‘Historikill 1995-2007’ – Ranking Overkill’s Albums From Their Forthcoming Retrospective Release

Overkill? There's no such thing when it comes to these Thrash legends!

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Chris Jennings in Features

Source // cdn.discogs.com

New Jersey Thrash Metal royalty Overkill are poised to release a retrospective box set on September 18th entitled Historikill: 1995 – 2007. Containing the bands entire discography from that period, any fans of Overkill’s Groove-Thrash output should have their appetite for an East-Coast pummeling well and truly sated.

While the bands heyday is undoubtedly during their time spent with Megaforce/Atlantic (Taking Over/The Years Of Decay/Horroscope/W.F.O), Overkill are still the most reliable Thrash band in existence, maintaining credibility during Thrash Metal’s mid-90’s decline and regularly releasing solid albums throughout their entire 35 year existence!

With that in mind, Worship Metal takes a trip down memory lane and ranks the 8 studio albums (we’ve ignored the live albums and compilations included in the boxset to avoid repeating ourselves) included in Historikill with only one conclusion drawn….simply stated, it’s time to SHRED!

8. Coverkill (1999)

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Covers albums are always a mixed bag. Relatively pointless, they serve to highlight a bands heritage and influences and often reek of contractual obligation rather than forming a credible part of a bands back catalogue.

Coverkill, released in 1999, is unsurprisingly exactly that; a mixed bag. From Metal classics penned by Black Sabbath (“Cornucopia”/ “Never Say Die”/”Changes”), Judas Priest (“Tyrant”) and unsurprisingly Motörhead (“Overkill”) to the Punk noise of the Sex Pistols (“No Feelings”) and the Ramones (“I’m Against It”), the songs are obviously great choices and the covers are faithfully Overkill-ised(!) and yet the whole enterprise just feels slightly pointless.

Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin” is a highlight, Bobby ‘Blitz”s frenzied vocals sending an already frantic track into Thrash overdrive – Overkill ‘covering’ all the bases as they make this classic their own – but as Overkill albums go Coverkill is hardly a disaster but equally, it’s hardly essential. 6/10