Wrecking Your Neck (Part XVI)

Overkill – The Electric Age

EOne Music – 2012

Muthas, there are a few phrases that you will never, ever hear uttered in the world of Metal, such as “That Lars is a great drummer!” or “What a tender Slayer ballad” or “Overkill are a bunch of sellouts.” Especially that last one, because Overkill has been cranking out slab after slab of molten, pounding, pure steel since 1983 and they show zero signs of letting up.  They have never released a shitty album or buckled to trends in their entire existence.  Overkill has been called “The Motorhead of Thrash” for the strength of their catalog and their steadfast commitment to their signature sound. (As as an aside, does that make Motorhead the Motorhead of Motorhead? – huh?)

Here at The Metal Blog of Metal, we consider Overkill to be one of the true “Big Four of Thrash” bands (TM by Lars).  Let’s face facts, Metallica hasn’t been a Thrash band since 1988 and has sucked out loud since Metallica. Megadeth has always been clutching at the hem of Metallica’s cape and cranking out such shit as Risk along with some “return to form” albums that are middling at best.  Slayer hasn’t done anything interesting since Seasons, but at least they are consistent in their mediocrity.  Finally, Anthrax abandoned Thrash and wandered aimlessly from greatness (Sound of White Noise) to garbage (Volume 8), before finally crafting a great album with Worship Music. Through all of this nonsense, Overkill stood tall and unleashed nothing but excellent albums throughout Metal’s darkest days -- AKA the 90s. 

Like clockwork, you could rely on those Jersey boys to drop a new disc every two years that restored your faith in Metal.  Hell, 1997’s From The Underground and Below singlehandedly restored this writer’s faith in Metal during its least popular period.  Sure, some albums are better than others, and some even become personal favorites, but they have always been satisfying.  Which brings us to their newest and sixteenth (!) release overall, The Electric Age.  Did Overkill sell out and release a nu-metal, screamo, angst fest? Of course they fucking didn’t.  That shit ain’t never happening in this world or the next, as Blitz, D.D. and the boys will be cranking out more albums in Valhalla for Odin’s crew long after they are done here.  

The band has stayed true to their signature sound of pummeling Thrash sprinkled with a bit of traditional Metal and a pinch of groove. The Electric Age is not the all out, balls-to-the-wall, Thrash of Ironbound but has a bit more melody and variety.  It’s still a face-blasting, shredding, album of pure titanium with such scorchers as “Come and Get It,” “Wish You Were Dead,” and “Save Yourself.”  The first single, “Electric Rattlesnake,” typifies the varied nature of the songs with Thrashy verses and choruses and then a slower mid-section that quotes Sabbath’s “Supernaut.”  Very cool!  Check out the video below for “Electric Rattlesnake” for a taste of the goodness.

In addition, the record label released a “lyric video” for the track “Wish You Were Dead” and it’s got badassery in spades.  Check it out:

See what I mean?  Skull-splitting Metal for the rabid Thrasher in all of us.  MOSH!!!

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The Bottom Line:  Buy this shit.  Don’t be some hipster asshole that whines about how Overkill albums all sound alike because it’s called a signature sound, you shitbird! The Electric Age is yet another superb album in the Overkill legacy and should be in your collection.  Buy or die!

As always, MAKE MINE METAL!!