925. Overkill / Feel the Fire. 1985. 3/5

In amongst the explosion of thrash metal bands that proliferated the scene in the early to mid-1980's came a band that had its early basis in its punk roots, before finally breaking clear and finding its feet in the metal scene. Far away from the west coast of the U.S, Overkill perfected their style and then unleashed their debut album upon the world, revealing a highly ordered and exciting release. This then is Feel the Fire.

At this end of the thirty year cycle away from the beginnings of this thrash awakening, there is a need to be able to compare all of those albums of that era, and judge them on how well they stand up against each other. My forays into the genre at that time came with the Big 4, and not a lot outside of that, mostly though an inability to source the material easily, and the requirement of a line of cash that I didn't have during my teenage years. Thus I came into albums by bands like Overkill well beyond their start date, and I am therefore not as knowledgeable as I could have been under the circumstances. This absolutely waters down how I feel about the albums of bands such as Overkill and Nuclear Assault because I don't have that important connection with them at the time they were released.
Still, there is no doubting the origins of the music on Feel the Fire, and everything fits into the places it should. "Raise the Dead" is a certified opening track, which almost pretends to be a doom Sabbath like track before flowing into steadying heart of the song, amplified by the twin solo break. This jumps nicely into "Rotten to the Core", which rattles along at that great thrash speed, and with the built in crowd chanting chorus line, it is a winning combination. "Hammerhead" has similar connotations as well as riff and drum speed. The title track "Feel the Fire" rips along at an uncompromising speed and a wonderful bass line underlying the whole song. The band track "Overkill" is probably still the starring event on the album, reminding one of Mercyful Fate in sections.
There's nothing here that will strike you as out of the ordinary - apart from the fact that they were at the vanguard of the thrash movement, perhaps riding along on the coattails of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer, but a part of that none the less. Rat Skates and D. D. Verni do a great job as the rhythm section, not only holding the music in pattern at the speed that the songs are played, but holding their own within the mix. Skates' drum rolls and double kick throughout provide that solid base that thrash metal thrives on. Bobby Gustafson is excellent on guitar, careering along rhythmically with his fellow musicians, but also laying down some excellent solo sections along the way. Bobby Ellsworth screams along nicely, getting the vocals down in the right places without taking up too much of each track, allowing the band to be centre stage. Musically this excellent, if not technically superior, but it gives you what you want in regards to speed and thrashing. There are even the slower pieces in songs like "There's No Tomorrow" and "Kill At Command" that show that they are not just a one trick pony - from which they naturally then explode back into the song with searing guitar solos.

For those that enjoy their thrash metal, you already have this album. There are bands out there that have done it better, but plenty who have done it a lot worse. As a first up effort there is a lot to enjoy.

Rating:  "Beware the sound of a galloping horse, Overkill has another corpse...".   3/5