An integral part of the early 1980s thrash metal movement, New Jersey quartet Overkill were formed in 1980 by vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and guitarist Bobby Gustafson, and also included bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Rat Skates (later replaced by Sid Falck). The band garnered a reputation for brutal, pounding speed and technique, but lacked the musical diversity to compete with heavy hitters like Metallica; still, Overkill built up a strong following in the metal underground with albums like 1985's Taking Over and 1988's Under the Influence. Gustafson quit in 1989 following the Years of Decay album, and was replaced by Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant…
An integral part of the early 1980s thrash metal movement, New Jersey quartet Overkill were formed in 1980 by vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and guitarist Bobby Gustafson, and also included bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Rat Skates (later replaced by Sid Falck). The band garnered a reputation for brutal, pounding speed and technique, but lacked the musical diversity to compete with heavy hitters like Metallica; still, Overkill built up a strong following in the metal underground with albums like 1985's Taking Over and 1988's Under the Influence…
An integral part of the early 1980s thrash metal movement, New Jersey quartet Overkill were formed in 1980 by vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and guitarist Bobby Gustafson, and also included bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Rat Skates (later replaced by Sid Falck). The band garnered a reputation for brutal, pounding speed and technique, but lacked the musical diversity to compete with heavy hitters like Metallica; still, Overkill built up a strong following in the metal underground with albums like 1985's Taking Over and 1988's Under the Influence. Gustafson quit in 1989 following the Years of Decay album, and was replaced by Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant…
Overkill, the seminal American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They are often called 'the Motörhead of thrash metal', based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal. They were also one of the first thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the 'big four' (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament. Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with their second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987) which acclaimed global praise & chart success. The band's next five studio albums were also on Atlantic —Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. (1994) and were also successful on a global scale, making them one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands. Overkill now have nineteen studio albums under their belt and continue to tour the world to huge audiences still to this day. This 6CD clam shell box set includes : Taking Over, Under The Influence, The Years Of Decay, Horrorscope, I Hear Black & W.F.O. All six albums mastered from original tapes in one collectors CD box.
Although it isn't as extensive as No Remorse, All the Aces: The Best of Motörhead does gather the best-of-the-best of that collection, as well as the cream of the uneven, Bill Laswell-produced Orgasmatron (although the "Ace of Spades" remix that closes the original track listing could have been left off in favor of another, more necessary item). There's plenty of quality material from Motörhead's early-'80s heyday that didn't make the cut here, so it's better to think of All the Aces as a concise survey rather than a definitive encapsulation…