Musings: Overkill - Scorched

Last Friday, April 14^th, was arguably the biggest day of the year for metal releases. We got both Metallica and Overkill, two thrash metal giants, unleashing much-anticipated albums. To be honest, that’s pretty much all I’ve listened to all week since last Friday. Those two albums turned out to be phenomenal. Overkill returns with their 20^th LP, Scorched, and they’ve actually been around for longer than Metallica! Hard to believe that this band from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey was formed in 1980. Full disclosure: Before listening to Scorched, I was an Overkill virgin. True story! Well, sort of. I’d heard a handful of Overkill songs in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but I’d never owned or listened to a full album of theirs, as crazy as it sounds. In fact, before last Friday, I wouldn’t have been able to even name you one of their songs, much less any of their albums. I couldn’t tell you why, because now I absolutely love them. Maybe it’s because none of my circle of friends listened to Overkill and they didn’t get airplay, so I wasn’t exposed to them? Back in the day, we listened to Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Dio, Motley Crüe, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and a ton of similar bands, but an Overkill tape or CD never landed in my lap.

Scorched is a great starting point, I find. I haven’t had time to dig deeper into their discography so I can’t really compare how it stands next to their previous records or whether it’s on par with their modern-day output, but I’ll share my thoughts on how much this album hit a sweet spot for me. The quintet fires on all cylinders and doesn’t show their age in the slightest. The title song blows the record wide open. Their sound to me feels as if AC/DC’s Brian Johnson had fronted Metallica or Megadeth in their prime. Vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth’s got that gravel-sounding voice that injects the band with raw energy. “Goin’ Home” is a banger of a track, kind of like a battle song about going home during the pandemic. “The Surgeon” is one of my favourites and a definite highlight of the LP. I believe it was the first single as well and a good choice it was. It’s relentless and feels like it would be right at home on a horror movie soundtrack. “Twist of the Wick” has an ominous intro before a vicious guitar/bass/drum attack. I love its frantic energy. “Wicked Place”, the second single, might be the best tune on this record. A melodic song with heavy, groovy riffs and killer guitars. “Won’t Be Comin’ Back” with its galloping intro is catchy as all hell. It’s my favourite song on this album of favourites. Don’t let “Fever”’s slower tempo intro fool you—this is a scorcher! Ellsworth channels Queensryche’s Geoff Tate at times here; another standout track. “Harder They Fall” is a speedy rock ‘n’ roll gem to keep you banging your head. “Know Her Name” has a cool old school riff in the vein of our lords Sabbath. The tenth and final song, “Bag O’ Bones”, is a super fun, part groovy, part heavy tune that’s a perfect closer to this 52-minute masterclass in thrash metal.

It’s a toss-up between Scorched and 72 Seasons as to which of the two is my favourite LP. I love both albums for different reasons. All I know is that this will absolutely be a runner-up for Album of the Year for me when the time comes. Why isn’t Overkill part of the Big Four or make it the Big Five and include them! This is a sensational album, all killer, no filler that has endless replay value. Scorched is a must-have for metalheads in general and Overkill fans.

Overkill’s Bandcamp Page: https://overkillmetal.bandcamp.com/album/scorched