Having listened over and over again to "Ironbound," the soon-to-be-released album by Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and co., I can safely say Overkill is back with a vengeance. Before somebody else let me say it that this album may be the best of the band since the unforgettable "Years of Decay."
So what makes Ironbound their best album for the past 20 years? Brilliant riffing? You bet. Trademark bass hammering by D.D. Verni? More than ever. Vocals oozing with power and rage? It's all there.
But for me, what makes Ironbound a classic even after a few listens is the thrash attitude, something that sadly seems lacking from today's resurgent thrash, even if these new bands prove over and over again with their musicianship that they are more than capable of carrying the genre forward.
The attitude reminded by Overkill is one that smells of backstreets and alleys, one that brilliantly catches the spontaneous rage of "the man on the street," something that builds up throughout all these brilliant songs and throws your soul to the wall unexpectedly. It is only this thrash attitude that can shout a "Fuck The Limit, Fuck The Sky!" (Give A Little) to the empty and loathsome consumerist slogans that try to dominate our lives.
"Ironbound" reminds all that thrash is much more than riffing and shredding.
Ironbound
Release date: Jan 2010
01. The Green And Black
02. Ironbound
03. Bring Me The Night
04. The Goal Is Your Soul
05. Give A Little
06. Endless War
07. The Head And Heart
08. In Vain
09. Killing For A Living
10. The SRC
