Customer Reviews

Overkill

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Motorhead's release of OVERKILL, originally released in 1979, is a headbanging classic. Back in the late 70s, nobody, & I mean nobody was playing faster, thrashier, & more aggressive than Motorhead. Simply put, they helped re-invent the genre of heavy metal that was started in the early 70s with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, among others. Motorhead helped usher in a new subgenrte of heavy metal called thrash metal (aka speed metal). Motorhead helped usher in the NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL in the late 70s-early 80s. Lemmy Kilmister's trademark vocals & aggressive bass playing, along with the aggressive drumming of Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, & the thrasy manic guitars of "Fast" Eddie Clarke makes up the classic Motorhead line-up. OVERKILL is one of their accomplished releases in the early days of the band. THe band is in classic form on the title track, "Stay Clean", "(I Won't) Pay Your Price", & "No Class".

OVERKILL is a great way for a new fan of heavy metal to be introduced to the legacy of Motorhead. Without Motorhead, there would be no Metallica, no Anthrax, & no Megadeth.

Do yourself a favour & pick up this disk today!

"Overkill" was a big step forward from Motorhead's eponymous debut, it cemented the group's famous sound, and it features the classics "Metropolis," "Stay Clean," "No Class," and the title track. But nearly every song on here is a hit, and these songs will tattoo themselves to your brain after only one listen. The beats are ultra infectious and rhythmic, and are laden with irresistable hooks, and the songs are composed of fast, memorable, groovey riffs, bouncy drum patterns, grumbling bass notes, and gruff vocals.

The album begins with one of the best. "Overkill" (the title track) is driven by a propulsive, fast, thumping, speed-punk drum beat, and is complimented with a very catchy guitar line and a wailing guitar solo. The album continues with "Stay Clean," which features wah-wah guitars and a chorus you'll have bouncing around your head for days. Later on, "No Class," which has a toe-tapping rhythm, is a concert and fan favorite, and "Damage Case" boasts a pair of fairly long solos and another unforgettable chorus. Track eight, "Tear Ya Down," has some almost breathtakingly awesome guitar work, and, likewise, "Metropolis" has five wailing solos; and "Limb From Limb" is highlighted by humming riffs, crashing drums, and three speaker-shredding solos.

If you get the remastered edition of this album (which you should and most likely will), five extra tracks are included, including two b-sides ("Too Late, Too Late" and "Like A Nightmare"), as well as an instrumental version of "Tear Ya Down," and two covers of "Louie Louie" (both of which are as catchy--maybe even catchier--than the original).

So, 1980's "Ace of Spades" may have catapulted Motorhead into superstardom and the mainstream, but their second album, 1979's "Overkill," was their first classic (which is arguably as great as "Ace of Spades"). If you consider yourself any kind of Motorhead, speed metal, or heavy metal fan, this disc is a must.

For all you kiddies raised on Slipknot and Limp Bizkit, better buy this album and start a whole new life. If you're looking for the quintessential heavy metal album, want to know what metal was like at the height of its glory, well you finally found it.

No metal band ever did any better than Motorhead on this dark, grinding, and super-cool album. Overkill, Stay Clean, Metropolis, Capricorn and No Class are the top classics but the whole album will blow you away start to finish.

The most groundbreaking thing about this record, back in 1979 and still today, is that it sounds aggressive, melancholic and cool, all at the same time. It has the energy of metal, the dark, post-industrial sound of space rock, the no-future feel of punk, and the basic, but very effective, song schemes of rock 'n roll. Thanks to the great guitar work and drumming by Fast Eddie and Philty Animal Taylor, the music is never too dense or plodding along. But it is mainly the emphasis on Lemmy's bass lines that makes it achieve the most difficult thing in hard music: to combine a raw edge with a soulful groove.

A testament to its greatness and originality, this album has had an enduring influence on just about any hard and guitar-driven music genre since the end of the seventies: heavy metal, black metal, thrash metal, hardcore punk, Oi!, D-beat, groove metal, stoner rock, post-grunge etc. Venom, Metallica, Slayer, Discharge, GBH, Sodom, Sepultura, Monster Magnet, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, none of those bands would have sounded like they do without Motorhead's Overkill. Just get it, it's the best European metal album ever.
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As the Ace of Spades album is much better known, Overkill is sometimes neglected, yet it was Motörhead's finest moment. Other too often neglected European classics from this era include Sad Wings of Destiny (Judas Priest), In Trance (Scorpions), Killers (Iron Maiden), Restless and Wild (Accept), Melissa (Mercyful Fate), Welcome to Hell (Venom), Infernal Overkill (Destruction), and Morbid Tales (Celtic Frost).

Motorhead-Overkill *****

"Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud" Lemmy Kilmister testifies on the very first line of the what many consider to be teh greatest hard rock album of all time. Overkill is unlike any other Motorhead album yet it encompass everything that we would see and love about the band in the years to come. Powerful, angry, intelligent, and incredible rock n' roll.

'Overkill' the massively influential title track, 'No Class' and the riff frenzy that is 'Damage Case' are all here. All three of which are easily the bands most influential tracks, with out the likes of whom bands like Metallica would have never formed. But more than that is the gender bending, though not really 'Ill Be Your Sister' the spacey 'Capricorn' the mania of '(I Won't)Pay Your Price' and the 'Limb From Limb' which may or may not be the very best Motorhead tune of all time.

Riffs from out of this world played by Fast Eddie Clarke. Some of the most solid drumming of all time is played by Philthy Taylor. But Lemmy shines here the most. His bass is more prominent on Overkill than any other album and his lyrics are some of his more personal and strongest. While he hadn't taken on any serious subjects like war, and politics as he would later these are still some of his best lyrics.

Overkill was a landmark album for metal, punk, and rock n' roll. While never really fitting into either of those genres it still is claimed by all. Overkill caused a million kids to form bands, and launched Motorhead into cult status. Along with Bomber, and of course Ace Of Spades, Overkill is essential for early Motorhead.

If you think you know what they mean when they say "Heavy Metal" and you have never heard this album... than you are lying to yourself. Lemmy of Motorhead had been noodling around with a few sounds, and a few line-ups since about '74, trying to create a bar band that was as true to the term "Kick A&&" as he was. The peices slowly fell together a year or so earlier when he got the trio together to make up the first real line-up to Motorhead. While the debut album was a frenzy of hard rockin sound that literally bounced off your walls and into your brain stem, it was here with OVERKILL that the band took it past the limits and created the most balls out heavy metal experience around.
Overkill is the album that really shows how epic metal can be, without all of the extended jams or the drawn out solos. In fact, every song is pretty basic, and under five minutes. But it packs the punch. This album is best coupled with Bomber, the bands next release... however the latter album mellows out just a tad (it'll still make your mommas head explode though)... Overkill is pretty much the pinnacle, of nasty, bad ace rock,roll and metal. Arrrrrrgggggg....lets slug some whiskey and jump on things!

Some musical purists may turn up their noses, but I don't see how anyone who enjoys 30-40 minutes of straight-ahead, no-BS rock could dislike Motorhead.

"Overkill" is a 100-percenter of an album, meaning every cut here is a complete classic, and I never have to hit the "skip" button once. Furthermore, I'm going to need to create a new designation for future albums I review, called CVR.

CVR stands for Certified Volume Raiser, and it goes to any album that involuntarily causes me to reach for the control marked "Volume" and adjust so as to make the music louder. "Overkill" is one of those albums.

Anyway, rock albums that clock in at under 40 minutes with zero cheesy power ballads rule the earth. (Not that cheesy power ballads are always a bad thing.) "Overkill" fits that bill to a T, and you could make the argument that at times this record is almost punkish in its intensity. Alternatively, songs such as "Capricorn" and "Metropolis", nicely slow the pace down to that of a chugging runaway train, and kick tail THAT way.

The best song on this album is "Limb From Limb", which starts out as a Hendrix-like tune before opening up the throttle and going all-out toward its roaring conclusion. A classic. "Stay Clean" is another finalist for Best Song, because when you first hear it, it doesn't sound like anything special, but as with the best songs it gets better and better with every listen.

Everyone says Motorhead and this album in particular influenced speed metal. While that may be true, for me it's just good solid hard rock-type JAMS. A true CVR, indeed. 10 out of 10.

Are you man enough to get this album? I was... Look who covers just the songs on this album: Mudhoney and Metallica, among others. This stuff will smash your face in.

I'll tell you only one thing.

I pressed 5 stars because there were not a 6th star available for me to click on it!!!

That's all!

Hail Lemmy!!!!

Best album ever!!!

limb from limb one of moterheads greatest tracks had it on LP but it was scratched had to have it on cd. been a fan since first came across bomber as a teenager. 47 years old and I still love lemmy, fast eddie and philthy animal taylor their still the bomb ha

"Overkill" was released in 1979 and have stood the test of time very well. It still sounds great and the tracks included are among the best in Motorhead's almost 30 year long career. Even `tho the title track ain't so good as many claim, there are lots of other great songs. Some well known like "No class", "Damage case", and "Stay clean", but also more "rare" gems in the shape of "I won't pay your price" and "I'll be your sister".

Lemmy & Co show us that Motorhead is far more than sheer noise, and the fact is that this album with hindsight isn't that heavy or speedy at all. It's more of energized rock and roll, and all references to punk rock is totally wrong. This is Motorhead's second best effort after "Ace of spades". I give this album 4 very strong stars, going close to 5!