Given that as I write this review, the only two Overkill
albums I have heard are this one and its predecessor, I guess I don't have the
history of the band to help guide my judgement. This could be a positive or a
negative in many respects, but it is what I have.
So, given that Overkill are a thrash metal band from the
1980's, you would have to say that this album holds up well, given it is a
thrash album in 2012. OK, so it's not any great leap from what thrash metal was
back in the early 1980's, though the production is a lot better than it was in
those days, and to be honest, even these songs would be faster if they were
written and recorded then. But this is a fair album given that.
In an age where the giants of the thrash metal age are still
out there putting metal to the masses, albeit in a less angry and not-quite-thrash-anymore-but-heavy-metal
kinda way, this album can still find a place amongst the groove metal and
progressive metal and metalcore and power metal bands that flourish in greater
quantity (though not necessarily quality) than pure thrash metal does.
If you like this style of metal, there is plenty here to
like. Solid song structure, good rhythm section, solo's to suit and vocals that
hold it all together. I would include "Electric Rattlesnake",
"Save Yourself" and "Good Night" as some of my favourite
songs from the album.
It's easy to say that there isn't a whole lot new here, and
by that I mean that you could easily hear this coming from a thrash album in
1985. In the same way that bands like Exodus and Death Angel are still out
there producing good albums in this day and age, Overkill have proven here they
can still do the same.
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