Search - Overkill :: Ironbound

My boys still rule!! Evil NEVER dies!!

W. freeman | fairmont, wv | 02/10/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been an Overkill fan since about 1990 or so when i was around 15, i heard Elimination on MTV and i was pretty much hooked. A lot of people didnt like Blitz's voice but i thought it was very unique and gave Overkill that signiture sound that they needed. Actually I Hear Black was the first album i ever really owned but still loved it even though its labeled as one of there lesser albums because of its grunge tinged feel. After that Horrorscope(arguably there best and most commercial effort) really just layed down the law and every album that followed i just love more and more. Well into the new millenium Kill where/are still putting out good quality metal albums and never really changed, they just had there share of ups and downs from 2000 till now. To ever say an Overkill album actually sucked would pretty much be impossible. So onto there best effort since Killbox 13 or perhaps even Horrorscope? Yep. This album is a well crafted mix of the Overkill from 1996 up back to the old days of feel the fire and The Years Of Decay, it has it all. Killer riffs, Blitzs strongest vocal perfomance to date(and the man will hit 49 this year!!), and just the best all around song writing and musician ship you will find. Here we go song by song, thats the easiest way to describe the beast that is Ironbound.



1.The Green and Black-I would imagine this has something to do with the armed forces and are men and women over seas. Being that Camoflauge is Green and Black or Brown and Tan, honestly i don't know what its about. But after the initial intro of guitar it blasts into a galloping horse riding rythm much like Testaments The Henchmen Ride, with some great breaks and tempo changes to keep it interesting. I must note that the band Dream Evil really really stole from this song, i won't go into detail because i can't stand them, but listen to samples and you'll hear it. The nerve!! ha.



2.Iron Bound-This song just pummels you from beginning to end, and the new drummers whose name and history i havent checked out yet it just stellar, and sounds like a pure machine(gun that is). Very catchy lyrics and melodies by blitz, it actually reminds me of a very heavy Black Sabbath song, via the key of the lyrics. Also there is the quiet low tone guitar solo by Linsk, he's really hard to like, but sometimes hard to hate also, not bad. Although he's definitely my least favorite of all the Kill guitarists, he does well on this album. As for Derek the Skull, no idea what he does.



3.Bring Me The Night-Pure speedy old school out the rear, Blitz makes his way through this song like he's a 22 year old on coke, and the song just reminds you so much of Hit The Lights and the first time you hear it, you can't contain yourself. Fast from start to finish. Play this stuff on the radio!! Yeah that'll happen:(



4.The Goal Is Your Soul-Not my favorite, or least, but its just good. The riffs are very good, but i'm not sure of the subject matter in which blitz screams LET MY PEOPLE GO. The egyptians perhaps, not sure, a good song none the less, very groove laden. The Goal is Your Soul is a little cliche' but works for the song.



5.Give a Little-Cool song, great riff at the beginning, with a strange bending harmonic mixed with some great double bass. Also the drummer is definite cymbal freak as he does some gene hoglanish double ride hits, and cymbals. Also this song has the old school New York Anthrax background yells from the rest of the band. Good bass line by DD also. Good slow down heavy middle break and honestly the song reminds me of Drunken Wisdom from Under The Influence.



6.Endless War-My definite favorite on the album, i can't say enough about this song and how great it is. Starts with the old school Feel the Fire overkill vibe, then vears of into a frenzy of great choruses, and rythms. Blitz also has a great clean vocal part when he sings the Endless WARRRROOOOOaaa, which is hard to type i know. Towards the end The Trooper, yes Maiden takes over and it sounds great, just like it was lifted from Piece Of Mind, only heavier and better. DD plays right along with it also, and as the song ends all you can say is H#%# yeah!! That rocked.



7.The Head and Heart-Very much like a song off of Killbox, very strange but has a nice groove to it, also one of the many songs with dds bass intro. Also the song resembles that of From The Underground and Belows Save me, but has its own unique sound. I still don't like Linsk as a soloist, he's definitely the weak link of the band. Even though on this album he has a KILLER heavy sound.



8.In Vain-Definitely a great song to drive fast to, killer double bass and reminds you of a thicker beefier Fast Junkie. Not much to say other than a great chorus from Blitz, and riffs also a good break with DD's bass and the background vocals of the Overkill choir, singing start living, start dying!!



9.Killing For A Living-Not sure if the intro was lifted straight from Damage Inc. but it sure sounds like it, but works well. This song is pure old school Overkill and reminds you of the first song Entitled Overkill(From Feel the Fire). Awesome. Blitz goes for a more gruff sound in his voice which is killer, but also lets out his usual kill screams. The stops in this song, with the guitar harmonies just make it great. The middle section i was a little leary on at first because it has a rock n roll type feel, but the more you listen the more you love(or kill)!!



10 The SRC-I know what it stands for but no spoilers here, some of the fastest double bass on the album, and also a very punkish vibe, lifts from Anthraxs attack of the killer b's. Or even S.O.D. A great way to end the album with a final blow of the load. Lots of good drum work also.



So to sum it up, Overkill have never really went away, just had a little bit of highs and lows, which is expected with this type of music. But hey just like Testament, they have never given up and stuck with there guns, and always will. When other bands died or will die, Overkill will live on. This is definitely the best release for them in 15 years or more, and perhaps the best thrash release in the last 5 to 10 years. No kidding its that good, sure at first you'll think we've heard this all before, but the more you listen its like Herion, you get more and more addicted and want about 10 more songs to go with it. The only weak thing about the album is Lynsks solos, i just wish they would get someone else to play lead and let him stick to rythm, for that he's just fine. His solos go nowhere and have no structure, emotion, or style. But he does his job, and i have heard worse. So does this get album of 2010 thus far, h#$# yes it does, and i think it will stay that way. Fear Factory is trying but i've heard clips and it just sounds like a plain old rehash of everything. So EVIL NEVER DIES, GET IRONBOUND and stay IRONBOUND!! I'm 34

and will stay metal forever.



Oops-Sorry i meant to say i purchased Horrorscope AFTER I hear Black, i know Horrorscope came out in 1991, IHB in 1993..my bad.:d"

OVERKILL - MUSIC TO SPEED BY!

K. Carlucci | Corpus Christi, Texas United States | 02/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just love how these older bands get faster and harder with time! This latest Overkill CD is almost an hour of speed and fury. I don't need to pick any songs in particular because they are all great and in your face speed metal. No true metal fan will be dissappointed with this one. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST DRIVING WITH THIS ONE, I HAD A COP BEHIND ME BY SONG 2."