Overkill - Wrecking Everything - Live Review
Posted by Evocator Manes on 10.20.2002
Greetings From As(h)bury Park......
Ahhhh, New Jersey. Home of the famed Springsteen and Bon Jove (both reviewed elsewhere on 411) set and home also to a band that has been kicking the collective asses of worldwide audiences with their brand of thrash metal for over a decade and a half: Overkill.
The serious full shred assault of these speed metallers has few equals, even after 15+ years and the band, led by singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. As a fan and music collector, I typically eschew greatest hits packages and live albums as the usual utter lot of garbage they tend to be, unless a pre-set number of variables are in play (more on this later this year). However, in this case, WE-L is everything a live album should be.
The album is intended to impart a feel of Overkill live. This is evident from the gatefold photos, to the tray card, to the smoke-enshrouded Ellsworth on the back cover. As for the music itself, there are no distinguishable overdubs present at all, combating the “studio live” feel of many over-produced so-called other live gems. The band and crowd interact and the feeling is generally of the impression that soon stale odors of cigarettes, sweat and beer will soon be wafting over your person. Once or twice while I was listening to the disc, I even looked around to make sure some unobservant lunkhead was not ready and primed to dump half a cup of icy Bud down my back. The disc captures the best thing about being there live and demonstrates what lives shows are supposed to be about and that is fun. This thing is great fun to cruise along in your car or on the internet to and if you don’t find yourself nodding along in time, it’s not loud enough.
With all that in place, the only thing left is the actual songs themselves. For my money, Years Of Decay , which had been previously left off their set list, could and should have stayed off, but that is my only complaint. (Sidetrack: Ok, this is to all the bands out there who write bitchy ballads about being on the road, from this song to Turn The Page from Bob Seger. Look, if the road sucks so much, stay off of it. This extended exercise in whining wins you no sympathy and no feelings other than revulsion and disgust. If you hate touring so fucking much, pull the Vinnie Moore gambit and stay home and release albums from there. Christ! End Sidetrack.) The band is in top notch form for the most part, from the twin lead guitar strains of guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Taylor, to the thudding bass lines of D.D. Verni, to the pounding skin-bashing, courtesy of Tim Mallare. Ellsworth, for his part, has a sort of high-pitched voice, somewhat akin to David Wayne (Metal Church, Reverend), whom he parts company with on the ballads, for Wayne can actually sing well. Like Geddy Lee, Ellsworth’s vocals are not for everyone, but for the most part, do not diminish much of the power and majesty of this disc.
This disc is part of package deal that will include a DVD of the same show, to be released sometime this month. For fans of the band and for interested parties not familiar with the place of Overkill in the grand scheme of things heavy/thrash/speed metal-wise, it comes highly recommended.
