For the past 30 years or so Overkill have been delivering solid release after solid release. Thrash metal at is purest and finest. After all, a band doesn’t develop a loyal following like Overkill’s writing half assed material. Their latest album ‘The Grinding Wheel’ is no exception. Frontman Bobby Ellsworth obviously has a good sense of smell, claiming he could ‘smell an opener’ in the albums lead off track. Well there’s no arguing there, it’s defiantly an opener. May be the best in their seemingly never ending 18 album discography. The album moves into ‘Goddamn Trouble’. A fun thrash piece with a Southern rock twist and a shit ton of guitaritude. Overkill were always good at having fun. And they never attempted or claimed to be something they weren’t. Which is a fun thrash band. No more, no less. An element that many of their contemporaries are lacking of. ‘Our Finest Hour’ turns the serious back on a little with its subject matter. A song about self acceptance in unfamiliar territory, the music pairs perfectly with the message. The album keeps rolling with the bad ass mid-tempo thrasher ‘Shine On’. It’s one hell of a catch riff that has a sort of progressive blues metal bridge. ‘Let’s All Go to Hades’ has got to be one of the funniest freaking song titles of all time. And the song does have sort of cheeky sense of humor about it. It’s also really catchy so it’s fun, exciting listening. ‘The Wheel’ and ‘The Grinding Wheel’ two of the strongest metal tracks I’ve heard in a minute. It sounds like what a lot of thrash fans want to hear out of Metallica. Not that ‘Hardwired’ is bad or anything; it’s quite good in fact. But Overkill’s new album ‘The Grinding Wheel’ is exceptional. It’s great all the way through. There isn’t one moment where it lets up on quality. Not one! Hopefully the new Prong album will be excellent as well and the two groups can go on the road together. That would be a hell of a tour. Anyways, if you’re a fan of classic thrash metal that’s fun, strong and catchy, GET THIS ALBUM!!
One hell of an opener. Reminds me of ‘Time’ by Anthrax in the intro.
The title track is one for the ages.
