siLLy puPPy When it comes to keeping that good old school thrash metal vibe alive i really can’t think of any band more consistently delivering the goods than OVERKILL which began 40 years ago in 1980 and has never stopped plugging along ever since. The band’s last installment in their ginormous canon is the 19th album THE WINGS OF WAR which cranks out another ten (or eleven on the digipak) tracks that offer the sounds of the 80s and 90s with an updated approach. This band has always excelled at keeping an intact core sound while making each album just slightly different enough to keep things from getting stale. This album is certainly no exception to that trend.

After a five album run which included some of OVERKILL’s best material killing it well into the 21st century, drummer Ron Lipnicki departed and was replaced by Jason Bittner best known for his gig with Shadows Fall but also has played with Toxic and Flotsam and Jetsom. THE WINGS OF WAR is yet another strong batch of catchy melody fueled thrash metal anthems that conjure up the zeitgeist of the late 80s and early 90s as OVERKILL marries the early thrash metal bombast with elements of 80s classic metal with a touch of groove metal here and there. Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth is in good form as always and his vocal style shows absolutely no signs of giving out anytime soon. In fact the band is so well seasoned that every single aspect of the musical details is completely perfected and shimmering like a diamond in the rough.

On top of the thrashing maestrohood, OVERKILL has also mastered the art of production and mixing as the perfected balance of dynamics is flawless throughout THE WINGS OF WAR. While the previous album “The Grinding Wheel” got a little more down and dirty with a rawer feel, this followup is more polished as heard on the opening “Last Man Standing” that features a synthesized intro and then proceeds into a rampaging thrash metal extravaganza that also features elements of classic speed metal in the vein of Judas Priest’s “Painkiller” era. Despite the strong opening single, the album doesn’t really let up at all and excels at offering a never-ending supply of blitzkrieg guitar riffing sessions along with an excellent independent bass groove and the more than competent drumming skills of newbie Jason Bittner.

While every track reels you in with an instantly infectious melodic tug, the thrash bombast never ceases except for the moments when acoustic guitars offer nice intros or unexpected interior motifs that capture the essence of classic Annihilator, Metallica and of course OVERKILL itself. One of the funniest songs the band has ever done has to be the tourist brochure thrash song “Welcome To The Garden State” which shows this East Coasters put the rest of us in place for not having emerged from the great state of New Jersey but it’s all rather tongue and cheek and showcases a less serious side of the band’s persona. Another favorite is the feisty “Bat Shit Crazy” which features the largest number of changes and makes you wonder if OVERKILL will ever slow down and lose their magic touch.

While so many bands deliver some great albums and then sort of lose their way OVERKILL just keeps sallying forth into the future with one strong release after another. Sure some stylistic nuances may be more appealing than others but when all is said and done, OVERKILL not only ticks off all the thrash metal requirements that keep them relevant as they are anchored to the past but they feistily continue to offer variations of their approach that never fail to keep me entertained for an album’s worth of thrash metal headbanging. These guys really have become the patron saints of thrash metal longevity as classic bands like Metallica, Megadeath and Slayer now seem devoid of inspiration. Whatever they’re growing in the gardens of New Jersey seems to be working. Keep it up, guys!

Kev Rowland Overkill are back with their 19th studio album and show no signs at all of slowing down. They have a new drummer since ‘The Grinding Wheel in Jason Bittner, but given he has played with the likes of Shadows Fall, Anthrax, Toxik plus Flotsam and Jetsam his metal credentials are definitely established, and he drives the band from the back (even though the actual drum sound is more than a little suspect). D.D. Verni and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth will soon be gathering in their pension, having formed the band as long ago as 1980, but even guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek "The Skull" Tailer will soon be celebrating 20 years, so here is a band with incredibly longevity and consistency. They have long since stopped trying anything significantly different, and as soon as the Overkill logo is sighted then one knows that here is thrash as it should be played, hard and fast and little in the way of anything fancy.

I was a huge fan of their last album, which I felt was the best of their career to date, but this one hasn’t grabbed me in the same way at all. It is okay, in fact it’s quite good, but it doesn’t have that touch of brilliance and class from the last one. I can’t put my finger on it, not sure if it is the songs, the arrangements or the production, as Bobby certainly hasn’t changed his approach and his rough-edged vocal style is still at the centre of all they do. I can’t imagine them ever releasing a bad album, but for me this certainly isn’t as essential as some of their others.

UMUR "The Wings Of War" is the 20th full-length studio album by US, New York based thrash/heavy metal act Overkill. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in February 2019. It´s the successor to "The Grinding Wheel" from 2017 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as drummer Ron Lipnicki has been replaced by Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Anthrax, Toxik, Flotsam and Jetsam).

"The Wings Of War" pretty much continues the energetic and raw thrash/heavy metal style of "The Grinding Wheel (2017)" (and the style on quite a few albums before that one), with hard edged thrash/groove/heavy metal riffs, blistering solos, and a strong playing rhythm section. It´s sharp, it´s raw, and it´s powerful. The icing on the cake is as always the rusty "fuck you" attitude loaded vocals by lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth. His voice is like listening to nails put through a grinder but at the same time he is able to put enough melodic hooks and catchy phrases into the songs, to always keep a good balance between the raw and the more accessible.

There´s little out of the ordinary featured on "The Wings Of War" but all tracks are of a relatively high quality. Highlights include the opener "Last Man Standing", the heavy groove laden "Distortion", and the fast-paced and energetic "Welcome to the Garden State", but all tracks are pretty much of an equal quality and catchiness. The band are as usual incredibly well playing and obviously very passionate about what they do, and that´s one of their greatest assets.

Upon conclusion "The Wings Of War" is yet another high quality release by Overkill and I´m still amazed that they can continue to produce music of this quality, keeping in mind this is their 20th full-length studio album. There have been small ups and downs in quality over the years, but they are more or less the definition of solidity. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.