Customer Reviews

W.F.O.

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

 

 

'W.F.O.' is something like my fifth Overkill CD/lp I've ever had,so I am familiar with most of their material.On this effort,vocalist Bobby 'Blitz' Ellwsworth and crew had apparently parted ways with their long time producer,Terry Dale in order to handle that very chore themselves.So MUCH better than their dismal 'I Hear Black' offering.The blazing guitar work done here by Rob Cannavino and Merrit Gant works well on tracks like "Fast Junkie",the ass-kicking "Supersonic Hate","The Wait" and the raging "What's Your Problem".Plain and simple,a good thrash catalog title.

I've had these tracks for so long, I can't remember where they originally came from. I originally had the album, so I'm kinda surprised to see it here as an import-only. Bizarre, 'cause some of Overkill's best tracks are on this album.

I submit:

Where It Hurts
The Wait/New High in Lows
What's Your Problem?
R.I.P. (Undone)

Those four tracks alone are worth the purchase price, certainly at the "used" prices I'm seeing here.

I mean, these are some of the fast, loudest, heaviest songs in the true Overkill tradition. You can't go wrong with those songs. I'm listening to them over and over again now, just because I had forgotten how much I truly loved 'em.

I currently have 7 Overkill studio albums, and this is probably the least interesting of any of them, but it's still totally worth having. While Overkill has changed it up some over the last decade or so, 'W.F.O.' is complete thrash. Arguably, it's a bit more purely thrashy than 'Horrorscope' or 'The Years of Decay' or 'Under the Influence', which I suppose leads to one of it's flaws: 'W.F.O.' is less varied than any of the other Overkill albums I've heard. It's almost all straight ahead thrash, moderately fast to fast, without the sorta tonal differences or epic song structures you'd find in their best albums. Still, every single song on here is good, even if they aren't as good as the better tracks from their classic work. But, that's enough to make it worth owning.

The production is a slight problem. The guitar tone isn't quite vicious enough. Just compare this album's sound to 'Horrorscope' and you'll here what I'm talking about. Also, the bass is really damn loud. I don't think this is a problem in and of itself, though I suspect it may add to the problem with the guitar tone. Still, this sounds better than the vast majority of the thrash albums out there, even if it doesn't sound all that hot for '93 or '94.

As I said, everything on here is good. Though it isn't a full track 'R.I.P. (Undone)' is one of the best things here. It's just a minute and a half instrumental, mostly just acoustic guitars with a little bit of lead guitar at the end. Still, it's a very powerful, stunning piece. 'Bastard Nation' is probably the best full length track. It's got a nice, evocative little intro, than cuts to some thrashier stuff. It's definitely got the best chorus on the album, a nice drunken bellowing kinda gang chorus. Very effective. 'Where it Hurts' is the opener, and it's about what you'd expect. Very energetic and driving, with a nice pounding middle break. The middle breaks the best part, as a matter of fact. 'Fast Junkie' is next, and it's one of your punkier, more playful Overkill songs. It's not as good as 'Elimination' or 'Hello From the Gutter' but it's a good, catchy track. Another great gang chorus. 'Under One' is a darker, more aggressive track, with some nice, venomous vocals from Blitz. 'Supersonic Hate' isn't the most immediately memorable thing here, but it's got the best riffs of any track on the album, which naturally makes it stand out. It kinda reminds me of 'Live Young, Die Free', which is probably the most skullcrushing riffarama that I've heard from them. 'Gasoline Dream' is the closer (well, before the wacky bonus track and empty tracks). It's a slower, longer and denser piece. Not totally amazing, but a good, solid track, and a nice change of pace.

Another more than worthwhile thrash album from the great Overkill.

This was one of Overkill's best albums. Gasoline Dream is a
killer song one of my all time favorites. The whole album rocks no fillers here. The best live band I've ever seen. If you like
metal you will love this album!!!!!!!!!!

WFO starts off with "Where it Hurts". That's what Bobby and the crew are best at--hitting where it hurts. Overkill has been a long-faithful band that never succumbed to the temptation to go mainstream. On this record, they show that they are just as capable of anger, hostility, and brutality as they ever were. Though they've learned some new tricks over the years, they are the still the same carniverous animale they ever were. I think that, after the impressive first cut, they wander a bit through the first half of the CD, but from "Under One" on, this disk KILLS. "Gasoline Dream" is one of my all time favorites. Oh, wait, so is "Bastard Nation". The acoustic segment is a nice rest for the ears, which take a heck of a pounding from the bass-laden, drum-heavy mix. If you're a fan of classic thrash, or have liked Overkill in the past, go for this one. Excellent in the car, or when someone's ticked you off and you want to smash their face in. Cheers, Overkill.

Overkill has been around for along time. When I first purchased W.F.O., I was a bit dissapointed with the album. Even though I still listen to this every once in a blue moon, there are only a couple quality songs on this. Its nothing like HorroScope, and I believe nothing will be, yet its still a little weak. If you want some Great Overkill start with Taking Over or HorrorScope.

This album occurred at sort of a unique mid-point in Overkill's career; it comes directly after the more experimental and mellow "I Hear Black" album, and well after their first 5 thrash full lengths, but precedes what they've been doing since ala Motorhead/AC/DC--churning out albums that are good but don't really have much variance or spectacular qualities compared to their classic stuff.

While I infinitely prefer their first 3 albums to this, I've always sort of respected this album since it's actually a well-done slab of modern thrash metal. There's no disgusting aggro/screamo/hardcore/tribal influence like Machine Head/Pantera or Sepultura's later stuff, and this album predated the retro movement by quite a bit, so it's not a fake attempt to relive past glories. Compared to the few contemporaries they had who also mostly stuck to their guns, it's far superior--it's grittier and not as accessible as Anthrax with Bush, and not as mellow (or generic, depending on the album) as mid-'90s Testament. It's not quite as heavy as the band's later stuff nor the songs as good as the earlier stuff, but it's catchy in its own way, and I find "Where It Hurts" and "Under One" have remained memorable, especially where Blitz's vocal delivery is concerned. The filler tracks on here aren't bad, but when analyzed independently of the musical environment this album was released in, they aren't anything special. Again, I'd say a lot of my love for this album is a bias brought about by the widespread decline and corruption of thrash in the early-mid '90s (The Years of Decay, if you will, heh heh...)

Still, there's no substitute for classic metal, and I suspect these guys know it all too well. While not listed here, the US-version (and probably all versions) of the CD have a hidden bonus track with a sloppy, horribly Drunken (Wisdom) medley of "Heaven and Hell," "The Ripper," and Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile."