Overkill - The Electric Age

[JamesT]

What an incredible slab of thrash from these New Jersey legends.  Released in 2012, "The Electric Age" comes 27 years after these masters of thrash unloaded their debut album "Feel the Fire" upon the metal world.  For these guys to still be releasing such quality material at this advanced stage of their career is a true testament to their talent and innovativeness.  Without further delay, let's dive into these tracks:

"Come and Get It" - Once again, these guys come at the listener with full force to open an album.  This track begins with an ominous intro that builds and builds until the band breaks into an all-out speed attack.  The guitar work is incredible here, with a pounding rhythm section and some face-melting solos.  Mr. Ron Lipnicki also cannot go unmentioned behind the drum kit.  Clocking in at 6:17 long, this song sets the listener up nicely for what is to come.

"Electric Rattlesnake" - Perhaps one of the most recognizable tracks from Overkill's recent output, this one also clocks in at over 6 minutes in length.  And if you thought they might take their foot off the gas for a moment following the blistering opener, think again.  These guys continue the killer thrash attack on this one.  The chorus for this one is particularly notable, as Blitz employs his menacing growl when he says "More...than you can take...!"  The song also takes an interesting turn, as the cadence and pace are changed up a bit in the middle section.  More killer solos are in store here, and the band's talents are all on full display.

"Wish You Were Dead" - Back to the theme of strong intros, this one kicks off with an intense build-up that culminates in Bobby Blitz unleashing a throat-ripping scream as the guitars and drums kick into high gear.  Another very well-placed solo section beefs up this track even more.

"Black Daze" - In terms of pace, we get our first break in the action on the 4th track.  But by no means is that to say that it isn't a heavy song.  It very much is.  This one carries a Pantera vibe, being more groove-oriented.  Even though it's the second-shortest song on the album, it still packs quite a punch and contains some of Blitz's best vocal work.  Great track.

"Save Yourself" - This one is another short track - the shortest on the album, in fact.  The vocals particularly stand out on this track, with some cool backing vocals that are quite melodic to complement Blitz in certain sections.  It also has another trademark vicious scream from Blitz toward the end.  More great soloing on this one, too.

"Drop the Hammer Down" - Back to another track that clocks in at more than 6 minutes, this one is a personal favorite for me.  The pace is blistering from start to finish and really pulls the listener in right away.  I'm beginning to sound like a broken record at this point, but the guitar work and the drums are top-notch once again.  

"21st Century Man" - This one might have my favorite chorus on the entire album.  During this section, the pace slows to a bit more of a groove, although it's still upbeat.  Just another fantastic track with energy and an incredible level of musicianship.

"Old Wounds, New Scars" - A song with the most humorous chorus on the album, this one kicks off with a great build-up before diving head-long into the thrash madness.  The drums really drive this track for most of its duration.  Just something about the way Blitz shouts "brand new scars!!" gets the listener ready to take on the world.  Again, another fantastic track.

"All Over But the Shouting" - This one is probably one of the most aggressive tracks on the album (although they all are to some extent).  This is another instance of a very memorable chorus, as the the guitars thunder even more loudly and the drums pound more fiercely as Blitz shouts "all over but the shouting now!" and "careful what you wish for, you may get it now!!" This one would have been a great one to end the album on, but they managed to pick an even better way to end it.

"Good Night" - Wow, what a way to close this thrashterpiece.  The song begins with an incredibly mellow, melodic intro, which is absolutely genius in its intention of lulling the listener into a state of relaxation...only to pummel the listener as the song really takes off.  This is an aggressive guitar-driven song that really showcases (for the thousandth time) the depth of talent in this guitar duo of Dave Linsk and Derek "The Skull" Tailer.  I can't think of a more perfect album ender than this one, with Blitz menacingly whispering "GOOD NIGHT" as the final note is hit.

To sum it all up, this album is absolutely incredible.  I'm a huge Overkill fan, and I own their entire discography.  "The Electric Age" is my favorite one of them all.  It does not let up at a single moment throughout.  Blitz is in top form, and the aforementioned guitar duo of Linsk and Tailer deserve every bit of praise that they receive for the technical precision and mastery of their instruments that they've displayed here.  And no worries, I won't forget to mention a huge piece to the puzzle, which is founding member DD Verni's bass work.  This guy is an absolute beast, who may not get as much credit as he deserves due to the instrument that he plays.  But he is as great as they come.  His bass sound is very distinct and prominent on just about all of their releases.  These thrash legends have 19 albums in their catalog at the time of this post, and we're set to get another album (their 20th) in February of 2022, as far as is known right now.  They have a ton of classics and have never released a truly bad album, and they're the gold standard of thrash metal, as far as I'm concerned.  No one has been consistent for as long as these guys have.  Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend this absolute masterpiece of an album.  Rock on, fellow metalheads!