Overkill
From The Underground And Below

THE REVIEW

Second release with the lineup that just a year prior released that "The killing kind", certainly the best effort of the '90s from the New Yorkers. Thus, the two new guitarists Sebastian Marino and Joe Comeau are still part of the equation, with Comeau also carving out a good space for himself as a vocalist, supporting the timeless Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth.
This album can easily be described as one of the most modern composed by the American thrashers. The Panterian influences, especially in the guitars, are evident, leading to heavier sounds and cadenced riffs, especially in the opening trio: It Lives, Save Me, and Long Time Dyin'.
The third track Genocya opens with D.D. Verni's sinister bass, then alternates slow parts with almost "hardcore" reboot sections, an unusual but fitting song for them. Half Past Dead is slow and sinister for the first half, with the bass again taking the lead, only to speed up in the second part with an outstanding performance from Blitz on vocals.
F.U.C.T. is finally a fast thrash song in the old Overkill style, almost grazing Death with Joe Comeau's growl vocals. A guaranteed headbanging song. I'm Alright seems to anticipate the sound coordinates of their next album "Necroshine". A song with heavy and almost industrial riffs.
Rip n' Tear is a fun and bouncy "Thrash'n'roll song" without too many pretensions.
Promises is the semi-ballad that Overkill occasionally ventures to compose, with a convincing Blitz even when he doesn't have to push his vocal cords to the limit.
The album closes with Little Bit o' Murder, a fast and evil Thrash. Once again, guitarist Comeau takes center stage on vocals, who will still record two more albums with Overkill before joining Jeff Waters as the singer for Annihilator.

In conclusion, it can be said that this "From The Underground And Below" is a rather atypical album in Overkill's discography, starting from the rather unusual cover, almost like a "black metal" group, to the songs, designed to float with the modern thrash that was in vogue about ten years ago. The classic transitional album which, when talking about Overkill, still means a CD well above the average of metal releases.