THESE ARE THE DAYS
OF THUNDER AND RAGE
WE CRY OUR BATTLE HAIL
Power in Black
is the first demo
from thrash metal band
in 1983,
although some songs
had been
recorded previously,
such as
"The Beast Within".
Three of the songs
from this demo
"Overkill",
"There's No Tomorrow"
and
"Raise the Dead"
were re-recorded for
Overkill's debut
Feel the Fire,
while
"The Beast Within"
and
"Death Rider"
have never been
re-recorded on
future albums.
Overkill
was formed in 1980
by members of
the punk band
the Lubricunts,
which featured bassist
D.D. Verni
and drummer
Rat Skates.
Verni and Skates
placed an ad
looking for a guitarist
and lead singer,
which was answered by
guitarist
Robert Pisarek
and singer
Bobby Ellsworth,
and the first incarnation
of Overkill
was formed.
After rejecting several names,
including
Virgin Killer,
the band settled on
Overkill,
named after
Motörhead's
second album.
Early on,
they covered punk songs
by the Ramones,
the Dead Boys
and others.
By late 1980,
the band's setlist
included songs by
bands such as
Motörhead
(including songs from Overkill)
and half of the
Ace of Spades album
Judas Priest
("Tyrant" in particular),
and Riot.
Along with the influx of
heavy metal covers,
the band still played a
smattering of
punk covers,
with extra distortion,
intensity,
and speed.
In 1981,
the band went through
a succession of guitarists
after Pisarek left,
first being replaced by
Dan Spitz
(who later joined Anthrax)
and
Anthony Ammendola,
then
Rich Conte
and
Mike Sherry,
before settling with
Bobby Gustafson
in late 1982.
Around this time,
the band started
writing original songs,
including
"Grave Robbers"
(later renamed "Raise the Dead"),
"Overkill",
and
"Unleash the Beast (Within)".
More songs followed,
including
"Death Rider"
(1981)
and
"Rotten to the Core"
(1982).
As the band continued
to write original material,
they became
a staple at clubs
in New York
and
New Jersey,
such as
L'Amour.
In 1983,
the lineup of
Verni, Skates, Ellsworth,
and Gustafson
released
the Power in Black demo,
a recording that made
as much impact in
the underground
tape trading circuit
as demos by
then-up-and-coming
Bay Area thrash metal bands,
such as
Exodus and Testament
(then-called Legacy).
Power in Black
gained the band
two compilation appearances:
"Feel the Fire"
was included on
New York Metal '84
while
"Death Rider"
appeared on the
fifth volume of
Metal Blade Records'
Metal Massacre series.
The success of
Power in Black
also enabled the band
to secure a
small recording deal
with
Azra/Metal Storm Records,
resulting in the 1985
four-track
extended play (EP)
Overkill,
which quickly sold out,
pushing the band to
the forefront of the
fledgling thrash metal movement.
Long out of print,
the vinyl-only EP
is now considered
a rare collector's item,
and all the songs
appeared eleven years later
on the compilation album
!!!Fuck You!!! and Then Some.
Though it is said that the
band never received money
from its release,
the Overkill EP
garnered the band
massive underground interest
and the attention of
Jon Zazula,
owner of
Megaforce Records,
a prominent independent
heavy metal record label
at the time.
Megaforce
signed Overkill
to a multi-album
record contract
and released their
full-length debut album,
Feel the Fire,
in October 1985.
Hailed by many critics
and fans as a
thrash metal masterpiece,
the album cemented
the band's position as
a driving force
of the East Coast
thrash metal movement.
The band spent
the better part of
1985 and 1986
touring in support of
Feel the Fire,
touring Europe
with Anthrax
and
Agent Steel,
and opening for
Slayer
on their
Reign in Blood tour
in North America.
Overkill's tour schedule
and the growing buzz
for Feel the Fire
resulted in several
major labels
courting the band.
They eventually signed to
Atlantic Records,
making Overkill
one of the early
thrash metal bands
to sign with a
major label
TRACKLIST
The Beast Within
There's No Tomorrow
Death Rider
Raise The Dead
Hole In The Sky
[live]
E.Vil N.Ever D.Ies
[live]
No comments:
Post a Comment