Hellring

A martial and epic work unlike anything Overkill had done up to this point. It transitions from the lightning-fast speed of tracks like "Elimination" and "Evil Never Dies" to the dark and doom-oriented atmospheres of songs such as "Playing With Spiders" and the title track. Noteworthy is a D.D. Verni at his peak, one of the most underrated bassists in the entire metal scene. A fundamental album in their career, a culmination of a certain way of doing thrash. As far as I'm concerned, one of the essential works.

The first CD by Overkill that, in my opinion, doesn't quite make the grade (even if just barely). Too disjointed, "unnatural" compared to what the Americans had produced up to that point. It's like saying: a change that could be acceptable but seems not to be in the band's wheelhouse. Several tracks come off as forced and much less straightforward than in the past. As far as I'm concerned, "I Hear Black" is a slight misstep. 5.5/10

As far as I'm concerned, the best work from Overkill since "The Years Of Decay." Tracks like "My December," "Stone Cold Jesus," and "I Am Fear" remain etched in the stone of thrash. 8/10

Great album by an eternally underrated band. Some previous tracks, while still good, lacked something. "Killbox XIII" has the quality of the songs and a more inspired songwriting. 7.5/10

A step back from the previous "Necroshine," but we are still faced with another excellent product of classic thrash. A CD that is a pleasure to listen to. 7/10

An album that connects to the frantic rhythms of the first two works, less "thought-out" than the previous (and essential) "The Years Of Decay." Nice but not amazing. It loses some punch, especially in the choruses. However, tracks like "Blood Money," "Thanx For Nothing," and "New Machine" outshine 99% of everything produced nowadays in the thrash scene. 7.5/10

A record that I have never been able to "fully assimilate" in the sense that I perceive it as less successful than its two predecessors, but at the same time it brings for the first time in Overkill's career the attempt to articulate their speed/thrash more. The tempos slow down slightly, the tracks expand in length, but overall it remains a very successful album of old-school metal. Over time, I have also managed to reassess it positively. "Shred", "Never Say Never" and "The

Second birth and second center: speed, technique, riffs. Everything is in the right place, resulting in a solid, powerful, aggressive work. "Wrecking Crew" and "In Union We Stand" are the best.

8/10

This is the album I have always preferred over the previous one, "The Killing Kind." 7.5/10

"Transition" album that I have never particularly liked. Many good thrash metal tracks, but light years away from what Overkill had done just a few years earlier. The extraordinary contribution on bass by Verni deserves a mention. 7/10

6.5/10

Debut album with a bang. A raw and fast thrash that shines in tracks like "Rotten To The Core" and "Hammerhead." A band that has remained in the shadow of the "big four" but deserves to be rediscovered.

8/10