W.F.O. | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 15, 1994 [1] [ unreliable source? ] | |||
Recorded | April–May 1994 | |||
Studio | Ambient Recording Co., Stamford, Connecticut | |||
Genre | Thrash metal, groove metal | |||
Length | 57:38 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Overkill | |||
Overkill chronology | ||||
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W.F.O. (Wide Fucking Open) is the seventh full-length studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 15, 1994, [2] on Atlantic Records.
The album contains "hidden songs" on track 98 the songs start at 10:00, featuring the band warming up in the studio, playing "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath, "The Ripper" by Judas Priest and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix. The instrumental song "R.I.P. (Undone)" was written as a tribute to Criss Oliva, co-founder of the band Savatage, who died nine months before the release of the album. [3]
W.F.O. is the last Overkill album released by Atlantic Records, who released their previous five albums, and their last album with guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant. W.F.O. and I Hear Black were re-released on Wounded Bird Records in 2005.
W.F.O. was the first album Overkill produced themselves. On the making of the album, frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth explained to Gavin Report :
We did it ourselves. We used Terry Date back in 1991, but he's almost unreachable now. Between the success of the Horrorscope album and the Pantera and Soundgarden albums, he's really off the map. We know our area and we just try to expand on it. We've never been one for tasting the flavor of the day. I think our longevity is due to the fact that we're not really followers. We enjoy our area and explore within it. A lot of people might say that it's not really artistic to say that you can't expand, but we just know where we're most potent. We just turned up the intensity with each record, as compared to exploring what people are calling alternative, grunge or industrial. The songs are born in a rehearsal room where everyone says 'we're there.' We put on a few finishing touches and then record it. We did this whole thing from soup to nuts this time and it was important that we saw that vision all the way through to the end. We had an option to take a producer but I've co-produced seven records with D.D., Rob is fantastic behind the board and Merritt has great ears. We just decided to go in an do it and not let anyone fuck with our vision. [4]
While W.F.O. was said to be a return to the band's "good ol' thrashin' ways", [5] it continued the traditional heavy metal sound previously used on I Hear Black , but eschewed most of that album's influences from stoner and doom metal in favor of a groove metal influenced sound. [6]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rock Hard | 9.0/10 [8] |
AllMusic's Jason Anderson gave the album a positive review, awarding it four stars out of five and stating, "W.F.O. probably represents the formal beginnings of a '90s commercial swoon for the thrash metal band." Anderson then added, "By the time of this 1994 release, the group's popularity might have been waning a little due to rock fashion trends leaning heavily away from thrash or anything that reminded listeners of the '80s. That's not to say that W.F.O. isn't a fine recording. It is probably one of the band's best, and last, thrash juggernauts." [9]
W.F.O. reached number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in 1994, [9] making it Overkill's third-highest chart position (after I Hear Black and Ironbound , which peaked at number three and number four respectively). [10] Unlike many of their previous albums, it did not chart on the Billboard 200. [10]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Where It Hurts" | 5:33 |
2. | "Fast Junkie" | 4:21 |
3. | "The Wait/New High in Lows" | 5:46 |
4. | "They Eat Their Young" | 4:57 |
5. | "What's Your Problem" | 5:10 |
6. | "Under One" | 4:14 |
7. | "Supersonic Hate" | 4:17 |
8. | "R.I.P." | 1:43 |
9. | "Up to Zero" | 4:07 |
10. | "Bastard Nation" | 5:38 |
11. | "Gasoline Dream" | 6:49 |
Total length: | 57:38 |
"The Wait/New High in Lows" samples a quote from the 1993 crime film Carlito's Way .
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
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US Top Heatseekers (Billboard) [9] | 9 |
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. In addition to Verni and Ellsworth, Overkill's current lineup includes 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. The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly", a skeletal bat with a skull-like face, horns, bony wings and green eyes, who has appeared on most of their album covers.
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).
Under the Influence is the third studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 5, 1988 through Megaforce Records and Atlantic Records. This was Overkill's first album to feature drummer Sid Falck, who had replaced Rat Skates when the latter left the band in 1987 during the Taking Over tour.
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.
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.
Wrecking Your Neck is a 2-disc live album released by the thrash metal band Overkill in 1995. A March 1995 show, once again in Cleveland, Ohio, was recorded for Overkill's first full-length live album and was released in April 1995; with the first pressing featuring a bonus CD containing the Overkill EP that had been out of print for ten years. A music video for the song "Bastard Nation" was also released. Wrecking Your Neck is also the last Overkill album to feature guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant, and their first release on CMC, following the end of their near-decade-long tenure with 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.
Bloodletting is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 24, 2000, by Metal-Is. It is the first after the departure of guitarists Joe Comeau and Sebastian Marino and the addition of Dave Linsk. Bloodletting also marked the first and only time since 1989's The Years of Decay that Overkill had recorded together as a four-piece.
Wrecking Everything is a 2002 live album by thrash metal band Overkill which is the counterpart to Wrecking Everything – An Evening in Asbury Park VHS/DVD. Recorded at The Paramount, Asbury Park, New Jersey on March 23, 2002. As of 2006, the album had sold over 5,300 copies and according to Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, the VHS/DVD has sold around 15,000–20,000 copies in the U.S.
Killbox 13 is the 12th studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released in 2003. It is the first album with rhythm guitarist Derek Tailer. The name stems from the fact that the band considers this to be their thirteenth release because they include the Overkill EP as their first, or that they had released the covers album Coverkill, which would have been their eleventh studio album. "Well, it is the thirteenth, but it's only really the thirteenth for people who followed the band. There was an EP called Overkill back in '84...", said Bobby Ellsworth.
ReliXIV is the 13th full-length 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.
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.
Merritt Gant is a guitarist most recognized for his association with the band Overkill.
Feel the Fire is the debut studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 15, 1985 through Megaforce Records.
Carlo "D.D." Verni is an American musician, songwriter, and producer, 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.
Wrecking Everything – An Evening in Asbury Park is a 2002 live DVD by thrash metal band Overkill. It was recorded at The Paramount, Asbury Park, New Jersey on March 23, 2002. This is the very first Overkill DVD/VHS and the video counterpart to their Wrecking Everything live album.
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).