Nearly 45 years ago, Overkill founders Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and D.D. Verni set about laying down a dense, trend-proof, solid thrash foundation. Through the decades, the band has stayed true to its (rotten) core while successfully introducing in-your-face nuances and left turns that have seen the band make a unique evolution. From sparking a fire and wrecking everything in their way to sending greetings from the gutter to using strength and muscle to turn the grinding wheel while riding the wings of war, this hearty bunch of Jersey metalers is indeed a singular breed. That they never disappoint their large, loyal, and international fanbase is certainly not surprising.
Today marks the release of Scorched, Overkill’s latest batch of truly remarkable thrash masterpieces that incorporate elements of groove, traditional metal, and even some thrash and roll. The album is also a milestone, the band’s 20th studio album, a welcome and worthwhile addition to the group’s spotless discography.
Led by Ellsworth and Verni, Overkill today also includes the tasteful frenzy of Dave Linsk’s riffs and guitar solos, fellow axeman Derek “The Skull” Tailer’s immense, air-tight rhythmic charge, and drummer Jason Bittner’s deft and unrelenting work behind the kit. Then, of course, there’s Ellsworth’s unique, commanding vocals – his trademark high-notes and screams show no signs of letting up – and power of the pen as the band’s lyricist. Verni, songwriter-in-chief, delivers punchy, standout bass lines that provide groove and weave in and out of the six-string fretwork, throwing jabs like a heavyweight champion.
Overkill, on and off the stage, are gritty, determined, resourceful, passionate, and live by an incredibly strong work effort and ethos. It’s why they not only survived but thrived during the nineties grunge and alternative takeover. No matter the surrounding downturn, metalheads knew that they could turn their ears to Overkill.
Scorched, written over a four-year period due to the pandemic, boils with intensity through both barnburners and mid-tempo numbers. The record features stellar production and superb sonics courtesy of Colin Richardson, Chris Clancy, Johnny Rodd (not to be confused with the musician), and Maor Appelbaum. The album’s opening/title track sets the tone. A single note guitar pattern gives way to ominous, crashing chords and triumphant drum fills that herald the approaching, inimitable attack.
The band is relentless throughout. Lead single, “The Surgeon,” is all piercing riffs and includes an especially ripping solo. “Twist of the Wick” is a speed demon, “Won’t Be Comin’ Back” is all urgent determination, “Fever” is both simmering and explosive, and album closer “Bag o’ Bones” appropriately ends the proceedings with an inexorable storm of thrash and groove.
Determining your playlist this weekend is easy: Scorched on repeat, all the way through.
Overkill has been together nearly 45 years and Scorched is your 20th studio album. Where do you see the band at this time?
I’m a realist. I realize that, sure, we’re in the latter part of our career, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t relevant. To be a novelty act now would only be a disgrace. I think we’re still at the point where we push ourselves with regard to record to record. This one, having taken four years to do, it’s pretty obvious that it’s an eclectic offering of all the tools we had in the shed, except that we cleaned them off and put on WD-40 and made it nice and shiny. It’s a brand new coat of paint on an old house. Those results speak for themselves.
What were the advantages of having four years to write the album?
I was able to do it a few times. The demo was sent to me right before the pandemic. We were in Charlotte, North Carolina, when we got the notification that they were thinking of shutting the world down with regard to shows, a heads up that it was coming. When I got home on March 14, I was listening to what was going to be Scorched – or at least a skeletal version of it. For me to have four years, which was like three or four times the amount of time it usually takes to write a record, it gave me the opportunity to go through all my emotions. I’m feeling sorry for myself because I can’t see my friends, then “Oh my God the dog died, I’m stuck here by myself.” I had my list like everybody else. I was feeling sorry for myself, but that’s not us.
I tore that down and kept a few things. Then we moved on to the next version and tore that down and kept a few things. I didn’t really stop until I really had, in general, to me, what felt to be a positive pushback. In the song “Fever,” in the breakdown section I say “3/12/20 all shot down and I don’t know if I believe her.” That’s obviously pandemic, but I think that the fact that I added “I don’t know if I believe,” now I’m questioning it and it’s becoming more of a pushback. I think that once I achieved that positive energy… I had something that was at least recognizable as Overkill. The beauty of it was that that you actually see the spirits rise in the lyrics. By the time I got to the third or fourth version of those lyrics, it wasn’t depressing like in the beginning. At the end it was, “I’m not taking this anymore.” I wish I had a couple more months on the record but, hell, I had four years!
Scorched stays within thrash parameters but is also a diverse offering.
For sure it’s thrash. If you look at “The Surgeon,” which is the opening single, that’s Overkill 101 – that’s the template that always works for us. It’s in that template: that type of intro, that type of chorus. Everything from that point on is not just thrash – there’s a groove, but it has a rock-and-roll swing feel on some songs, and it has some progressive elements, some blast beats. The dynamics on the record are all over the place. The hardest thing about this record was making all those dynamics seem like an Overkill record. There’s traditional heavy metal in there that could’ve been done in the eighties.
We’re coming up on the 40-year anniversary of Feel the Fire, the band’s debut album. Are milestones a time of reflection for you?
I don’t sit in that space. I may someday, but I still think there’s always an excitement with most of the things that I do. I’m not a reminiscer. I might talk about the old days, but I do that knowing I’m in the present and enjoying it just as much now. They were all necessary steps to get to Scorched. I will say that one of the most proudest eras was that of the nineties when all things changed musically. Grunge called up all the thrash bands and said, “Hey, listen, you’re passé, so go work for your dad.” We never answered that call. We just let it ring. On Monday there were 100 thrash bands in the room and by Friday there were 10 standing – four of them were The Big 4. We understood the change and what we were going to do. All it did was clear a path. If all those bands went away we could go on the road and it was financially feasible and we could play to full houses. There were obviously some bowling alley tours, but there were also still real venues – Harpos in Detroit, Bogarts in Cincinnati, big places in Jersey like the Birch Hill. It was a unique time and we really squeezed every drop out of that washboard.
I attribute this to our management, which was down at L’amour. They taught D.D. and myself really well on how to be prepared and how to reinvent. Atlantic Records was going to go away – they were going to go away, there was no way to keep them on at that price as management. From there we just took it ourselves and kind of blazed a trail. We found Tom Lipsky at CMC Records. We hooked up with Rod Smallwood from Sanctuary. We found deals over in Europe. I drove a demo from New York all the way to Raleigh, North Carolina, to drop on [Lipsky’s] desk. The point is that it was an uncertain time but we had commitment to the principal and commitment to what we started, and we weren’t going to be pushed out that easy, so that’s why I’m so proud of that time period.
You’ve had several twin-guitar lineups over the course of Overkill’s career without missing a beat.
I suppose it’s because we don’t tell them what to do, just maybe a steering in the direction. Think about it: Dave’s been here since 1999, it’s a 24-year period he’s been in the band. It’s the longest standing guy other than D.D. and myself. Derek came in a few years later, so it’s kind of a passing of the torch.
You had a New Jersey homecoming gig scheduled at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair for Saturday, March 14, 2020, the weekend the world shut down. You returned 609 days later, in late 2021, to play the show. What do you remember about Overkill’s return to the stage?
It was a flash in the pan. I remember all the preparation and the anxiety – the positive anxiety – getting ready for that gig. The next thing I know I’m sitting in the dressing room and it’s over; I’ve got a Heineken between my knees and I’m taking my shirt off.
What are the touring plans for Scorched?
We’re pushing for dates in mid to late June until July for America. We’re going to see if that happens. Europe happens in April. We’re trying for a summer tour, which I’m really looking forward to, because if you do a summer tour in the States, you live primarily outside. I remember the last summer tour, the first thing we did was we all chip in and [buy] a grill. We would tell the tour manager, “Don’t put any money toward a buyout for food because we’re all going to barbecue.” I guess it’s kind of weird when you see the headliner standing out in front of the bus drinking beer and barbecuing!
You grew up in New York state, but you’ve been a Jersey guy and huge Jersey supporter for a long time. What do you love about these states that keeps you rooted here?
I suppose I like the attitude and the work ethic. I think there’s a great sense of community here. I think it covers so many different types of landscapes. I can see ski slopes as soon as I get out in the street. Black bears have hibernated on my property for 15 years – you see them come out in the spring with the cubs. There’s wildlife everywhere. I’ve always raised dogs. I’ve got a lot of great places to hike with them. I’ve got motorcycle roads. Someone said, “When you get done touring, where do you pack your bags for?” Are you kidding me? I say, “Home!” It’s like I moved here because it’s like being on vacation all the time.
OVERKILL’S NEW ALBUM IS AVAILABLE TODAY WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC!
