Overkill
Under The Influence

Since their inception, Uriah Heep lived in the shadow of monuments like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin. A complicated musical existence that can be compared to that of Overkill, overshadowed by the dominance of other forces like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and partly Anthrax as well. Yet, the band of Ellsworth has shown over the years its importance to the thrash metal genre, managing to gather a loyal following.

"Under the Influence" is the third of Overkill's fifteen creations, released in 1988, the year of "...And Justice for All" and "So Far, So Good... So What," so largely "hindered" by these other two major releases in the star-spangled country. The crucial figure in the birth, growth, and then consolidation of Overkill is Bobby Ellsworth, assisted by the faithful D.D. Verni on bass.

The true defining element of Overkill's music is Ellsworth's voice, so "childish" and pissed off that it stands unique in the entire horizon of metal. It, combined with the instrumental section, generates a fundamentally thrash metal album, although there are some interesting and more complex ideas that will be explored in later works (especially in "The Years of Decay"). At the same time, we also have a multitude of riffs (spawned by guitarist Sid Falck) that craft a sound that is still raw and partly derivative, influenced by the great thrash masters who had already been dominating the market for some years.

Musically, if Overkill demonstrates in "Under the Influence" not to be fully "autonomous" yet, they certainly have the great desire to prove themselves. The opener "Shred" shows them angry enough with a well-supported rhythm section and a blistering pace. Great bass work and superb construction for "Never Say Never" where Falck's riffs and Ellsworth's shrill voice rise to chase each other throughout the track's duration. In the same vein, "Hello from the Gutter" and "Mad Gone World", anchored to the US thrash roots, with Ellsworth continuing to stand out thanks to a timbre that marvelously fits with the band's rhythms and sound.

The second part of the CD shows us the more complex sides of the group, who venture into solutions partly distant from those presented in the initial tracks. "Drunken Wisdom", "End of the Line", "Head First", and "Overkill III" are indeed tracks where the devastating energy with which Under the Influence opened is slightly (only very slightly) toned down: the overall atmosphere becomes darker and more "pondered," a characteristic which we'll also find in "The Years of Decay." This very second part of the CD lowers the overall value of the platter mainly due to that lack of power which, on the contrary, crushes the eardrums for all the initial 25 minutes. The compositional level remains good, but the premature nature of some solutions affects the final judgment on the entire work.

An album that remains positive nevertheless, although Overkill had already shown in the past that they could do better, something that will happen again in the future. Rating 3 and a half.

1. "Shred" (4:05)
2. "Never Say Never" (5:58)
3. "Hello From The Gutter" (4:12)
4. "Mad Gone World" (4:31)
5. "Brainfade" (4:08)
6. "Drunken Wisdom" (6:18)
7. "End Of The Line" (7:03)
8. "Head First" (6:02)
9. "Overkill III" (6:28)