Overkill – Ironbound

• Country: United States
• Style: Thrash metal
• Label: Nuclear Blast / E1 Music
• Release date: 29 January 2010

This far into a career, most bands are selling greatest-hits boxes. Overkill went and made one of the angriest records of their lives.

Ironbound opens with “The Green and Black”, a long, bruising thing that refuses to end politely, and the pace barely drops after that. Blitz screams like he owes somebody money. D.D. Verni’s bass rumbles under every riff like a subway train under Jersey. The title track is pure fist-in-the-air stuff, and “Bring Me the Night” got its own no-frills performance clip, shot in Brooklyn by Kevin Custer. Silhouettes, stage lights, four guys and a drum kit. Fitting. This band runs on sweat.

Peter Tägtgren handled the mix, and you can hear it: everything hits hard, nothing turns to mush. There’s a bit of groove creeping into a few songs, but don’t panic, it never gets lazy. “Killing for a Living” is the one to blast in the car when traffic gets personal.

First release on Nuclear Blast, too. Somebody at the label deserved a raise.

Best tracks:

The Green and Black
Ironbound
Bring Me the Night
Killing for a Living

Author’s rating: 8.6/10