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 constant members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar and Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar. 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.
Cowboys from Hell is the fifth studio album and major label debut by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 24, 1990, by Atco Records. It marked the first of many collaborations with producer Terry Date. This was also the album where Pantera fully abandoned the glam metal style of their previous albums in favor of a heavier sound. It has been recognized as one of the first ever groove metal albums.
Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its career, they have released demo tapes, three EPs and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre. They are also considered to be a member of the "Big Six of Bay Area Thrash Metal," alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Forbidden.
Subhumans were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1978.
Epoch of Unlight is a melodic death metal band from Memphis, Tennessee. The band formed in 1990, playing under a variety of different names including Enraptured and Requiem until 1994, when they officially settled on Epoch of Unlight.
Taking Over is the second studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released in March 1987 through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. The album is Overkill's last to feature drummer Rat Skates, who left the band later in 1987 and was replaced by Sid Falck. It was also the first to be released through Atlantic, who would release all of the band's albums up to W.F.O. (1994).
I Hear Black is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on March 9, 1993, by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first to feature drummer Tim Mallare.
W.F.O. is the seventh full-length studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 15, 1994, on Atlantic Records.
The Killing Kind is the eighth studio album released by thrash metal band Overkill in 1996. It was the first album to feature new guitarists Joe Comeau and Sebastian Marino, and was released on CMC International, whereas their previous studio albums were released by either Megaforce or Atlantic Records.
From the Underground and Below is the ninth studio album by the thrash metal band Overkill released in 1997 by CMC International. Two cover songs were recorded during these sessions: "No Feelings" by Sex Pistols and "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple. Lead singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth considers From the Underground and Below to be one of his favorite Overkill albums.
Overkill is the first EP recorded by thrash metal band Overkill released in 1985 on Azra/Metal Storm records. It is also considered by the band as their "first album", making their debut Feel the Fire their second record and so forth. Released only on vinyl, the EP has been seen as a rare collector's item amongst Overkill fans, and all tracks are included on the !!!Fuck You!!! And Then Some compilation.
Metal Massacre is a series of compilation albums released through Metal Blade Records. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as The Obsessed, Trouble, Overkill, Metal Church, Metallica, Slayer, Virgin Steele, Hellhammer, Voivod, Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, Possessed and more.
Rat Skates is an American filmmaker, writer and musician. He is most widely known as a director of music documentaries and his contributions to the thrash metal genre as a founding member and the original drummer of Overkill.
Feel the Fire is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 15, 1985 through Megaforce Records.
Carlo "D.D." Verni is an American musician, best known as a founding member, bassist and songwriter of the thrash metal band Overkill. He and vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth are the only two original members who have remained with the band throughout its entire history. In addition to his work with Overkill, Verni has recorded four albums with his side project the Bronx Casket Co. and released several solo projects. He is also the composer of The Bronx Casket Co.... A New Musical.
Overkill L.A. or SST Overkill is a hardcore punk/speed metal band started in 1980 in Los Angeles and which recorded two records on SST Records and some tracks on compilations. The band started as Overkill but they were rechristened Overkill L.A. by SST Records when they re-released their albums in the '90s and SST Overkill when they reunited in 2005.
Robert Wayne Gustafson is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the New Jersey-based thrash metal band Overkill from 1982 until his split with the band in 1990. He was also the rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Vio-lence from 2020 until 2022.
Historikill: 1995–2007 is a compact disc box set by the American thrash metal band Overkill, which was released on October 16, 2015. The originally planned release date was September 18, 2015. The box set spans the years from 1995 to 2007, including seven of the original seventeen Overkill albums from The Killing Kind (1996) to Immortalis (2007), two of their live albums, one of their compilation albums, the covers album Coverkill and a bonus disc featuring demos, remixes and one cover song. The albums are placed in chronological order, although Wrecking Everything was released three months before the Hello from the Gutter compilation album.
Spiritual • Mental • Physical is a retrospective album by the proto-punk band Death consisting mainly of demo tracks recorded in their home rehearsal space between 1974–1976. Many of the songs on the set display a raw and spontaneous character, which anticipates the punk rock movement that was just around the corner in New York and London. Death's ranks consisted of brothers David, Bobby, and Dannis Hackney, who were African American, and came at the tail end of the Detroit rock movement which had produced powerhouses such as MC5 and the Stooges. In addition to the group's home demos, they also went to Detroit's United Sound Studios to record seven tracks, which now appear on the album, ...For the Whole World to See, however, it is the band's demos that are spotlighted on this outing.
The Wings of War is the 19th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on February 22, 2019. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Jason Bittner, making it their first one without Ron Lipnicki since ReliXIV (2005), as he had left Overkill shortly after the release of its predecessor The Grinding Wheel (2017).
