OVERKILL — Bloodletting (review)

OVERKILL — Bloodletting album cover Album · 2000 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Bloodletting" is the 12th full-length studio album by US, New York based thrash metal act Overkill. The album was released through Steamhammer Records in October 1999. It´s the successor to "Necroshine" from 1999. There have been two lineup changes since the release of "Necroshine (1999)" as guitarists Sebastian Marino and Joe Comeau have left the band. Overkill instead added new guitarist Dave Linsk to the lineup and for the first time since the late 80s, they are a four-piece recording unit again.

"Bloodletting" opens with the crushingly heavy and groove laden "Thunderhead" and never looks back from there. Stylistically we´re treated to the usual (usual for this period of the band´s career) combination of old school thrash/heavy metal featuring more than one nod towards groove metal. Some tracks are faster paced and more thrash metal oriented, while some tracks lean more toward the groove side of the band´s sound. Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth sounds as pissed off and filled with a "Fuck You" attitude as ever, and the instrumental part of the music is played with great passion and conviction too. These guys are true professionals and while this is pretty basic vers/chorus structured music, "Bloodletting" is still delivered with the right balance of organic groove and militant precision, to make is as effectful as possible.

"Bloodletting" features a very powerful sounding production, with a heavy metallic tone, which suits the material perfectly. So upon conclusion "Bloodletting" is a quality thrash metal release with groove metal leanings, and to my ears it´s a step up in quality from "Necroshine (1999)". Not all tracks stand out equally much, but on the other hand there´s nothing sub par on the album either, so all in all it´s a great listening experience. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Love this album, probably my favorite mid-period Overkill album, though I really like Killing Kind and Necroshine as well. That's the problem when a band's so consistent, it's hard for me to pick favorites after the trilogy of Under the Influence, Years of Decay, and Horrorscope.

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed