The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Taking Over
Artist: Overkill
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 1987

Rating: 3 Skulls
  • Read the Reviews of Years of Decay
  • Read the Reviews of Wrecking Everything and the Wrecking Everything DVD
  • Read the Reviews of Coverkill
  • Read the Reviews of Bloodletting
  • Read the Reviews of Killbox 13
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    • Reviewed by Solomon:
    From the predominance of "hair" metal in the 80's, to alternative and "grunge" in the 90's, to the current trend of "nu-metal," Overkill have stood their ground, delivering the speed metal goods from Overkill (1984) to Bloodletting (2000), and are set to release another live album this summer, Live From Asbury Park. The lineup, revolving around die-hards Bobby Ellsworth (vox) and D.D. Verni (bass), has changed over the years, but the band has soldiered on through an ever-changing musical climate, and remains one of metal's all-time great thrash acts.

    Taking Over was the band's second full-length album, and it even spawned an MTV video, "In Union We Stand." This album is very much Old World thrash: bare-boned, chunky, power-chord driven stuff that isn't very pretty. It's well-played, certainly, even if it doesn't contain of lot of surprises. There's even a little Ride The Lightning feel to it, and Taking Over sits right at home with early Slayer, Metallica, Testament, Exodus, and Anthrax. Taking Over is a classic in that it showcases a legendary band in its raw beginnings, but I don't believe this to be primo Overkill. True, the band never became "arty" at any one point, but I think some of the heavier, darker material off later records like The Years of Decay, Horrorscope and The Killing Kind are better products. The Maiden riffage in "Fear His Name" is a high-point on Taking Over, and the chorus of "Use Your Head" has some of the best lyrics ("You got a lot to learn/Your head's up your ass"), haha! The guitar soloing is good too ("Wrecking Crew" comes to mind), but this material doesn't get me as excited about Overkill as does "Skullcrusher," "Thanks For Nothin'," "E.N.D.," or "Burn You Down/To Ashes." I have to say Bobby's vocals don't do much for me, either, the off-key ending of "In Union We Stand" a case in point. His work on the other records I mentioned sounds grittier, less strained and easier to digest.

    Taking Over is still good for a drunken mosh pit or two, and leaves its mark as a staple 80's thrash classic.
    3 out of 5

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