Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek "The Skull" Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling as a touring drummer. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, the latter of whom would feature one-time Overkill lead guitarist Dan Spitz, the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM). The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly" who has appeared on many of their album covers.
Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work.
Flotsam and Jetsam is an American thrash metal band that was formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1981. Before settling on its current name in 1984, the band had existed under three different names, Paradox, Dredlox and Dogz. Their current lineup includes vocalist Eric "A.K" Knutson, guitarists Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley, bassist Bill Bodily, and drummer Ken Mary. Flotsam and Jetsam went through several lineup changes over the years, leaving Knutson as the only constant member. They are also notable for featuring a then-unknown Jason Newsted, who was Flotsam and Jetsam's bassist from 1981 to 1986, when he left the band shortly after the release of their debut album to join Metallica.
Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members of to appear on all of their studio albums.
Jason Bittner is an American musician, best known as the current drummer for metal band Shadows Fall. He is also the current drummer for supergroup Category 7 as of 2024. He was also the drummer for the thrash metal bands Toxik from 2013 to 2014, Flotsam and Jetsam from 2014 to 2017, and Overkill from 2017 to 2024.
No Place for Disgrace is the second album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released in 1988. This marked the band's first album release through a major label, Elektra Records, and was also their first album with the bass guitarist Troy Gregory, who had replaced Jason Newsted when the latter left the band in 1986 to join Metallica. Despite not playing on the album, three songs on it were co-written by Newsted.
Doomsday for the Deceiver is the debut album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was released on July 4, 1986, on a budget of $12,000, and recorded in two weeks. It is the only album by Flotsam and Jetsam with Jason Newsted before his departure for Metallica. Most lyrics were written by Newsted; his songwriting contributions also appeared on the band's next album No Place for Disgrace (1988) and their 2012 album Ugly Noise.
When the Storm Comes Down is the third studio album by thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released in 1990. It was the last album with Troy Gregory on bass guitar, as he left the band in 1991 to join Prong. It was also the first Flotsam and Jetsam album released on MCA Records, and the first not to include songwriting contributions by former bassist Jason Newsted, having co-written material for their first two albums, and having since joined Metallica.
Cuatro is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released on October 13, 1992 via MCA Records. This was the band's first album with bassist Jason Ward, who had replaced Troy Gregory the year before.
Drift is the fifth album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam. It was released on April 25, 1995, and is the last of three albums the band released on MCA Records.
Unnatural Selection is the seventh album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released on January 26, 1999. It was the band's first album with two new members, Craig Nielsen (drums) and Mark Simpson (guitarist).
My God is the eighth album by the thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam. It was released on May 22, 2001 and was their last release on Metal Blade Records until the 2013 reissue of Ugly Noise.
The Cold is the tenth album by the thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam. It was released on 14 September 2010. It was engineered & mixed by Ralph Patlan. The album artwork was created by Travis Smith.
Dark Roots of Earth is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It was released on July 27, 2012, in Europe, and four days later in North America by independent German record label Nuclear Blast Records. The album is available in three configurations, CD, CD/DVD and vinyl, with the latter two versions including four bonus tracks. The album was produced by Andy Sneap, who mixed and engineered the band's previous three studio releases, The Gathering (1999), First Strike Still Deadly (2001), and The Formation of Damnation (2008). The album artwork was created by Eliran Kantor. A music video was made for the track "Native Blood". Dark Roots of Earth entered the Billboard 200 at number 12, Testament's highest position ever.
Ugly Noise is the eleventh studio album by the thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released on December 21, 2012. In order to make this album, Flotsam and Jetsam used PledgeMusic, encouraging their fans to contribute funds to its recording and the band themselves to donate to charity as a part of their fundraising.
Brotherhood of the Snake is the twelfth studio album by American thrash metal band Testament, released on October 28, 2016. It is the band's first studio recording with bassist Steve Di Giorgio since First Strike Still Deadly (2001). Brotherhood of the Snake also marks Testament's fifth collaboration with Andy Sneap, who had mixed and engineered all of their albums since The Gathering (1999) and produced Dark Roots of Earth (2012). The album debuted at number twenty on the Billboard 200 chart, making it Testament's second-highest-charting album in the US, behind Dark Roots of Earth, which peaked at number twelve four years earlier.
The End of Chaos is the thirteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released on January 18, 2019. It was their first album to feature drummer Ken Mary, and the last to include bassist Michael Spencer before his split from the band in 2020.
Flotsam and Jetsam is the twelfth studio album by the thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, released on 20 May 2016. The song "Iron Maiden" is a tribute to the famous band. This is the only Flotsam and Jetsam album to feature drummer Jason Bittner, who left the band shortly after its release to join Overkill. The track "L.O.T.D." stands for "Legion of the Damned" and was originally written during the "No Place for Disgrace" sessions. "Forbidden Territories" was written by Mike Spencer when he was in Sentinel Beast, as well as a version re-worked by Sentinel Beast guitarist Barry Fischel and recorded by his band Fischel's Beast the same year.
Hatchet is an American thrash metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in January 2005 by guitarist and vocalist Julz Ramos, the band's only remaining original member. To date, they have released four studio albums, two demos and two EPs, and are now notable for being part of the thrash metal revival movement in the late 2000s. Influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal and Bay Area thrash metal scenes of the 1980s, Hatchet's music has been described as "old-school thrash metal".
Blood in the Water is the fourteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, which was released on June 4, 2021. It is the band's first release with new bassist Bill Bodily, who had replaced Michael Spencer in November 2020.
