Although everybody seems to have a different account of who came first in the world of New York/New Jersey area thrash metal, it seems certain that New Jersey’s Overkill have stayed around the longest, and have never let their fans down by remaining musically consistent and true to their roots for over 30 years.
There are few names as well respected as Overkill, and with the resurgence of metal in the music world, this band is poised to return to the top. Overkill are ready to show mature metal heads they still have it and are geared up to teach the new schoolers exactly how it’s done.
The band gained their first major label deal with 1987’s Taking Over. They signed to Atlantic and remained with the label for 7 years, based on the strength and consistency of their music. Under The Influence (1988) and 1989’s The Years of Decay (1989) brought Overkill to new heights in their career. Sid Falck would replace founding drummer Rat Skates on drums to bring his own brutal percussive assault to Verni’s already powerful rhythm section. The band had already established a rabid fan base with songs like “Rotten ToThe Core” and “Hammerhead” (as well as their infamous cover of D.O.A.’s “Fuck You”), and new songs like “Evil Never Dies” and “Hello From The Gutter” would become Overkill mainstays as well. A video for “Hello From the Gutter” was garnering much fan response when it received play on MTV’s Headbangers Ball.