Overkill
United States
Line-up
Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth - Vocals
D.D. Verni - Bass
Dave Linsk - Lead Guitar
Derek Tailer - Rhythm Guitar
Jason Bittner - Drums
Although everybody seems to have a different account of who came first in the world of New York/New Jersey area thrash metal, it seems certain that New Jersey’s Overkill have stayed around the longest, and have never let their fans down by remaining musically consistent and true to their roots for over 30 years.
There are few names as well respected as Overkill, and with the resurgence of metal in the music world, this band is poised to return to the top. Overkill are ready to show mature metal heads they still have it and are geared up to teach the new schoolers exactly how it’s done.
The band gained their first major label deal with 1987’s Taking Over. They signed to Atlantic and remained with the label for 7 years, based on the strength and consistency of their music. Under The Influence (1988) and 1989’s The Years of Decay (1989) brought Overkill to new heights in their career. Sid Falck would replace founding drummer Rat Skates on drums to bring his own brutal percussive assault to Verni’s already powerful rhythm section. The band had already established a rabid fan base with songs like “Rotten ToThe Core” and “Hammerhead” (as well as their infamous cover of D.O.A.’s “Fuck You”), and new songs like “Evil Never Dies” and “Hello From The Gutter” would become Overkill mainstays as well. A video for “Hello From the Gutter” was garnering much fan response when it received play on MTV’s Headbangers Ball.
The band’s W.F.O. album (1994) would be Overkill’s final album with Atlantic, as they would release their first official full-length live assault, Wrecking Your Neck on CMC in 1995. Overkill released 3 more full length albums (Killing Kind, From The Underground and Below, and Necroshine) by 2000.
Bloodletting (2000) was released on Metal-Is, and the band added guitarist Dave Linsk to the fray. The current Overkill lineup would be completed with the release of the live album Wrecking Everything, recorded in Asbury Park, NJ, and the addition of second guitarist Derek Tailer in 2002.
Overkill released Killbox 13, one of their most well-received albums to date, on Spitfire Records in 2003. ReliXIV and Immortalis followed, continuing the Overkill legacy.
On October 30, 2009, Overkill inked a multi-album deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's debut album for the label, Ironbound — which was described as a true 'thrashter-piece' — was released on February 9, 2010. The album received much acclaim, both critically and fan wise, and described by some as an instant classic.
This was followed up in 2012 with the release of The Electric Age, which continued the tone set on Ironbound, to much acclaim.
The band's latest album, White Devil Armory, was released on July 22nd, 2014
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