I haven't forgotten about this blog, but my laptop in inoperable right now, so I don't have a computer at home, which is usually my best opportunity to write up albums.
Anyway, a few days ago I saw Overkill, the venerable New Jersey thrash act, for the second time. Now, there was a level of disappointment about this show. See, Overkill is currently on a massive tour across the U.S. with none other than King Diamond, and supported by Myrkur and Night Demon. They had just all played in Iowa the day before. But for some reason, this show was just Overkill and three local bands. I have no idea why this was not a part of the big tour, I certainly would have preferred it if it were. At least it was not a super late night though. I was out of there before 11.
The local bands were Fascinus Rex, Molten and Viscerous, all of them from either Lincoln or Omaha. Unfortunately I missed Fascinus Rex because I was late getting going. Molten and Viscerous were both extremely impressive though. It was my first time seeing either band and I would absolutely be willing to see both acts again. They are both relatively new bands, but carried themselves like veterans, rampaging through their sets and able to engage the crowd like seasoned road warriors. I love the fact that Nebraska has been able to produce such high-quality metal bands, even if no one seems to be getting much widespread exposure.
Overkill took the stage and played most of the tracks I would have expected them to, with a couple of surprises. Now, the last time I saw them was back in 2012 and there are a couple new faces in the band, with former Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers filling in for D.D. Verni and a new drummer in the band. There was also only one guitarist present when the band usually has two. Not sure what is happening there. Despite the lineup flux, this was most definitely Overkill. They played with the same snotty sneer and in-your-face aggression that the band has been known for for nearly 40 years now. Even though Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth is retirement age, time has not softened his disposition. They put on an electrifying show that covered almost every release in their long careers and proved why they have been the most consistent thrash metal band from the very beginning. Overkill is still one of my favorite bands.
