TAKING OVER - 1987 / OVERKILL

Nuevo artículo para METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA. Toca hablar de TAKING OVER (1987), el segundo disco de los gigantes de Nueva Jersey OVERKILL.

Como otras veces, dejo aquí abajo el enlace a la revista y después está la traducción al inglés.

TAKING OVER - 1987 / METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA

Gracias!

ENGLISH

New feature on METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA. Time to talk about TAKING OVER (1987), the second album in the career of New Jersey's giants OVERKILL.

Here's the link to the magazine:

TAKING OVER - 1987 / METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA

LABEL: MEGAFORCE RECORDS

RELEASE DATE: March 1987

MEMBERS:

BOBBY ELLSWORTH – Vocals

BOBBY GUSTAFOSON – Guitar

D.D. VERNI – Bass

RAT SKATES – Drums

TRACKS:

DENY THE CROSS

WRECKING CREW

FEAR HIS NAME

USE YOUR HEAD

FATAL IF SWALLOWED

POWERSURGE

IN UNION WE STAND

ELECTRO-VIOLENCE

OVERKILL II (THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES)

VIDEOS:

DENY THE CROSS

WRECKING CREW

FATAL IF SWALLOWED

IN UNION WE STAND

Very seldom is the time in which whatever conversation in progress about thrash metal does not circle around at least the slightest comparison with the work of the most famous american bands. The famed BIG FOUR. I have no problem admitting that METALLICA is the most important band in the history of this specific subgenre (and probably in all metal at large), because of their figures and, as far as I am concerned, what they achieved with their four first records; I do not have it either, to say that SLAYER's body of work until the release of UNDISPUTED ATTITUDE (1996) is pretty much flawless, to acknowledge some MEGADETH records as outstanding and that, to a lesser extent, ANTHRAX recorded some amazing ones during the first years of their career. But at the same time, I also consider that (and I know this is a very unpopular opinion) Metallica do not have anything that draws my attention after their fifth record, Slayer have been mostly stumbling around ever since the aforementioned album, Megadeth have very high peaks but also very deep valleys (what I deem to be halfway doesn't keep my attention for very long, although it did back then), and that I haven't paid any attention to anything Anthrax have released after that distant White Noise from the early nineties. That's more or less what has happened to me with Metallica and Slayer for very long. And I know there has to be interesting stuff from their most recent works that I am missing, but I don't think these bands will ever surprise me for good anymore. I'll give Megadeth the benefit of doubt in this regard.

Early Overkill. Clockwise, Gustafson,
 Skates, Ellsworth and Verni

To cut a long story short, I'm more into the thrash metal that comes from different latitudes. But given that is the United States the country I was talking about, I have to say that (this will not go down well either), keeping in mind the next batch of american thrash bands, concerning their popularity, OVERKILL and TESTAMENT have both careers much more honest, consistent and, in my opinion, irreproachable than any of the previous four bands. In fact, I believe that Testament are the ones to be more loyal to the style they began with, for Overkill have a somehow less interesting era, between 1993 and 2007, in which they simplified their patterns, leaving more room for groove and all that, although without forgetting about their usual heaviness. Let's say it was great music from time to time, but overall less interesting than that of their best times.

Promo pic

The New Jersey wrecking ball went back to its purely thrash sound in 2010, when they released the very warmly welcomed IRONBOUND. And for a reason. In the subsequent years they have released a bunch of studio albums; some are better than others and they have even slipped a few of those groove traits I can perfectly live without in their music once again, but I would not miss any of their records, and I deem every single one of them to be good enough for Overkill to be as relevant as ever. I do not think it's necessary to sell millions or sell stadiums out in order to be; particularly when you have someone like the likeable BOBBY ELLSWORTH, someone whose name is synonymous with charisma, at the front.

A very young Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth

But one thing's certain, the aura and charm of their first five albums is almost unbeatable. Nostalgia plays its role as well. Among them is TAKING OVER (1987), their sophomore effort, which is the one I usually consider their best one. The debut, FEEL THE FIRE, from two years prior, had already sent a shock wave all over, and I think it has better known songs than Taking Over, but on this one, Overkill got heavier, and there'a also something special about it, leaving its quality aside, because of being most likely the album that is talked about the least out of those five from Overkill's early years. It was recorded in Ithaca, New York, at the PYRAMID SOUND studios, and was produced by the band members themselves, together with ALEX PERIALAS. The atrocious front cover artwork, by far the worst thing about Taking Over, consisted in a picture of the band taken by some guy named DAN MURO, and it marked the second and also last time in which the band graced the cover of a studio album by Overkill. From the next record (UNDER THE INFLUENCE, 1988) on, that honor would go to CHALY, their popular mascot, with any of its different reincarnations. Taking Over was released through MEGAFORCE, a subsidiary of ATLANTIC RECORDS.

DENY THE CROSS opens with a very menacing first minute. The band's later full speed playing confirms that the threat is real. Overkill won't take any prisoners and the lyrics are spot on when it comes to make that clear. Follows WRECKING CREW, one of their most classic anthems. So much that it ended up giving its name to the band's fan club, and also to Overkill's devoted fanbase. BOBBY GUSTAFOSN plays a stronger role here as a lead guitarist and, overall, this song follows the same path Deny The Cross did. Destruction is a way of life, as Bobby wisely says.

Bobby Gustafson many years ago

FEAR HIS NAME slows down a little, although the album's quality remains intact and the main riff is awesome. It will be drummer RAT SKATES (on this his last record with Overkill) who stands out the most during the faster middle section. Bobby's aggressive and explicit lyrics in USE YOUR HEAD (as street bound as any), together with Skates' hard hitting and the power displayed by Gustafson and D.D. VERNI's bass guitar, are a clarion call to bang your head until your neck hurts. Verni (with Ellsworth the sole constant in Overkill's entire career) remains as the complete protagonist at the beginning of FATAL IF SWALLOWE, one of the best songs on the record, if not the best one. I think this is one of the tracks to feature a bigger influence of the band's undisguised passion for punk, despite being quite long. Skates destroys his bass drums during the refrain and the text, just in case it is solely about sex, will make the head of the most sensitive feminist explode. Old times.

Rat Skates

More of the same next. Another simple and punkish riff in POWERSURGE, and beware of how Bobby delivers the song's title at 2’04’’, before a total thrash bridge. You will never feel like having an argument over absolutely anything with this guy. It may not be the best song on Taking Over, but IN UNION WE STAND really is the most special one. A raging success when it comes to creating an anthem capable of turning any show upside down, and for that reason alone it should never abandon the band's setlist (it has barely left it after all these years, just like Wrecking Crew). Pretty much what KREATOR have been implementing in more recent years, but better accomplished. The text (the song's name says it all) is great, the bridge is legendary (Let them know we are drawing near), almost as much as the refrain is, Bobby is at its best here and the guitar solo is just moving. What else could you ask for? It entailed the shooting of Overkill's first video.

Verni

ELECTRO-VIOLENCE is the shortest track and puts the album back on its usual track, besides offering a dose of what its title implies. As simple as that. This is not for the faint of heart. The record finishes with its longest song and perhaps the least remarkable one, OVERKILL II (THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES), but only because it is difficult to stand in the shadow of a monster like its predecessor, OVERKILL, which appeared on Feel The Fire and started a saga that carried on with UNDER THE INFLUENCE, from the namesake album, and finished with E.VIL N.EVER D.IES, featured on THE YEARS OF DECAY (1989), their fourth record. I like it a lot all the same, and its sinister atmosphere put it close to BLACK SABBATH somehow. Said atmosphere and the song's chorus also remind me of the famous HALLOWEEN, by HELLOWEEN.

That's all folks. This is from when Overkill were beginning to become unstoppable and, in spite of a few potholes along the road, they have never ceased to be. One of thrash metal's finest bands ever. As fun fact, it needs to be said that, before headlining their own shows in 1987, with Testament themselves as the opening band, they opened for Megadeth and, surprise, for the very same Helloween in Europe! Good old times.

Thanks!