nostalgia often is the driver behind the love people have for certain albums - and that's perfectly understandable! Nostalgia is a wonderful thing. However, the songs are recorded at a specific point in time, and they are what they are. Nostalgia doesn't have any bearing on the actual quality of the material. So I try and remove that from the equation when evaluating for myself what I think of newer material as it's released. The classic era is fantastic, because the songs truly hold up. The newer era is just as good - even better in some cases - for the exact same reason. The songs are well written and well executed, and they never, ever get old! I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to Fanboi in spectacular fashion over my favorite thrash band of all time! I'm going to play a lot of Overkill through the headphones on this glorious Friday! I truly enjoy our interactions on here and look forward to more of your thoughts! Have a great Friday!

"Titans of Creation" is phenomenal! It's my second favorite Testament album of them all, only behind "The Gathering". While Overkill is my favorite thrash band of all time, and I've loved every second of every album beginning with "Ironbound" and extending up through "Scorched" (in terms of their modern output), Testament's latest offering (as of right now) is pure genius. Not better than Overkill, but still very good. Chuck is still going strong these days, and I can't wait to see how they follow up "Titans of Creation". Each of these last 4 albums now has been fantastic.

Riot - "Rock City" Be'lakor - "Stone's Reach" Really enjoyed this melodeath experience. Crypta - "Echoes of the Soul" Fantastic all-female death metal band - formed by 3/4 of the former Nervosa lineup. Heaven & Hell - "The Devil You Know" A true shame they could only release this one album due to Dio's passing. Fantastic stuff. Dog Tired - "The Red Verse" Solid groove/stoner metal band. Not as crazy about this newer offering as some of their previous albums, such as "It Came from the Sun" or "Titan", but still really good.

Stallion - "Rise and Ride" Fantastic newer traditional metal band. Soaring vocals that get more aggressive on occasion and some incredible guitar work. RAM - "Forced Entry" Another great new(er) traditional metal band. The guitar work is incredible. Enforcer - "Into the Night" Shredding all over the place on this speed metal masterpiece. Black Sabbath - "Mob Rules" This one needs no explanation. RIP Dio.

Metal Church - "Congregation of Annihilation" KK's Priest - "Sermons of the Sinner" Accept - "Blood of the Nations" Enforced - "Kill Grid" Enforced - "War Remains" Good grief, what an incredible band! Had these two albums on repeat this afternoon/evening. My favorites of the more modern wave of thrash are: Angelus Apatrida, Enforced, Evile, Havok, and Warbringer. Enforced have jumped into that group with a vengeance!

I just played through "Congregation of Annihilation" twice more today, and I'm loving it more and more with each listen. Mark's vocals are just fierce! And I absolutely love every single album you just mentioned. Fantastic collection, my friend!

Glad to hear you're digging it! I'll be listening to it again today, myself.

Excellent! I'll be eager to hear what you think!

The tunes are fantastic in my opinion! Mark Lopes has the perfect voice for the band. The guitar work is great, and the songs are engaging all the way through. Highly recommended!

Saxon - "Denim and Leather" Saxon - "Strong Arm of the Law" Evile - "The Unknown Metal Church - "Congregation of Annihilation" Mark Lopes is a fantastic singer! Really couldn't have picked a better replacement for the late Mike Howe, may he rest in peace.

Awesome! Yet another band we have in common! I enjoy the entire 23-album catalog to some degree or another. I'm actually listening through "Crusader" today. "Power and the Glory" is a true masterpiece. Looking forward to listening through the remainder of the catalog for the second time in the last few weeks. And I'll probably start it again after that!

Saxon - "Rock the Nations" Saxon - "Innocence is No Excuse" Love this band so much.

Saxon - "Destiny" Definitely my least favorite Saxon album, but it's not as bad as I originally assessed. Saxon - "Solid Ball of Rock" Incredibly underrated Saxon - "Forever Free" Saxon - "Dogs of War" Unbelievably underrated Saxon - "Unleash the Beast" Saxon - "Metalhead" One of their heaviest Saxon - "Killing Ground" Underrated big time

Whether I asked or not, it's always great to hear from you, my friend! That's a completely fair point. The Metallica influence - or downright rip-off - is immediately obvious here. Ol' Drake has completely overhauled his vocal style from "Hell Unleashed" and is definitely trying to channel his inner Hetfield on "The Unknown". Admittedly, I turn to Evile for some great thrash, so I can certainly still say I'd rather they continue with the sound from the previous album. However, I've found that if I try and take the thrash expectation out of the equation (much like I do for the newer Metallica output), I'm able to give the material a better chance. I will say, I'm still not necessarily digging this new Evile album yet, but I'm hoping it will grow on me. It was a long, 8-year absence before "Hell Unleashed", so I'm glad to have these guys back!

Interesting review! Thanks for sharing! It sounds like a fairly positive review, all things considered. It acknowledges the change in sound, and it does criticize the order of the tracks to some degree. But overall, it sounds like a recommended listen. It sounds like they have taken a bit of a similar path as Metallica did all those years ago, by switching up from straightforward thrash to just plain heavy metal. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, as I quite enjoy these last 3 Metallica albums now. I'll give "The Unknown" some more listens with an open mind.

It seems a rather odd direction for them to take. After an absence of 8 years between "Skull" (2013) and "Hell Unleashed" (2021), they returned with a vengeance. "Hell Unleashed" is crushing from start to finish. After hearing that Matt Drake had left the band, and Ol' Drake would be taking over vocal duties, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. I'd rank the album as their second best, only behind the debut, "Enter the Grave". Now, just a couple of years later, they release this new one, and it's just a completely different sound. I have a feeling that I'll personally grow to like it more as time goes on, but I had hoped they would continue in the vein of "Hell Unleashed" on future releases. I'll be curious to read more reviews of the album as they're written!

Completely understandable! After hearing some more of it, this one will take some more listens to grow on me, if it does.

Raven - "All Hell's Breaking Loose" Evile - "The Unknown" New releases from Raven and Evile over the last couple of weeks? Count me in! Having very different reactions to these two albums so far. Loving the new Raven album (do I detect some semblance of blast beats here and there??), but I'm still trying to decide what I think of this new Evile album. My immediate impression is "where is the thrash?" These guys are my 3rd favorite new wave thrash band, right behind Angelus Apatrida and Havok, but this is the first time I've been perplexed by one of their releases. The whole catalog is enjoyable, but this new one is very different from "Hell Unleashed" from 2021. I'm sure it'll grow on me - I just didn't expect what I heard!

AC/DC - "Powerage" AC/DC - "Highway to Hell" The GOAT of rock 'n' roll never disappoints!

Lionheart - "Welcome to the West Coast" Lionheart - "Valley of Death" Veering into some hardcore this morning. It'll certainly help get me through the work day!

Motorhead - "Snake Bite Love" Motorhead - "We Are Motorhead" Motorhead - "Hammered" Saxon - "Lionheart" HammerFall - "Glory to the Brave" HammerFall - "Legacy of Kings" It's simply appropriate to quote Motorhead here and just say it's been "another perfect day"!

As a die-hard thrash fan, I must say this is an excellent recommendation! Much appreciated!

Motorhead - "Another Perfect Day" Motorhead - "Bastards" Motorhead - "Sacrifice" Motorhead - "Overnight Sensation" RIP Lemmy

Awesome! Much appreciated, Mr. GG! After the excellent information you provided in your thrash list that you put together when we spoke about that awhile ago, I'm looking forward to checking some of these out.