Artist: Overkill
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 1991
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Horrorscope Artist: Overkill Label: Atlantic Records Release Date: 1991
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Death's Review:
Almost every Overkill album features something of merit. But the stretch of albums that began with Taking Over, continued with The Years of Decay, and peaked with Horrorscope constitute most of the reason while Overkill is still recording and releasing albums today, and contain the bulk of their most "classic" material. Horrorscope is - in spots - particularly killer. Bobby Gustafson was gone on guitar, and this marked the band's first period of substantial change and the shift in the band's leadership to the Bobby Blitz/D.D. Verni partnership. The result was a new, thrashier sound with a double-guitar attack, with some catchier (and perhaps in some instances slightly cornier) tunes interspersed with some of the most intense, most creatively written songs the band has ever written. All in all, a mildly uneven record, but the gems are so good, it remains a classic nonetheless.The Terry Date production is evident from the get-go and brings a certain clean and precise sound to the technical thrash which really elevates the already cool material to "classic" heights. "Coma" is a thrash metal classic, a great, upbeat, thrashy opener and still a staple of the live set. "Infectuous" is cool too, but personally, I skip the typical mid-tempo Overkill angry shout-alongs "Thanx For Nothin'" and "Bare Bones" (although each have cool riffs, especially the main verse riff in "Bare Bones"). That's because it's really all about th e title track, which follows. "Horrorscope" is one of Overkill's best tunes, a decendent of "Skullcrusher" and precursor to "Spiritual Void". The video was great too and is a highlight of Overkill's career. Great stuff, with hauntingly slow and crushingly heavy main riffs. The ominous and dramatic command with which Blitz delivers his words of warning to the world is him at his best. This is followed by the killer thrash of "New Machine" whose razor sharp end riffs and trademarked Blitz screaming sticks in your head for days after every listen.
"Frankenstien" is a silly Edgar Winter cover (thrash bands doing rock covers were en vogue at the time), but things pick up with "Live Young Die Free" and then peak with the crushingly perfect "Nice Day . . . For a Funeral," a song which picks up with the "Horrorscope" "haunting" vibe but this time is thrashy and attacking rather than slow and plodding. The segue into the mellow album closer "Souitude" is one of Overkill's most beautiful moments, and Blitz's drama and passion displayed on this track is some of his best work. I remember seeing this tour and seeing them play "Soulitude" live. Overkill fans, go back and listen to "Nice Day . . . For a Funeral" into "Soulitude" and think about how killer it would be if Overkill were to play these songs in concert these days live. Living in L.A., I'll never get to see the band again anyway (does Overkill ever play the west coast of the United States? When was the last time they played L.A.?), but at least I've got the memories. At least you can listen to the album. Newcomers to the scene, check this one out. Old die-hards. bust Horrorscope back out. It still kills just like you remembered it.
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