Artist - Overkill
Album - ReliXIV
Reviewer - Jake Wilson
After over 20 years and the upcoming release of their 14th album, ReliXIV, Over Kill have proven that they still have what it takes. These New Jersey locals have been prominent members of the thrash metal scene since the ‘80s and have set industry standards for high intensity thrash. First popularized by their 1988 hit ‘Hello from the Gutter’, Over Kill have managed to stay in the game and are doing well.
ReliXIV is entirely self produced by the band that decided after all these years they might just know how to do it themselves. They wanted a dirty sound, something that wasn’t over produced. Hopefully they will continue producing their own albums in the future…indeed sometimes less is more. The writing team of Over Kill, vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni, have once again created great metal that not only evolves over time and trend but still manages to stay true to it’s roots.
ReliXIV started a little slow for me at first with the first track ‘Within Your Eyes’ being just a little long at 6:05 in length but picks up quickly with the second and third tracks. Tracks 4, ‘Bats in the Belfry’ with it’s hooky riffs and excellent guitar solo, and 5 ‘A pound of Flesh’ with it’s fast double bass really stood out amongst the rest as well as tracks 7 ‘Wheelz’ and 8 ‘The Mark’ both having a groove that make you really get into the music. Their final track ‘Old School’ takes you back to their early days and even features Eddie Trunk and George Parente who used to run the Brooklyn club L’amours that helped put Over Kill on the map.
Overall I think anyone who enjoys good metal will not be disappointed in Over Kill’s latest ReliXIV. New fans will like the cutting edge metal while old fans will be more than content with the roots oriented style that although has obvious newer metal influences, still remains to be the old school thrash metal band that we all have followed since the beginning.
Track Listing:
1. WITHIN YOUR EYES
2. LOVE
3. LOADED RACK
4. BATS IN THE BELFRY
5. A POUND OF FLESH
6. KEEPER
7. WHEELZ
8. THE MARK
9. PLAY THE ACE
10. OLD SCHOOL
