Overkill/Ironbound/2010

The “Big 4” of thrash metal — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, & Anthrax, just played Yankee Stadium a couple weeks back to wrap up their exhaustive two date North American Tour. Word is, in the Twitter-verse and elsewhere on the inter-webs, the show was a smashing (thrashing?) success. A little slice of heavy metal heaven for old-school ‘80’s thrash fans, if you will.

Now, I don’t want to throw a wet blanket on anyone’s devil horns, but this tour, while admittedly novel, feels about twenty years too late. Twenty years ago these bands were a four-headed monster of metal mastery, riding a career-defining wave of records like Rust in Peace, Persistence of Time, Seasons in the Abyss, and Metallica’s self-titled juggernaut. Fast forward to 2011 and the song is not quite the same. Slayer has morphed into a satanic AC/DC, effectively releasing the same record over and over again. Anthrax has suffered more lead singer & line-up changes than 80’s era Black Sabbath. Megadeth flirted with radio-friendly rock and alienated their core fans in the process. Finally, Metallica’s self-indulgent excursions into the musical wilderness of radio-rock, orchestral collaborations, and whatever the hell St. Anger was have ultimately left their fans exhausted and apathetic. Even an attempt to recreate past glory with 2008’s Death Magnetic came up lame.

One has to wonder are these guys even worthy of the “Big 4” moniker anymore?

I would submit, that the true “Big 4” of 80’s thrash metal is now Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, and Overkill. All of which are releasing contemporary thrashter-pieces that are among the best albums of their careers. Which brings us to the subject of today’s lengthy diatribe — Overkill’s 2010 magnum opus, Ironbound.

I honestly don’t know how to review this record. It really is as close to perfect as a thrash metal record can be. The opening track, The Green and Black is a microcosm of the album as a whole. It is an amazing track. A pummeling 8:12 minutes of metal featuring amazing vocals, thunderous drums, tight execution, sophisticated song writing, crisp modern production, incredibly fluid and tasteful lead work — I’m gushing.

It’s awesome.

Lead singer, Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth gives a Herculean performance on this album. He sings high, low, menacing, and with a personality and energy that is all too often missing from modern metal. He sounds better than the “Blitz” I remember from the Overkill records of my youth. Simply put, his voice is badass.

Every track is a highlight. There are a few riffs that will remind you of other metal songs (Bring Me the Night borrows a riff from Diamond Head’s Helpless, Metallica’s Phantom Lord can be found in another), but the album is so damn good that you will forgive this minor transgression.

Overkill is one of those blue-collar bands that have been around forever but for whatever reason have not achieved superstardom. They have to tour. They have to write records. They have to grind it out year after year. They make enough money to avoid flipping burgers, but not enough to go on an extended hiatus or to become complacent. Maybe that is why their records are so damn good. They have to deliver to keep working. They don’t have the luxury of financial freedom that super-duper success would bring. They can’t afford to coast on past success and wallow in mediocrity album after album.

I listened to my share of Overkill in high school when I was a young, metal pup. However, through the years I lost track of them. Ironbound has succeeded in bringing me back into the fold.

I can’t wait to hear what they do next. 9.8/10