Customer Reviews

Ironbound

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't use the word impressive too often in music anymore coz nothing quite impress me this days, but this time I have to make an exception. I'm very much impressed with Overkill again as I was in the late 80's, early 90's. This record is a true ageless thrash metal masterpiece. Please try this when you can because thrash metal veterans don't make records like this anymore. Hey Slayer!, Metallica!, Megadeth!, Anthrax!, Testament!, Exodus!, get this record and take notice because this is the way you should be playing right now!

A thrash metal masterpiece from the early masters and pyoneers of the genre. 25 years young and still kicking balls!

Congratulations Overkill.

Holy crap, am I glad to hear how good the new Overkill is! I'm one of their fans who loves every album, even though some are definitely better than others. The Dave Linsk albums have been thoroughly enjoyable to me, particularly Killbox and Immortalis, but this is just on another level. The quality of the songwriting is on par with Years of Decay, Horrorscope era, with just great verses, choruses, riffs, solos, vocals. It sounds like they worked with some big-name producer, but this is self-produced! Every song stands out, but I agree with another reviewer who said the title track is one of their greatest individual songs from any album. Plus, Bring Me the Night is AWESOME, Endless War is AWESOME; it's just a damn good CD. In my opinion, Overkill has topped the newest albums from Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Testament and should be considered the true kings of thrash metal, not just for this CD, but for the consistently great music they've been putting out for 25 years.

WOW what a relief..Overkill is back & they are truly kicking ass & taking names! Now I know there are those that will say Overkill hasn't changed & yes they have stayed true to their formula for years but the last few albums sounded like the band was going through the motions. 'Ironbound' is undoubtedly a return to form & in my opinion their best EVER!! Seriously, this album makes their back catalogue look like nothing..it's that good! Fast & furious from beginning to end!! NO FILLER!! Buy it!!

PS: The title track is definitely one of the best Overkill tracks ever written!(The halfway point is where it really gets good!!) And Bobby 'Blitz' chanting of "can you see me?" in "Bring Me the Night" is really cool and "In Vain" is just a great fist flying anthem! "The Goal is Your Soul" as well as "The Head & Heart" are both on the creepier side but killer nonetheless! And of course what's a better way for the band to end the album but with a trademark Overkill anthem "The SRC."

I've been an Overkill fan since about 1990 or so when i was around 15, i heard Elimination on MTV and i was pretty much hooked. A lot of people didnt like Blitz's voice but i thought it was very unique and gave Overkill that signiture sound that they needed. Actually I Hear Black was the first album i ever really owned but still loved it even though its labeled as one of there lesser albums because of its grunge tinged feel. After that Horrorscope(arguably there best and most commercial effort) really just layed down the law and every album that followed i just love more and more. Well into the new millenium Kill where/are still putting out good quality metal albums and never really changed, they just had there share of ups and downs from 2000 till now. To ever say an Overkill album actually sucked would pretty much be impossible. So onto there best effort since Killbox 13 or perhaps even Horrorscope? Yep. This album is a well crafted mix of the Overkill from 1996 up back to the old days of feel the fire and The Years Of Decay, it has it all. Killer riffs, Blitzs strongest vocal perfomance to date(and the man will hit 49 this year!!), and just the best all around song writing and musician ship you will find. Here we go song by song, thats the easiest way to describe the beast that is Ironbound.

1.The Green and Black-I would imagine this has something to do with the armed forces and are men and women over seas. Being that Camoflauge is Green and Black or Brown and Tan, honestly i don't know what its about. But after the initial intro of guitar it blasts into a galloping horse riding rythm much like Testaments The Henchmen Ride, with some great breaks and tempo changes to keep it interesting. I must note that the band Dream Evil really really stole from this song, i won't go into detail because i can't stand them, but listen to samples and you'll hear it. The nerve!! ha.

2.Iron Bound-This song just pummels you from beginning to end, and the new drummers whose name and history i havent checked out yet it just stellar, and sounds like a pure machine(gun that is). Very catchy lyrics and melodies by blitz, it actually reminds me of a very heavy Black Sabbath song, via the key of the lyrics. Also there is the quiet low tone guitar solo by Linsk, he's really hard to like, but sometimes hard to hate also, not bad. Although he's definitely my least favorite of all the Kill guitarists, he does well on this album. As for Derek the Skull, no idea what he does.

3.Bring Me The Night-Pure speedy old school out the rear, Blitz makes his way through this song like he's a 22 year old on coke, and the song just reminds you so much of Hit The Lights and the first time you hear it, you can't contain yourself. Fast from start to finish. Play this stuff on the radio!! Yeah that'll happen:(

4.The Goal Is Your Soul-Not my favorite, or least, but its just good. The riffs are very good, but i'm not sure of the subject matter in which blitz screams LET MY PEOPLE GO. The egyptians perhaps, not sure, a good song none the less, very groove laden. The Goal is Your Soul is a little cliche' but works for the song.

5.Give a Little-Cool song, great riff at the beginning, with a strange bending harmonic mixed with some great double bass. Also the drummer is definite cymbal freak as he does some gene hoglanish double ride hits, and cymbals. Also this song has the old school New York Anthrax background yells from the rest of the band. Good bass line by DD also. Good slow down heavy middle break and honestly the song reminds me of Drunken Wisdom from Under The Influence.

6.Endless War-My definite favorite on the album, i can't say enough about this song and how great it is. Starts with the old school Feel the Fire overkill vibe, then vears of into a frenzy of great choruses, and rythms. Blitz also has a great clean vocal part when he sings the Endless WARRRROOOOOaaa, which is hard to type i know. Towards the end The Trooper, yes Maiden takes over and it sounds great, just like it was lifted from Piece Of Mind, only heavier and better. DD plays right along with it also, and as the song ends all you can say is H#%# yeah!! That rocked.

7.The Head and Heart-Very much like a song off of Killbox, very strange but has a nice groove to it, also one of the many songs with dds bass intro. Also the song resembles that of From The Underground and Belows Save me, but has its own unique sound. I still don't like Linsk as a soloist, he's definitely the weak link of the band. Even though on this album he has a KILLER heavy sound.

8.In Vain-Definitely a great song to drive fast to, killer double bass and reminds you of a thicker beefier Fast Junkie. Not much to say other than a great chorus from Blitz, and riffs also a good break with DD's bass and the background vocals of the Overkill choir, singing start living, start dying!!

9.Killing For A Living-Not sure if the intro was lifted straight from Damage Inc. but it sure sounds like it, but works well. This song is pure old school Overkill and reminds you of the first song Entitled Overkill(From Feel the Fire). Awesome. Blitz goes for a more gruff sound in his voice which is killer, but also lets out his usual kill screams. The stops in this song, with the guitar harmonies just make it great. The middle section i was a little leary on at first because it has a rock n roll type feel, but the more you listen the more you love(or kill)!!

10 The SRC-I know what it stands for but no spoilers here, some of the fastest double bass on the album, and also a very punkish vibe, lifts from Anthraxs attack of the killer b's. Or even S.O.D. A great way to end the album with a final blow of the load. Lots of good drum work also.

So to sum it up, Overkill have never really went away, just had a little bit of highs and lows, which is expected with this type of music. But hey just like Testament, they have never given up and stuck with there guns, and always will. When other bands died or will die, Overkill will live on. This is definitely the best release for them in 15 years or more, and perhaps the best thrash release in the last 5 to 10 years. No kidding its that good, sure at first you'll think we've heard this all before, but the more you listen its like Herion, you get more and more addicted and want about 10 more songs to go with it. The only weak thing about the album is Lynsks solos, i just wish they would get someone else to play lead and let him stick to rythm, for that he's just fine. His solos go nowhere and have no structure, emotion, or style. But he does his job, and i have heard worse. So does this get album of 2010 thus far, h#$# yes it does, and i think it will stay that way. Fear Factory is trying but i've heard clips and it just sounds like a plain old rehash of everything. So EVIL NEVER DIES, GET IRONBOUND and stay IRONBOUND!! I'm 34
and will stay metal forever.

Oops-Sorry i meant to say i purchased Horrorscope AFTER I hear Black, i know Horrorscope came out in 1991, IHB in 1993..my bad.:d

I just love how these older bands get faster and harder with time! This latest Overkill CD is almost an hour of speed and fury. I don't need to pick any songs in particular because they are all great and in your face speed metal. No true metal fan will be dissappointed with this one. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST DRIVING WITH THIS ONE, I HAD A COP BEHIND ME BY SONG 2.

I just picked this CD up along with the Charred Walls of the Damned. While Charred sounded really great (power metal with Ripper Owens and Richard Christy), this CD was the most ultimate Thrash album I have heard in years.
Just one listen and 5 stars. I would say they have outdone Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, even Slayer with this one. Their best in my opinion!If you love Thrash you gotta get this. As another reviewer said... be careful driving with this. It makes you want to speed, you can't help yourself!

If February is an indication, this is going to be an excellent year for thrash metal! Along with the new Heathen record, Ironbound is a career defining album. Maybe the best in Overkill' s long and impressive existence.

Signing with Nuclear Blast records was definitely the right move for the band. After self producing both RELIXIV and Immortalis the band hooked up with Peter Tagtgren at Abyss Studios in Sweeden. Now this is a producer who knows his metal and I think he got the best sound on an Overkill album since Colin Richardson worked with the band.

The overall songwriting is as good as anything 'kill has ever done, and I just can't say enough about blitz's performance. He sounds like a man back from the dead with energy to spare.

I think even the band just knew that they had a monster on their hands before releasing this one. They even put the same bat image on the back cover that was used in the booklet for the classic Horrorscope record.

Overkill has always been the most dependable band in metal. Fans have never had to worry about them "selling out" or softening their approach. They enjoy their music loud, fast, and heavy, just like we do. The result of that dependability is a string of consistently high-quality albums that arguably no other band can compete with. Granted, they've come through with some sub-par efforts (Under the Influence, I Hear Black, Relixiv), but you always come in knowing what you're going to get, and you're rarely disappointed. On this effort, they've managed to deliver even more.

The key to Overkill's consistency could be, somewhat parodoxically, the many lineup changes they've gone through over the years. While the core of Blitz and D.D. Verni have been around since the beginning, a long line of guitarists have made their way through the ranks, contributing the best riffs and ideas that they have for 3 or 4 albums, then moving on. Ironbound marks Dave Linsk's fifth with the band, giving him the distinction of Overkill's longest tenured guitarist. His first effort, Bloodletting, was the start of a run of top-notch albums, so it wouldn't be fair to say that he's hit his stride. The music under his helm has been generally excellent, with the exception of the aforementioned Relixiv. On this album, though, he and Derek Tailer exceed all expectations. Song after song on Ironbound is full of great, fast riffs; momentary interludes that lull you into a false sense of reprieve before the break-neck timing change; gangland vocals; and, most importantly, hooks. New drummer, Rob Lipnicki, rounds out the crew, providing a dependable (there's that word again) beat, but he sounds like he's capable of more flash than he shows here. Expect him to contribute even more on the next album. Oddly, D.D.'s bass doesn't make much of an impact here, save for the slow intro to excellent opener, "The Green and Black", which only manages to get faster and faster as the seconds tick by.

Take heed of the few slow moments on this album, because you won't get much chance to breathe once you push play. You'll get one of those slow parts in the middle of the title track, which has every hallmark of Overkill's most classic songs, before the crunch of the next riff FORCES you to bang your head. First "single" (c'mon, let's be honest, what radio station do you think is going to play it?) "Bring Me The Night" is probably the fastest song on the album, and it really shows what Lipnicki can bring to the table. No Overkill fan will be able to withstand shouting along to "Give a Little" ("Give a little dominance!"), or "The SRC" ("Sinking Deep, Sinking Deep, Sinking Deep!"). Every song has something for the Overkill fan to love, from the "Trooper"-like riff in "Endless War" to the vocal melody in "The Head and the Heart".

True, there's a lot that's familiar here. Oftentimes you might catch yourself thinking "Have I heard this song before?" But what is Overkill if not familiar? Even the album cover, with Chaly sitting on his perch, waiting for the next hapless victim to walk by, looks like it's been done before. And it has. But this time, they've somehow managed to do it in a way that screams CLASSIC. And thus it is with the rest of the album. On Ironbound, you'll find the distillation of all of Overkill's greatest virtues in one place. If they hadn't managed to attain iconic metal status with the rest of their illustrious career, then this will cement it. Overkill have created a thrash masterpiece that will sit atop their discography with their undisputed classic, Years of Decay. In summary: Get this album. Now.

I've been a fan of over kill since taking over came out,and I'm totally blown away with this new album.Track for track this thing just rocks.It's fast,and just a killer record.If you're a metal head from way back like me,or a youngster,you'll love this new Over Kill Cd.

Having been a fan of OVERKILL for over 25 years, I own 16 of their 19 full CD releases and also various EPs. Each and every one of their CDs is absolutely brilliant - no question about it. In my opinion this band has not received the respect they deserve and should be regarded as thrash metal royalty.

I bought this CD to be able to listen to it before finally seeing the band in concert in Hartford CT in early April 2010. I met the band before the gig, had a talk with Bobby and the band put on one of the best concerts I have ever seen. A great band and great bunch of guys.

Although I have already said I love all their music, this is without question one of their best releases. Fast, heavy, brutal with some slower shredding within many of the songs that takes you to headbanger heaven. Bobby has not lost an ounce of his vocal talent sounding as good as he did 25 years ago, and with DD, their song writing excellence never waivers.

Excellent CD! Buy it now!