Overkill

W.F.O.

Wow, a decent album of "modern" thrash.

Review Score:

(6/10)
This album occurred at sort of a unique mid-point in Overkill's career; it comes directly after the more experimental and mellow "I Hear Black" album, and well after their first 5 thrash full lengths, but precedes what they've been doing since ala Motorhead/AC/DC--churning out albums that are good but don't really have much variance or spectacular qualities compared to their classic stuff.

While I infinitely prefer their first 3 albums to this, I've always sort of respected this album since it's actually a well-done slab of modern thrash metal. There's no disgusting aggro/screamo/hardcore/tribal influence like Machine Head/Pantera or Sepultura's later stuff, and this album predated the retro movement by quite a bit, so it's not a fake attempt to relive past glories. Compared to the few contemporaries they had who also mostly stuck to their guns, it's far superior--it's grittier and not as accessible as Anthrax with Bush, and not as mellow (or generic, depending on the album) as mid-'90s Testament. It's not quite as heavy as the band's later stuff nor the songs as good as the earlier stuff, but it's catchy in its own way, and I find "Where It Hurts" and "Under One" have remained memorable, especially where Blitz's vocal delivery is concerned. The filler tracks on here aren't bad, but when analyzed independently of the musical environment this album was released in, they aren't anything special. Again, I'd say a lot of my love for this album is a bias brought about by the widespread decline and corruption of thrash in the early-mid '90s (The Years of Decay, if you will, heh heh...)

Still, there's no substitute for classic metal, and I suspect these guys know it all too well. While not listed here, the US-version (and probably all versions) of the CD have a hidden bonus track with a sloppy, horribly Drunken (Wisdom) medley of "Heaven and Hell," "The Ripper," and Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile."

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