Rather than letting Gustafson's exit and the resulting backlash from fans bring them down, Overkill shifted into an even higher, more brutal gear.ġ993's I Hear Black saw the departure of Sid Falck and the arrival of Tim Mallare, who would continue on with the band for over 10 years and still calls Overkill home today. In his place, the band recruited two guitarists, Rob Cannevino and Merritt Gant (ex-Faith or Fear), making them a 5-piece engine of destruction. Gustafson left the band to pursue other interests. A video for "Hello from the Gutter" was garnering much fan response when it received play on MTV's "Headbangers Ball."ġ991's Horrorscope would bring great changes for Overkill. The band had already established a rabid fan base with songs like "Rotten to the Core" and "Hammerhead" as well as their infamous cover of D.O.A.'s "Fuck You", and new songs like "Evil Never Dies" and "Hello from the Gutter" would become Overkill mainstays as well.
Sid Falck would replace Rat Skates on drums to bring his own brutal percussive assault to Verni's already powerful rhythm section. This relationship would last another 7 years based on the strength and consistency of Overkill's music.ġ988's Under the Influence and 1989's The Years of Decay represent Overkill in their prime. Verni, guitarist Bobby Gustafson, and drummer Rat Skates - were on a tear, borrowing heavily from punk rock roots while adding a venomous metal crunch that allowed them to compete favorably with peers like Testament, Anthrax, and Megadeth.īy 1987's Taking Over, the band had worked their way up to a deal with Atlantic Records. The self-proclaimed "Wrecking Crew" - originally consisting of vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, bassist D.D. After the band released a self-financed EP in 1984, Overkill broke onto the scene in 1985 with Feel the Fire, a crushing thrash assault on Megaforce Records, the label to beat when it came to 80's thrash. 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. 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 20 years and an unprecedented 14 full-length albums.
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