American thrash legends OVERKILL have unleashed their seventeenth studio album, “White Devil Armory”, via eOne Music in 2014. The absolutely punishing collection of eleven tracks finds lead vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth sounding more psychotic than ever. This is how MEGADETH’s lackluster “Super Collider” should have sounded. I have always felt that OVERKILL was the most underrated thrash metal band of them all. Going to places of deep, pissed off fury in a blaze of face pummeling riffs and skull crushing drumming, Blitz & Co. – along with their vicious hardcore punk influence – truly show the younger thrashers how it’s done.
The slamming guitar team of Dave Linsk and Derek “The Skull” Tailer will blow you away with one goddamn electric lick after the next. Out the gate you will be assaulted by hard hitters, “Armorist”, the ass kicking “Down to the Bone”, and the masterful “PIG”, all filled with the insane drumming of Ron Lipnicki. Bassist D. D. Verni sounds totally wicked on this album. It’s so refreshing to actually hear the bass lines clearly on a thrash production. My personal favorite “Bitter Pill” is a slowed down, yet simply devastating track that will certainly gain them more fans. “I’m a black disease I won’t go away…”, sings Blitz.
Next up is the rampaging “Where There’s Smoke”, that will have you undoubtedly head banging out of control from start to finish. The guitar solo here is kick ass too. The momentim does not let up with next crushers “Freedom Rings” and “Another Day to Die”, which features more killer guitar soloing. This album is definitely going to be named one of the year’s best by all the critics. It might just be my choice for release of the year it’s that damn solid. It’s frightening to me how OVERKILL only seems to be getting more pissed off with age. The album concludes with the speedy “King of the Rat Bastards”, the perfectly chaotic sounding “It’s All Yours”, and the utterly brilliant “In the Name”. Any fan of heavy music, not just thrash, will want to pick up a copy of “White Devil Armory” and blast it proudly for all your neighbors to hear.
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
OVERKILL – “White Devil Armory” (CD)
(eOne Music/2014)
1. XDM
2. Armorist
3. Down to the Bone
4. PIG
5. Bitter Pill
6. Where There’s Smoke
7. Freedom Rings
8. Another Day to Die
9. King of the Rat Bastards
10. It’s All Yours
11. In the Name
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