Review Summary: Overkill goes thrashier than before with Ironbound, making an awesome album for the band fans and metal listeners overall...
In the blazing 80´s, the thrash metal genre had its pinnacle with bands emerging from every corner, in every country. In the US, while Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax were receiving much more attention, there were bands that, even thrashing as hard as those forementioned bands, didnt get much attention from media or even thrash fans: that´s
Overkill, one of the US most solid thrash bands. They embraced the thrash genre since its inception, never releasing “St. Angers”, “Risks” or “Diabolus´ in Musicas”, but at the same time, never getting repetitive.
Following 2007´s Immortalis,
Overkill released Ironbound, an powerful album that reminds us that Overkill, while implementing a modern production in its music, will never forget the soul from their first albums. And with no doubt, this album shows that
Overkill should get as much attention as Metallica and Slayer, making this possibly one of the best 2010 albums.
Starting with a thick-sounding bass on “The Green and Black”, it might sound that the band addopted its groovy feeling from the mid-90´s albums, but at 1.35 you will recognize its not that way. And all you get after that are many variations instrumental and vocally, resembling their most thrashy years, specially albums like Horrorscope and The Years of Decay. Tight and remarkable riffs are everywhere (Ironbound, Bring me the Night), D.D. Verni´s lethal bass lines are everywhere as well(The Green and Black, ), and with the pounding and agressive drums the tracks feel really heavy. Solos are well distribuited, changing moods from “fast shreddy” stuff to “lots of feel” kind of solos and there are cool acoustic moody outros and intros in many songs (The Goal is Your Soul, The Head and Heart).
Besides the awesome instrumental work, you gotta put some credit on Bobby “Blitz” singing, which most of the time its agressive, with piercing screams and devastating shrieks along the tracks. Its his singing that makes some tracks powerfully catchy (Bring me The Night, Ironbound), and give a moody feeling to some parts of some songs (Give a Little), which is really impressive, because I thought he would not be able to sing cool like that.
While delivering what the fans always want,
Overkill´s new album its recommended to anyone searching raw agression and kick-*ss riffs. A really impressive album from a band that never was bad, destroying weak thrash releases from big bands (World Painted Blood, Death Magnetic) and overcoming other good ones (EndGame). Being that or not, Ironbound makes us forget how average Immortalis (2007) was and will probably be one of the best of 2010. As Bobby “Blitz” said, its a real “thrasher-piece”.
The Good: Lethal Riffs, agression, catchiness, bass always audible
The Bad: some tracks get slightly but temporarily boring, some people might not like Bobby´s voice
Keep the Good job Overkill.... always making honest and fast music.
RECOMMENDED: Bring me the Night, Ironbound, Give a Little
Well... don´t be too harsh. I´m brazilian and this is my first review... thanks.
