The Wings of War

Last updated

The Wings of War
Overkill - The Wings of War.jpg
Studio album by
Overkill
ReleasedFebruary 22, 2019 (2019-02-22)
RecordedJune–October 2018 [1] [2]
StudioGear Recording Studio, Shrewsbury, New Jersey
SKH Recording Studios, Stuart, Florida
JRod Productions, Pomona, New York
Shorefire Recording Studios, Long Branch, New Jersey [3]
Genre Thrash metal
Length51:03
Label Nuclear Blast
Producer Overkill
Overkill chronology
The Grinding Wheel
(2017)		The Wings of War
(2019)		 Scorched
(2023)
Singles from The Wings of War
  1. "Last Man Standing"
    Released: December 14, 2018 [4]
  2. "Head of a Pin"
    Released: January 18, 2019 [5]
  3. "Welcome to the Garden State"
    Released: February 22, 2019 [6]

The Wings of War is the 19th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on February 22, 2019. [7] [8] [9] 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).

Contents

Production

About a year after the release of The Grinding Wheel, Overkill announced that they were in the studio working on demos for their nineteenth studio album. [10] Two months later, Bittner announced on his Facebook page that they were "in pre-production" for the album, writing, "And were in pre production this week.......been awhile since I dusted the 'ol Rolands off but we're pressed for space..." [11]

When asked in an April 2018 interview with Jimmy Kay of Canada's The Metal Voice what fans could expect to hear from the album, frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth stated, "I think we caught a wave on the last four records. Part of that wave was Ron Lipnicki behind the drums, and Ron is now gone, so I don't know what to expect. But the beauty of it is that when you're inside the writing team, that's what becomes motivational. Now, obviously, it's gonna be a heavy metal record; we don't deviate so much from our formula, but what is that record gonna sound like? At this point, it sounds like a metal record to me. I think Jason Bittner's addition to the band is gonna make it bombastic in some cases; he's the state of the art when it comes to hitting the skins. So I really think that we have an opportunity here to make something that is great. Who knows? It could be a new chapter, and somewhere in that realm of unknown is what excites me now." Ellsworth also stated that the album was expected to be released in February 2019, and ten songs were written "but they're all up for change. The way we kind of write is it evolves from a riff and then it becomes a song and then it becomes arranged." [12]

On June 1, 2018, the band announced that they had begun recording their nineteenth studio album. [1] During an interview with Eddie Trunk on Trunk Nation on October 10, 2018, bassist D. D. Verni announced that the album was finished; he was quoted as saying, "I just got the final sequencing and all that, so that's all buttoned up. We're working on the cover now. We still don't have a title — we're gonna have to come up with that soon — but we have a lot of things floating around. And the new release will probably be in February." [2]

On November 28, 2018, Overkill announced that their nineteenth studio album was titled The Wings of War and would be released on February 22, 2019. On the making of the album, Ellsworth stated: "It was a blast making The Wings of War! It is something old feeling new again, as our chemistry was altered by the addition of Jason Bittner. I was curious from the get-go, how would it pan out? I think what we accomplished here is a new, upgraded Overkill that embraced the new chemistry, while taking our roots into the present. The new formula produced not only more raw power, but more places to go with melody, a win, win. The key is being not only interested in the change, but part of it. I'll tell you what, it's still fun as hell making Overkill records." [8] [13] [14]

On January 3, 2019, the band released the first trailer of the album in the form of a documentary series entitled "Welcome to the Garden State", which tells about the history of the band. [15] On January 28, 2019, the band announced the Wings over the USA tour, which began on April 25 in Baltimore and included support by Death Angel and Act of Defiance. [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Blabbermouth.net [17] 7.5/10
KNAC [18] 4/5
Metal Injection [19] 7.5/10
Metal Hammer (GER) [20] 5.5/7
Metal Hammer (UK) [21] 8/10
Rock Hard [22] 8.5/10

The Wings of War has received positive reviews by music critics. Blabbermouth.net writer Jay H. Gorania gave the album a rating of seven-and-a-half out of ten, and called it "everything that longtime fans would hope for." He concluded his review, writing, "It's an impressive feat for an aging thrash metal band to release one of its best efforts three decades into the game, and that's exactly what they did with 2010's Ironbound . Now, the band is nearly 40 years old, and even though The Wings of War doesn't quite pack Ironbound's punch, it is marginally better than the three albums sandwiched between the two: The Electric Age , White Devil Armory and The Grinding Wheel . While The Wings of War isn't essential nor mandatory listening, per se, it's most certainly good and entertaining, and it serves as a fine soundtrack for working out or getting ready for a night on the town." [17]

Nathan Dufour from KNAC.com gave The Wings of War a rating of four out of five and called it "a sparkling gem," [18] while Agoraphobic News referred to it as Overkill's best album since Ironbound. [23] Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019. [24]

Despite receiving positive reviews, The Wings of War was considered something of a commercial disappointment in light of its predecessors—The Electric Age, White Devil Armory and The Grinding Wheel—having entered the top 100 on the Billboard 200. The album peaked at number 158 on the chart, making it Overkill's third lowest chart position behind Taking Over and Ironbound. [25] However, The Wings of War was well-received in Europe, particularly on the German charts where it debuted at number five, making it Overkill's highest-ever chart position. [26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by D. D. Verni and Bobby Ellsworth

No.TitleLength
1."Last Man Standing"5:49
2."Believe in the Fight"5:03
3."Head of a Pin"5:56
4."Bat Shit Crazy"4:33
5."Distortion"6:09
6."A Mother's Prayer"3:58
7."Welcome to the Garden State"4:42
8."Where Few Dare to Walk"5:25
9."Out on the Road-Kill"4:41
10."Hole in My Soul"4:47
11."In Ashes" (CD bonus track)5:35
Total length:56:38

Personnel

Overkill

Production

Artwork and design

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [27] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [28] 99
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [29] 78
French Albums (SNEP) [30] 153
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [26] 5
Italian Albums (FIMI) [31] 99
Scottish Albums (OCC) [32] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [33] 13
US Billboard 200 [25] 158
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [34] 3
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [35] 9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [36] 28

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overkill (band)</span> American thrash metal band

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, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar and Jason Bittner on drums. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, whose one-time lead guitarist Dan Spitz was also an early member of Overkill, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prong (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Prong is an American heavy metal band formed in New York City in 1986. The band is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor, Prong's sole constant member. To date, they have released 13 studio albums, one live album, four EPs, one DVD and one remix album.

<i>The Years of Decay</i> 1989 studio album by Overkill

The Years of Decay is the fourth studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 13, 1989 through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. It is the last Overkill album to feature guitarist Bobby Gustafson, who either left or was fired by the band amid a feud between himself and its founding members Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (vocalist) and D. D. Verni (bassist). The Years of Decay was also the first of two Overkill albums produced by Terry Date, who took on the same role for their follow-up album Horrorscope (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armored Saint</span> American heavy metal band

Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan on guitar and the Sandoval brothers on drums and guitar, respectively. Of the current lineup, Bush and Vera are the two constant members. To date, the band has released eight studio albums, one EP, two live albums and one compilation album.

<i>Horrorscope</i> (Overkill album) 1991 studio album by Overkill

Horrorscope is the fifth studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on September 3, 1991, through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. It was the first Overkill album to feature the duo of guitarists Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino, and the last to be released through Megaforce, although they remained on Atlantic until 1995. Like its predecessor, The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope was produced by Terry Date.

<i>I Hear Black</i> 1993 studio album by Overkill

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.

<i>W.F.O.</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Overkill

W.F.O. is the seventh full-length studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 15, 1994, on Atlantic Records.

<i>ReliXIV</i> 2005 studio album by Overkill

ReliXIV is the 13th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released in spring 2005. The reason the Roman numeral 14 is included in the title is because the band includes the Overkill EP in their lineup of studio albums, which would make this album the 14th by their chronology. It can also be because Overkill released the covers album Coverkill, which would have been their eleventh studio album. While this diction left it unclear how the title was to be pronounced, Blitz just mentioned it as "Relics" when announcing songs from the album on stage. The album produced the popular "Old School", which has been played at every Overkill show since it was first released. As of late 2007, ReliXIV sold over 16,000 copies in the U.S.

<i>Immortalis</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Overkill

Immortalis is the 14th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill. It was released in 2007 on Bodog Records. It is a pun of "Immortal15", and was preceded by Killbox 13 and ReliXIV. The album sold over 2,800 copies in its first week of release in the U.S and as of 2009, Immortalis sold over 15,000 copies in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overkill discography</span>

The following is the discography of Overkill, an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in New Jersey. The band has released twenty studio albums, three live albums, two compilation albums, three EPs and one box set. They were one of the early thrash metal bands to sign to a major label, and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the late 1980s, along with bands such as Anthrax, Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Testament. In terms of chart positions and sales, the band's most successful records are Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), I Hear Black (1993), The Electric Age (2012), and White Devil Armory (2014), which debuted at No. 142, No. 155, No. 122, No. 77, and No. 31 respectively on the Billboard 200 chart. As of 2006, Overkill has sold over 625,000 albums in the US since the beginning of the SoundScan era, and over 5 million records worldwide throughout their career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Ellsworth</span> American singer

Robert Ellsworth, best known as Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, is an American singer who is the lead vocalist of New Jersey thrash metal band Overkill. He has been the vocalist of Overkill since its inception in 1980, and he and bassist D. D. Verni are the band's only constant members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.D. Verni</span> American heavy metal musician

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.

<i>Ironbound</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Overkill

Ironbound is the 15th full-length studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, which was released on January 29, 2010 in Europe on Nuclear Blast and in the U.S. on February 9, 2010 on eOne Music. It was their first studio album in more than two years since the release of Immortalis in the fall of 2007, and their first release on their current label Nuclear Blast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Gustafson</span> American guitarist (born 1965)

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.

<i>The Electric Age</i> Overkill Album

The Electric Age is the 16th studio album by the American thrash metal band Overkill, which was released on March 27, 2012 in the U.S. on eOne Music and in Europe three days later on Nuclear Blast.

<i>White Devil Armory</i> 2014 studio album by Overkill

White Devil Armory is the 17th studio album by the American thrash metal band Overkill. It was released on July 18, 2014 in Europe through Nuclear Blast and July 22 in North America through eOne Music.

<i>The Grinding Wheel</i> 2017 studio album by Overkill

The Grinding Wheel is the 18th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on February 10, 2017. It is the last Overkill album with drummer Ron Lipnicki, who left the band shortly after its release and was replaced by Jason Bittner for the album's tour and its follow-up The Wings of War (2019).

<i>Titans of Creation</i> 2020 studio album by Testament

Titans of Creation is the thirteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Testament, released on April 3, 2020. This album marked the first time since The Ritual (1992) that the band had recorded more than one album with the same lineup, though it would turn out to be their last to feature drummer Gene Hoglan, who left Testament for the second time in January 2022. Titans of Creation is also the band's first album to be co-produced by Juan Urteaga, who previously worked with Testament's two studio albums Dark Roots of Earth (2012) and Brotherhood of the Snake (2016).

<i>Scorched</i> (Overkill album) 2023 studio album by Overkill

Scorched is the twentieth studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on April 14, 2023. It is the band's first studio album in four years, following The Wings of War (2019), the longest gap between studio albums for the band.

References

  1. 1 2 "OVERKILL Begins Recording New Album: Photos". Blabbermouth.net. June 2, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "OVERKILL Completes Work On New Album; February 2019 Release Expected". Blabbermouth.net. October 10, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Overkill – The Wings Of War (4782-0, NB 4782-0)". Discogs. February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  4. ↑ "OVERKILL: Lyric Video For New Song 'Last Man Standing'". Blabbermouth.net. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ "OVERKILL: Lyric Video For New Song 'Head Of A Pin'". Blabbermouth.net. January 18, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ "OVERKILL Releases Music Video For 'Welcome To The Garden State' Song". Blabbermouth.net . February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  7. ↑ "OVERKILL – announce new album "The Wings Of War", cover artwork & tracklist released!". Nuclear Blast. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "OVERKILL To Release 'The Wings Of War' Album In February". Blabbermouth.net. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Overkill Set February Release For New Album 'The Wings Of War', Unveil Cover Art & Track Listing". ThePRP.com. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  10. ↑ "OVERKILL Is Working On New Music". Blabbermouth.net. February 9, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  11. ↑ "OVERKILL Is 'In Pre-Production' For Next Album". Blabbermouth.net. April 17, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  12. ↑ "OVERKILL To Release New Album In February 2019". Blabbermouth.net. April 28, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ "HeadBanger.ru - OVERKILL To Release 'The Wings Of War' Album In February". headbanger.ru. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Overkill to return with new album The Wings of War". November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ Blabbermouth (January 3, 2019). "OVERKILL Members Discuss Their Beginnings In First Episode Of 'Welcome To The Garden State' Documentary". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Overkill Announces 'Wings Over The USA' Spring 2019 Tour With Death Angel And Act of Defiance". Blabbermouth.net. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Gorania, Jay H. (February 24, 2019). "CD Reviews - The Wings Of War Overkill". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  18. 1 2 Dufour, Nathan (February 22, 2019). "KNAC.COM - Reviews - OVERKILL 'The Wings Of War'". knac.com . Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  19. ↑ Bowar, Chad (February 19, 2019). "Album Review: OVERKILL The Wings Of War". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  20. ↑ Halupczok, Marc (February 22, 2019). "Overkill THE WINGS OF WAR". Metal Hammer . Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  21. ↑ Metal Hammer, April 2019 (320). P. 101. Daly, Joe.
  22. ↑ Bittner, Ronny. "Album Review: OVERKILL - The Wings Of War". Rock Hard. RH 382. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  23. ↑ "The Wings of War is Overkill's best album since Ironbound!". AgoraphobicNews.com. February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  24. ↑ "The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2019". Loudwire . Townsquare Media. December 3, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  25. 1 2 "Overkill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  26. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – OverKill – The Wings of War" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Overkill – The Wings of War" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Overkill – The Wings of War" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 09.Týden 2019 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 9, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 9 (dal 22.02.2019 al 28.02.2019)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Overkill – The Wings of War". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Overkill Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Overkill Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Overkill Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.