Overkill

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. Through much hard work and a slew of infamous live performances at New York area clubs like L'Amours, Overkill established a reputation as a blue-collar, working man's metal band…

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 mercifully chose to bide their time regarding the release of their first professionally produced live album. The early '90s brought us behind the scenes footage alongside then-new music videos in Videoscope, but other than bootlegs, quality live footage of Overkill was simply not easy to procure…

Overkill mercifully chose to bide their time regarding the release of their first professionally produced live album. The early '90s brought us behind the scenes footage alongside then-new music videos in Videoscope, but other than bootlegs, quality live footage of Overkill was simply not easy to procure. The real bummer here is that the this particular lineup of Overkill had the best stage presence along with seamless integration of the old material with the new…

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…

The band known for rejecting several names, which includes "Virgin Killer", this new band finally settled on "Overkill", naming themselves after a Motörhead album…

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…

Despite releasing albums steadily since 1985, Overkill has never been the subject of a true best-of collection, in which all of their best known studio tracks are neatly compiled. And while the 2002 import double-disc set Hello from the Gutter shows great promise, it ultimately falls short, since quite a few of Overkill's best tracks are included here as live versions. It's not to say that they're not worth hearing, just that when you plunk down the ducats for a compilation, you're expecting the best known renditions to be included…