Taking Over

Overkill has been one of the most reliable thrash bands over the 4+ decades of their existence, releasing an album every three years (or more) since their debut, with the exception of this year it would seem. But consistency can only go as far as name and brand will take it, and where Overkill made its money was with the ascendancy of East Coast thrash in the mid- to late-'eighties. "Feel the Fire" was massively influential, "The Years of Decay" was precariously ambitious, but "Taking Over" was a perfect blend of both and a pillar of 1987's historic bid for the greatest year of thrash.

"Deny the Cross" and "Wrecking Crew" kick the album off as two of the most prominent songs in Overkill's catalog, with thunderous drumming (Rat Skates) and a sledgehammer in place of the chugging guitars from Bobby Gustafson. This guitar-driven direction and the excellently thick tone the band adopted for this record all but ensured a dominant vocal performance from Bobby Blitz, who always matches his band's energy. "Wrecking Crew" and the shrieking "Powersurge" are perhaps the two finest examples of Bobby's range and talent, with his Bruce Dickinson-esque howls contrasting the gang vocals beautifully before devolving into raspy screams in the latter track. But despite the obvious highlights, this album actually lacks any bad songs, or riffs, throughout all forty-five minutes of its runtime. Add intra-album consistency to Overkill's storied resumé, especially in their prime.

Don't be fooled by the hair metal album cover, this song is a ten-foot-tall middle finger to the glam era that dominated the radio, and even goes so far to adopt the genre's aesthetics on "Use Your Head" before fatally kicking its ass. Bobby uses the attitude in his singing style perfectly to contrast the brilliant bass work from D.D. Verni. While Overkill doesn't reinvent the wheel with dozens of time signature switches, the songs are complex enough to keep the train moving, and although most of the songs are percussive speedsters, the band works in mid-tempo at the right moments on tracks like "Electro-violence." The guitar solos are intense, varied, and technically masterful, and Gustafson does well to limit the pure shredding to the tracks it suits best.

All this to say, the greatest moment of Taking Over doesn't hit your headphones until thirty-eight minutes in. Paying homage to the dark closer of the debut, Overkill wrote a sequel that doubled the original's length, and thoroughly refinished a song idea that was already fabulous to begin with. The harrowing, chimey introduction gives way to Bobby's surprisingly ominous vocals, and the eruption into power chord fury as the song picks up is one of the band's most well-executed moments. After your first listen, the first half of this album will have you in anticipation of that savory epic at the end of the track list, but future revisits will remind you why the album as a whole is so solid- Overkill found their winning formula and grabbed it by the throat for those first eight songs. Not many bands can lay claim to the level of impact and consistency that Overkill can, but to reach the apex of "Taking Over" would surely be the dream for nearly every other thrash band in history. "Taking Over" is brutish at times, deceivingly playful at others, but it is unquestionably 4K snapshot of old school thrash metal circa 1987, and is perhaps the pinnacle of Bobby Ellsworth's animalistic vocal performances, although his character would never truly recede from the limelight.

In recent months, I have gone through a thrash metal renaissance. After spending many years only listen to Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, I thought it was time to broaden my scope and start to listen to some of the bands that sits just outside thrash metal’s ”Big 4”, but probably should be included in that category. The bands I’m refering to are Overkill, Testament and Exodus. Listening to their albums have been both fun and constructive, and I have been able to discover a lot of thrash metal classics, as well as a lot of hidden gems, that I didn’t even know existed 5 years ago. However, there has only been one album that has been able to knock me out completely, and that was ”Taking Over” by Overkill, released in 1987.

To me, ”Taking Over” is the definition of a thrash metal masterpiece. I listened to this album non stop for a couple of days, being completely blown away by how perfect it was. As a listener that often analyzes albums in detail, paying close attention to song structures, repetition etc. I can honestly say that in terms of these things, this is one of the few albums that I’ve ever listened to that I would consider to be perfect. Not a single note is wasted. Not a single riff, melody or vocal line appears too little or too much. It’s a perfect balance of everything. The only source of criticism for me initially was the vocals of Bobby ”Blitz” Ellsworth, which I thought was a little bit over the top and not particularly strong. However, after listening to this album 20+ times, I have come to realize that he is an amazing vocalist and that his voice, while not perfect, is the perfect voice for this type of music. So even that initial complaint was erased after a short period of time.

Sometimes I ask myself: Why is this album so amazing? The answer is actually very simple. The songs are just superb, and the variety of them adds to the overall experience of the album. Songs like ”Deny The Cross”, ”Wrecking Crew” and ”Fatal If Swallowed” are nothing but thrash metal anthems, performed with an energy and relentlessness that you can almost touch on. With songs like ”In Union We Stand”, ”Overkill pt. 2” and ”Powersurge”, you get what I would almost like to call ”power thrash”, songs that gives the impression of being written by a power metal band but still has that rawness and destructive feel that makes thrash metal the source of magic that it is. The variety of the songs is definitely one of the main factors why I love ”Taking Over” as much as I do.

I can’t express in words how much I love this album. To me, this album might be the epitome of thrash metal and if it’s not, it’s still up there with titans like ”Rust In Peace”, ”Ride The Lightning” and ”Reign In Blood”. Everything about "Taking Over" is perfect. The songs are perfectly written, perfectly performed and have a lot of variation to them. Add a maximum level of relentlessness and pure thrash metal assault, and you have one of the few albums in music history that I would like to call ”completely flawless”.

Alcohol and sluts pull me from my rut

As we get back to these early, dirty, and stripped down thrash records, it becomes harder to find nuanced thoughts outside of the sheer level of classic and overall perfection. Taking Over is what I call the second of the “Rat Skates era,” ending with the Fuck You EP. There’s been this eternal battle between it and Feel The Fire for me and which I prefer. Overkill’s second full-length may have more differences than one might think, though.

Obviously, the production here is drastically different, and I think the Skates’ talent got a little more drowned in the depths of noise. Blitz still comes through well enough, especially since this was when his outbursts of screaming were at their strongest. As grimy as the band was before, I do think this was where they pushed a bit more blunt crudeness in their lyrics, which would never really go away. “Fatal If Swallowed” and “Use Your Head” are our obvious examples, but they snuck a little extra everywhere, at least more than prior

I do think Taking Over does have the superior songwriting tactics, and it is rather varied for how compact and on-the-nose it is. “Deny The Cross” will always be one of my favorites, having more chaos in construction than anything else on the first two albums. The riffing combo with Bobby’s vocals is seriously unsettling. On the flipside, you get “Powersurge,” aiming to be more concise but far faster. Then there’s the obvious classic “Wrecking Crew” that takes from both tables and sprinkles on that nastier edge with the lyrics. One that nobody really talks as much about is “Electro-Violence,” which I think had some of the neatest bass/lead combos, taking off without warning.

There’s also a bit of steadier progression here, shown mildly in songs like the aformentioned “Use Your Head” (that solo!), but it’s laid on even heavier elsewhere. “In Union We Stand” has an anthemic flow to it that would become rather staple, but I think the hooky chorus and ability to weave this in between two speed-bangers is pretty impressive. “Fear His Name” feeds us more of this on the A-side, another one that has some stellar chops but tends to get overlooked. The literal only gripe is that “Overkill II” is longer than it needs to be, and like “Overkill III” I really don’t think they needed to keep drilling this tactic. At least “Overkill IV” got a name change to “E.vil N.ever D.ies” and was way more brief and worked as a better closer. It’s a solid song, but everything else is a notch better.

I can’t complain about any of this, though. While I like the debut just a hair better, I think this one was the slightest bit more unique and gave away the littlest hints of tighter writing. Style fans know this album by now, and just about anyone into classic metal knows of it. Need I really say much more?

After the coat tails of the successful 1985 album, “Feel The Fire”, Overkill (Blitz, D.D., Gustafson, and Rat once again) went on to support their debut album for the next couple of years along the likes of Agent Steel and Anthrax, then later on for Slayer in support of their classic and highly influential album; “Reign In Blood”. After all the touring, Overkill would finally release their long awaited sophomore album “Taking Over” in the spring of 87’. “Taking Over” would exhibit a evolution from “Feel The Fire” as the Wrecking Crew would play more with mid tempo songs and melodic elements. To begin us off, I’m going to do a reversal of how I started the review for “Feel The Fire” by talking about the production and writing; then the lineup.

First off, the production is slightly better than “Feel The Fire”, hooray! Though it isn’t much of a change. It still suffers from the same issues as the previous album by having that muffled / distorted sound that was mostly likely influenced from Alex Perlialas; it’s just not as bad as it was before. The dynamics just sound off as the sound level is low, at least for my tastes. Like “Feel The Fire”, it’s not the worst production ever. At least you can hear everything as the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals are all distinct enough to hear. That’s where the negatives I have for the album ends as, just like the last album, all the pros in “Taking Over” makes up for it ten-fold.

“Taking Over” branches out and develops more of the musical elements that started in “Feel The Fire” by focusing more on a melodic and mid-tempo composition. There’s plenty of thrashy, energetic speed to be found here such as “Deny The Cross”, “Wrecking Crew”, “Powersurge”, and my personal favorite: the downright thrasher “Electro-Violence”: the rest of the album is full of mid-tempo songs like “Fear His Name, “Use Your Head”, “Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues)”, “Fatal If Swallowed”, and Overkill’s first anthem; “In Union We Stand”. All these songs utilize more melody in the song structures over intense speed. It’s like they took the melodic nature that the song “Feel The Fire” had and made an album filled by its influence: which is a great thing.

The lyrical writing isn’t much of a change but is still well written. The biggest addition lyrically is more sexually themed songs such as “Use Your Head” and “Fatal If Swallowed” which deal with prostitution and ejaculation respectively. You still got stuff talking about the metal lifestyle, religion / Christianity, death, and camaraderie throughout the album. Between Blitz’s perfect vocal performance, the catchy lyrics, and the melodic instrumentation, everything just pops out to you.

Speaking of Blitz, holy shit does this man have some serious chops. “Taking Over” is probably unique in the respect that Blitz is at his most operatic and less snarl in the whole of Overkill’s discography. He still has his trademark screams and rasp, such as that gut cutting scream at the end of “Deny The Cross” or screeching out the title name in “Wrecking Crew” but those elements are tuned down in favor of the albums overall melodic nature.

Gustafson this time around gives the audience breathing room, adding more melody to his leads and timing the shredding and intensity at the right time / place throughout the album. To best describe it, it’s like having a well reserved man who knows how and when to show his aggression. He knows when to dial it back like he does so in the middle of “Fatal If Swallowed” and when he wants to just let out a full on assault of a solo such as the solos found in “Electro-Violence”; which is probably some of his most sporadic shredding he’s ever done in his career. His licks and his leads are so contagious that it’s almost impossible to not pay attention to them. Some of Overkill’s most catchy riffing comes from this album such as “Wrecking Crew”, “In Union We Stand”, “Deny The Cross”, “Powersurge”, and “Electro-Violence” as all of these are still crowd pleasers to this day.

What really complements Gus. is our main man D.D., giving us a more refined approach to his playing style. He almost feels like a second guitarist here as his bass sticks out even more than it did in “Feel The Fire”. It just blasts out to you like a bullet in songs like “Fear His Name” and “Powersurge”. There’s not much I can say about D.D. here as his technical skill still remains pretty much the same. D.D. Just knows how to write good bass riffing to flow with the rest of the music.

Finally we get to Rat and I will say that this is a huge improvement. I mentioned in the “Feel The Fire” review that Rat was well skilled but a little sloppy compared to the EP and this album. If you wanted to hear Rat Skates at his absolute best, this is the album. Rats drumming here is very much more diverse in his approach but while taking that melodic vibe I was talking about. From taking a steady speed in “Use Your Head” to slowing it down in “Fear His Name” to blasting the fuck out your ears with speed in “Electro-Violence”. His drumming is very tight here: seeing as this would be his last album with Overkill, I think this was a very fitting end.

“Taking Over” may dial back some of that raw speed found in the previous album but they make up for it with more variety and development on their melodic side. I still hold “Feel The Fire” as my favorite but objectively this album is much more well rounded and chalk full of some of Overkill’s most well made written material.

One of the best Thrash metal albums of all time and a classic. Personally I think it’s the best Thrash album of 1987 with Anthrax’s “Among The Living” and Kreators “Terrible Certainty” coming in short behind it. If you haven’t listened to “Taking Over” from beginning to end, you’re missing out on one of the greats.

I have read a pretty funny comment on Youtube to this album. "Thrash rule No. 1 = shitty artwork, awesome music". Guess this hits the nail on the head. Especially the younger generations of thrashers seem to follow this questionable leitmotif. "Taking Over" also suffers from an ugly artwork (not the motif, but the colours!), but more relevant is another fact. The album proves evidence that the gang from New York did not lack ideas at the beginning of its career. Just like the real big players Metallica and Slayer, the four-piece was able to release more than just one classic. Their second work delivers more pure thrash than its predecessor, but it does not achieve the same level of somberness. Especially "In Union We Stand" fails to create a dark mood. Its intention was rather to offer Overkill's version of Priest's "United" and further comparable, overly simple tracks with opportunistic lyrics. Overkill's peccadillo sounds less embarrassing than Priest's commercial kowtow, nevertheless, I actually see no reason why they recorded this number. Don't piss into Halford's stinky toilet as long as you have your own properly polished sanitary facilities.

Apart from this comparatively uninspired and predictable flop, Bobby Gustafson and his companions stay on the right track. They do not hesitate to shell the audience with pretty vehement thrash attacks and nearly all of them hit its intended target. "Electro-Violence", my personal favourite in view of its thunderous riffs, jagged bridge and exciting solo outbursts, washes away the sticky leftovers of "In Union We Stand", "Deny the Cross" marks a furious opener and "Wrecking Crew" with its rousing guitars is cut from the same cloth. These numbers do not deform the guidelines of thrash, they have great choruses, brilliant riffs and the young Blitz shines with charisma and expressiveness. All these tracks deserve 9 out of 10 points on the "Rotten to the Core" scale (and it goes without saying that 10 points is exclusively reserved for "Rotten..." itself!). No doubt, Overkill's creativity resulted in fantastic songs at the beginning of their career, inter alia due to the fact that any kind of groovy elements did not show up at this time. Happy childhood! Just bang your head and give all you can give, but don't intend to jump around like an idiot. These highlights deserve another form of attention.

Speaking of highlights, I have to mention the closers of both sides of vinyl. The second part of "Overkill" as well as "Fatal if Swallowed" show the entire gorgeousness of the quartet at the beginning of its career. The latter has a similar configuration like the other here presented speed songs, while the continuation of the band anthem lives up to its subtitle; "The Nightmare Continues" describes the terrifying atmosphere of this track fittingly. Just enjoy its fantastic introduction with the slowly but steadily growing feeling of discomfort and the assaulting drum rolls. All these highlights distinguish themselves from two less strong number of the A side, which prefer plodding mid-tempo. Anyway, six killers ("Powersurge" opens the B side vigorously and with well integrated background vocals) pull the more or less adequately produced album on a very remarkable level. Needless to say that Carl Canedy, the man who had given the debut a pretty miserable sound, was not allowed to enter the studio again. The production of "Taking Over" still does not offer the technical precision of works such as "Bonded by Blood", but its robust and somewhat swashbuckling mix spreads its aroma. So what does this mean at the end? "Taking Over" was a worthy successor of the impressive debut, even though it did not fully achieve its excellence. Anyway, this album has withstood the test of time with great ease. Shitty artwork, awesome music? Well, most representatives of the young thrash generation were able to deliver shitty, multi-coloured artworks, but only a small number of them (Warfield, Terrifier, Deathfist) have offered equally awesome music. Aggravating this situation, Overkill's enormous repertoire of exciting compositions seems to be out of reach for those guys. Well, time will tell.

I was actually planning to review an Exodus album tonight, but seeing as half of Pleasures of the Flesh has gone walkabout on my computer, we're doing Overkill instead. There isn't much to say about the New York mob that hasn't been said in other reviews, so I don't feel that I need to give a background to this album; simply cast your eyes a few pages down for the skinny on that. What hasn't really been said in many of the reviews I've seen (and certainly not in such a British accent) is "Gosh, isn't this just so fun?" Because, when we're talking mid-80s thrash, there were fairly few bands who were both serious and fun to listen to: just for the record, we're not talking "fun" like Lawnmower Deth, nor even quite like Anthrax were fun, but more that you can't help smiling while you're giving yourself that spinal injury at the start of 'Wrecking Crew'. I find that I can get into Taking Over more than most of the other thrash names you'd care to mention.

So, what gives it that connection with people? There's a couple of things striking a balance here. The first is the production, which sounds pretty nice for its time, giving bite to the guitars, thump to the drums, and allowing Blitz's vocals to soar overhead with a touch more class. The bass is audible as well but not as a separate entity, so even I - general disliker of '80s production - can claim broad satisfaction. Importantly, that production suits the band's playing style right down to the ground, bringing me on to the second point. Taking Over is not an extremely thrashy album, though that's not to imply that it is diluted by other genres or too many outside influences, nor that it whiffs of sellout or the like. In songs such as 'Fatal If Swallowed', one can hear some of Overkill's early punk roots in the drumming and the melodies that open up the chorus, even if the ending lick is much heavier; then there are the more traditional heavy metal elements that had been weaned out of Slayer and Exodus compositions, but here point fingers towards Iron Maiden and Judas Priest during 'Fear His Name', and some speed metal bands at other points, such as during the very catchy riffage of the closing cut.

The final thing that makes this fun as opposed to just good is the songwriting and the attitude in those songs. I remember seeing Overkill in London back in 2009 or so and losing my friend after the first 20 minutes of the gig, but making so many other mates that I could hug, sing to, and even do a kind of headbanging can-can with. (For the record, the headbang can-can consisted of several guys standing in a line, linked arm in arm, and doing a kind of saucy bob every bar or so.) There was a really good vibe at that show and unless I'm mistaken it was 'Wrecking Crew' that got everyone fired up and 'In Union We Stand' that initiated the dancing. The other songs on Taking Over have a freedom to them as well, without the kind of pissed anger that the totally serious thrashers had, nor the goofiness of the actively fun ones: there are all sorts of small features that differentiate each composition from the last and we are able to span the range of emotions from threatening ('Fear His Name') to sentimental ('In Union We Stand') to spazzing out with energy ('Electro Violence'). There is plenty of time for leads, which is always cool, plus those leads transform from classic shredding ala Kirk Hammett in 'Electro Violence' to more destructive squalls in 'Fatal If Swallowed' to the careful melodic workout in 'Use Your Head'. Even the slightly punky drumming of Rat Skates works, keeping the energy up without making the style feel formulaic.

The other thing that is simply good about this album is that Blitz has a really great vocal performance. Although his voice has been distinctive on every Overkill release, the mastery that he shows here is important to keeping the excitement high and lending credibility to a middling bunch of lyrics. Some of his screams in 'Powersurge' and kicking off 'Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues)' rip through the listener's ears with sure venom, while his efforts to sound more majestic in melodic style give a whole different dimension to the songwriting, something that one cannot say about any other big thrash band, Testament excepted. That said, on a song like 'Use Your Head' when Blitz's stock vocals predominate, there isn't enough going on from the other members to draw attention until the leads come in, so that can be counted a weak song, while some may baulk at the ballad-like 'In Union We Stand', which is essentially a better version of Judas Priest's 'United' though certainly not a thrasher.

I'm not really sure if this is a problem or a benefit for Taking Over but that fun aspect I mentioned at the start of this review gives the album a distinctive character and memorable appeal though not the killer instinct of Reign in Blood or even Pleasures of the Flesh (which I still haven't found). Therefore, on the one hand, this won't kick you absolutely black and blue, but on the other this is a great listen and should ensure you make friends wherever you play it.

When one thinks of East Coast thrash, one has to take into account New Jersey's legendary Overkill. After the essential thrash debut that was "Feel The Fire," Overkill returned to the studio and released one of their most intense albums that has stood the test of time for over two decades. "Taking Over" was the second release by this great New Jersey quartet and arguably, "Taking Over" is one of their best albums. There was no such thing as a sophomore slump for this band. With their innovative riffs, intense drummer, great bassist, and legendary front man, Overkill's second album is one of the essential thrash releases from the mid to late 80s.

"Taking Over" had one major improvement over its older brother "Feel The Fire", that being the production was significantly better than their 1985 debut. Now with this improved production, the riffs are sharper, louder, and they deliver some serious power. D.D. Verni is a madman on the bass. He adds some heavy weight with his five string while Bobby goes off and creates his great solos. In the realm of lead guitarists, Bobby Gustafson is one of the most underrated, especially in the mid to late 80s. The sheer ferocity of his riffs are enough to rival any other band. Don't expect the sheer technicality of say Jeff Waters, but Bobby always delivers with fun and catchy solos. Ellsworth has to shriek and yell simply to project his voice louder than normal to overcome the intensity from the rest of the band. The tracks "Wrecking Crew," "Powersurge," and "Electro-Violence" are prime examples of Ellsworth's vocal tenacity. Lyrically, don't expect anything too thought provoking or any deep symbolic meaning as Overkill has never really had the most interesting lyrics. However, what they lack in the lyrical department, they make up for ten times over with their musicianship. "Taking Over" has some of the band's greatest thrash tracks like "Deny The Cross" and "Fatal If Swallowed." This album also has the typical metal anthem, "In Union We Stand" and ends with the second installment of the never dull "Overkill" series.

Few bands could match the sheer intensity of this 1987 sophomore release from one of thrash's most respected bands. With Bobby Blitz's unique vocals and shrieks, DD Verni's powerful bass, Rat Skates on drums, and Bobby Gustafson's lightning fast and lethal performance, Overkill released one of their best and most intense albums in "Taking Over."

Overkill's second opus, Taking Over and yours truly are connected into eternity, as the album was released the same dubious month the world was blessed with my own arrival. What will also likely persevere eternally is the argument of what "might have been" had Overkill released their 1985 debut earlier (as I'm sure they would have liked), instead relegated to pestering Jon Zazula and not taking "no" for an answer while the thrash movement took off without enough people even knowing Overkill existed.

Tertiary background information aside, Taking Over was released in a post- Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets world, where the thin guitar sound and wobbly drum performance of Feel the Fire simply would not cut it. Gustafson argues to this day that on the debut it was "not his tone" because his head took a shit before recording began. I believe him, because the guitar tone on this album slays like no other. It is the epitome of what thrash distortion should be: not too bassy, minimal sustain, closer to NWOBHM than anything. The opening riff of "Wrecking Crew" (a song presently dedicated to the fanbase, although I believe it was originally written for the band's road crew) demands instant headbanging. Leads are also supple and less squealy sounding than they were on Feel the Fire. The slower, bass led build-up of "Fatal If Swallowed" hints to some of the band's doom tendencies on later releases. The melodic underpinnings of "Deny The Cross", (which totally rips off "Creeping Death") the mid-paced swagger and Manowar tendencies of "Fear His Name", the ridiculous yet endearing barking during "Electro-Violence"; highlights essentially cease being highlights when there is so little to counterpoint their existence.

Ellsworth's performance here is the end result of some improvement on his part between Feel the Fire and '87, as he took some vocal lessons and honed his operatic tone that sadly was dropped on Under the Influence and never really revisited again afterward. The most intriguing factor is that he also utilizes a harsher tone, -in fact far more- which adds a nice balance to the lyrical onslaught. For example, the mid-paced "Fear His Name" features the operatic cleans to great effect, as does "In Union We Stand". In stark contrast we have the harsh barks of opener "Deny the Cross" and the blistering "Electro-Violence". The man is just full of surprises, a great example is his guttural roar of "Powersurge!" right before the breakdown in said track. I still believe Horrorscope features Blitz's best vocal performance, but Taking Over is a close, close second in that regard. Attached-at-the-hip comrade Verni is probably at his best here. His tone is actually far less up-front and clangy than what he would later be known for, but it just adds to the heaviness of the rhythm section too much to be regarded as anything other than a stylistic success.

While I consider the soon-departed Rat Skates to be the band's weak link (despite his massive behind the scenes efforts), he improved dramatically upon his debut performance two years before. Perhaps it was a matter of not being rushed, as the band recorded Taking Over throughout a several-month period. At any rate, he showed decent potential, and had the proclivity to fly off the handle a bit in his playing style, adding an air of (barely) controlled chaos to the whole ordeal. Alex Perialas redeems his average job on the band's debut with a much more balanced production effort. While I myself am a huge fan, I have heard fans bash the mix for trying to emulate Metallica's sonic profile. Rat Skates himself also feels that the band tried to overdo the guitars and as a result his drums got buried in the mix. If anything is amiss, I agree with Rat that it is the drums, but it is hardly a major gripe.

So as much as I have gushed about this album, you probably already see the score and are waiting for the other side of the coin. Well, I have to say, two songs about sex and groupies right after one another is a bit excessive: "Use Your Head" and "Fatal If Swallowed". I forgive the latter more than the former because it is a much more enterprising cut and was actually on the band's original demo. "Use Your Head" is easily the weakest track on here. I also know that many aren't blown away by the second chapter of the Overkill saga, but it is functional enough to these ears. If I can find a flaw, it is that it foreshadows some of the lyrical laziness that really hurt followup Under the Influence.

Overkill's best? No, that is still Horrorscope. Both albums have one throwaway track: "Use Your Head" here and "Bare Bones" in the latter's case. But Blitz's amazing vocals on Horrorscope push it ahead. Barely. Finally, there is no way I cannot mention the cover art. Simultaneously the best and worst thrash cover of all time. Blitz calls it the "Rambo look". Fear his name.

You gotta love Overkill. The New Jersey thrash output has been going on so strong for so long, rarely sacrificing their distinct sound and quality of their songs even during their weaker groove-laden times. "Feel The Fire" proudly reigns as one of my favorite metal albums. Admittedly, it took a while for me to warm up to their fairly similar follow-up album, 1986's "Taking Over". At the end of the day it still kills your face though.

I think what mainly bugs me about this album is the production. The songs basically sound heavier and thrashier here than on "Feel The Fire", but it sounds a bit too polished at times. I liked the sound of the last one better; it was louder, more raw and sounded pretty darn evil. "Taking Over" may be more aggressive at the end of the day, but the rawness and evil are sorely missed.

The bandmates still bring the fucking house down anyway. Rat Skates was always a nutjob drummer, not Overkill's best definitely up there with this best of 'em; he's fast as all hell, his double bass punishing and fills well-placed. The great DD Verni continues to give bassists as good name. Like most overkill albums, his bass is quite loud, matching the guitar often and dishing out vicious, speedy rhythm and riffs a plenty. Bobby Gustafon's guitar has improved since its simplicity on the previous effort. His skills are still pretty simplistic in of themselves but here he really shreds with confidence. And where would Overkill be without the great Bobby Blitz? He mixes charisma and true singing abilities with his deft raspy shrieks and snarls, some of which on here are the best in the band's early discography.

All in all, only two songs on "Taking Over" don't totally and completely ear-rape the listener with dirty East Coast aggression: there's "Fear His Name", which is rather a boring and totally skippable mid-paced number, and the second part in the "Overkill" series. A good song, with lots of good riffs, but I find it goes on a bit too long for its own good, especially when compared to it's uber-vicious and compact predecessor from "Feel The Fire". Everything else is pure fucking ownage. The album itself starts off with a pair of live favorites. "Deny The Cross" opens with some catchy melodic riffage before crashing headfirst into a barrage of unrelenting speed picking and arguably the most insane and vicious vocals of Mr Blitz on the whole album. "Wrecking Crew" follows up and continues with the Charger-on-fire-flying-past-your-house-at-5000-MPH sonic speed, ripping all who oppose with its catchy chorus and entertaining lyrics. Other highlights include: "Use Your Head" is one of my personal favorites, a somewhat galloping thrasher with sarcastic lyrics and about a whole song's worth of riffage squeezed into the last 10 seconds; the semi-epic "Fatal If Swallowed", with it's abundance of more killer riffs and rich guitar soloing, not to mention the bizarre sexual lyrics; and the fist-pumping anthem "In Union We Stand", sort of Overkill's take on stuff like "United" or "Take On The World".

Overall, this problems I have with are only minor. The loud, evil and raw production of "Feel The Fire" is missed, and only or two songs don't totally fucking murder you, best the rest sure as well do. Overkill is taking over; be ready and get a hold of this badboy today!

The second and last of Overkill's studio full-lengths to feature the band posing on the cover, a duty that would be handed off to someone, or 'something' for the followup Under the Influence, Taking Over leers at you with the promise of your own bullet ridden carcass. Let's be honest, these guys weren't just showing off their great looks. A few of them might have been sporting some spiffy perms, but they weren't exactly pretty boys. Feel the Fire revealed their silhouettes against the burning backdrop, and with Taking Over they're about to catch you in a four barrel crossfire. The threat was real, and these guys looked dirty and driven enough to enforce their sonic obliteration. Coincidentally, that is EXACTLY what transpires upon this sophomore, which to me remains the best individual album in their decades-spanning canon, and the iconic Overkill experience which has yet to be rivaled or reproduced by anything that would follow it.

Taking Over doesn't just revisit the manic personality of its predecessor, it pours a bucket of concrete over it with a more forceful, muscular guitar tone that gives Bobby's vocals a run for their money. The riffs on this thing are ungodly excellent, an aural matrix of brutal thrash redolent of what bands like Metallica were doing on their seminal Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, only dowsed in East Coast gasoline and Ellsworth's impetuous screeching and pavement-preaching. In fact, Gustafson sounds so much stronger on this record that it feels like Blitz had to rely more on his higher pitched, howling delivery just to remain at the helm of this vessel. You've also got a tighter, intense performance from drummer Rat Skates, and while the increased tenacity of the six strings might serve to shove Verni's bass lines to the peripheral, he's still in there hammering away like a human piledriver. Like Master of Puppets, I've often found that the production of the album receives a few quips and complaints, but I'd have it no other way, because it truly helps capture that moment when the thrash niche was becoming more clinical, complex and hostile.

If I had to draft a 'top 10' list of Overkill tunes throughout the years, then I think it says a lot that at least six or seven of them would be lifted from Taking Over. It's really THAT good, and in fact I would have no qualms about naming it the top East Coast USA thrash record of all time, edging out other beloved beatings like Survive, Among the Living and Persistence of Time. It opens with a melodic escalation you simply don't expect in "Deny the Cross", accompanied by thudding war drums and masterful, minimal chugging that transition beautifully into the monolithic machine gun rhythm guitars while Blitz ruins your world with every murderous line of lyrics! The breakdown riff is fully gladiatorial with its thin, melodic underpinning and massive chords, the leads strange but superb, and the chorus (featuring a good gang shout) is among the most sticky of the 80s in this genre.

Other top flight tracks include the catchy punk-buster "Wrecking Crew", which would become the moniker for the band's fan club; "Fatal if Swallowed", which was drafted forward from the original Overkill EP with far superior production and atmosphere; "In Union We Stand", a mid-paced anthem with excellent pacing and roiling chugs through the verses; "Use Your Head", which like so many other pieces on this album, is an instant catalyst for reckless, moshing release; and "Powersurge", motherfucking ditto. But my favorite here is most likely "Electro-Violence", incendiary and intense (courting a lot of "Ride the Lightning" influence) with a chorus breakdown riff that should have replaced the S.O.D. theme on Headbanger's Ball. I'm talking to YOU, Kevin Seal, Adam Curry and Riki Rachtman. I know you're reading this! Simply put, this tune is one of those defining, unforgettable East Coast staples like a "Brainwashed" or "I Am the Law". If you don't like it, marker up those patches, dump your denim and hi-tops in the nearest trash can and go stuff yourself in a cubicle and listen to Katy Perry. License to be cool revoked!

The only song here I don't love, which frankly holds Taking Over back from the precipice of perfection, is the closer "Overkill 2 (The Nightmare)". I appreciate they were trying to follow up the eponymous horror themed track from the debut; to build their own 'franchise' like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street (both of which turned out pretty goddamn awful themselves), but it's all too to rare that I feel it's spooky siren call. There are some nice techniques here, like the creepy bass of the intro and the little three-note melody sprung off the guitar line in the verse (to mimic the incidental horror scores of the period), but as a whole it's just not as lethal and efficient as all the (shorter) tunes leading up to it. That said, for the ninth man on your bench of nine, it's dependable enough to dunk a few severed heads into baskets.

'Taking Over'. No, they were not kidding, and through the years this album has transformed into one of my favorites of 1987, alongside other mighty thrashers like Killing Technology, Terrible Certainty, The Ultra- Violence, and the comparably vicious Finished With the Dogs. An irascible, unshakable paragon of punishing personality that the band just haven't been able to match in the ensuing decades. Gods know they've tried, but while Under the Influence and The Years of Decay had a few aces in the deck, and the more recent records like Ironbound have seen a streak of youthful energy permeate their weary ligaments, there is just no comparison on a song for song basis. Own it. Love it. Fear it. Own it again, for your little sister and brother. Buy your dog a copy. You have the technology. You just need soldiers. Remove your antenna, and then play it in the car when you've trapped your friends, until they too submit to the green and black, neck straining attack.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I was first introduced to Overkill after hearing "Thunderhead," from the album "Bloodletting", which motivated me to purchase the bands early work. It's albums like "Taking Over," that occasionally make me wish that I was born ten to twenty years earlier so that I could witness firsthand the rise of some of my favorite bands and heavy metal in general. "Taking Over" is classic thrash metal, plain and simple, and is one of my favorite thrash albums. The guitar work, drumming, and the vocals are simply perfect.

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth's vocals are epic sounding at times, although for the current generation, they may take some time to get used to. He uses a high pitched, almost annoying style of singing that to me is reminiscent of glam metal (which outside of a few Twisted Sister songs, I've never listened to). During the chorus on "Deny the Cross," Ellsworth's voice sounds absolutely brilliant. At times, he sounds almost as if he is singing for a choir or an opera.

The work of D.D. Verni and Bobby Gustafson help lay the blueprints which later thrash metal bands, and eventually death and black metal bands would follow. The opening on "Powersurge," is phenomenal, and the guitar playing on classic songs like "Deny the Cross," "Wrecking Crew," and throughout the album is masterfully played. However on "In Union We Stand," the band shows that they're capable of playing ballads just as good as they are at playing thrash.

The problems I have though, is the lack of variety on the album, something that even great bands lack. The same basic structure is used for every song, with the exception of "Fear his Name," and "In Union We Stand." These two tracks are slow to mid-paced songs different from the high pace that the band normally plays. However they are the only exception to this.

The band makes up for this by making every single song sound as close to perfect as possible. Even though they use the same formula throughout the album, they use it really, really well. This is an album that fans of classic thrash metal will love, and that fans from my generation should absolutely listen to.

When approaching the sophomore effort of New York neck wreckers Overkill, the band that essentially coined said title, I always come back to the wallowing sentiment articulated by Saint Vitus of being born too late. By the proper standards of thrash metal, this is an album that would have been more at home somewhere circa 1984-85, but as the style didn’t quite catch on until a bit later, this and the famed Testament debut became slated as 1987 releases, despite not really fitting in with the scene after such consequential albums as “Reign In Blood”, “Darkness Descends” and “Seven Churches”. In truth, most of the material was written by 1984, but even the later compositions in “Overkill II” and “Use Your Head” still clings to the mentality of “Ride The Lightning” with its heavily present though downscaled, NWOBHM melodic influences.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of this album in terms of accessibility is the production, which is much crisper and punchier than the debut, though it also lacks the darkness of the latter. The first album that comes to mind particularly when looking at the heavy like an anvil guitar sound is “Ride The Lightning”, and particularly in the cases of “Powersurge” and “Use Your Head” the riff set is loaded up with a similar mixture of palm muted chugs and exploding power chord hits. However, even by the standards of said Metallica sophomore effort, this is more of a conservative reassertion of an older style of speed/thrash that is more indicative of albums like “Fistful Of Metal” and “Killing Is My Business And Business Is Good”, albeit taking some occasions to moderate the tempo a little and actually look back to some earlier metal bands who would sing a simple melodic rather than shatter windows with banshee wails in the case of the catchy anthems “In Union We Stand” and “Fear His Name”.

In spite of being mostly a rehash of a formula that had been well established by 1985, this album really gets the job done in the songwriting department and is just plain entertaining to the point that its lack of revolutionary ideas is a complete non-factor. Between Blitz’s blustering tenor and ear destroying wails, Bobby’s crunchy yet predictable riff set, and the killing machine that is the rhythm section of D.D. and soon to be departed Rat Skates, the result is a towering colossus of wrecking metal. The signature tune “Wrecking Crew”, which is a largely simple endeavor with a strong punk tendency to it, underscores the simple yet high effective formula at play here. The only area where complexity really takes hold in the way that it would later on with this band is that of “Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues)”, which while still in the same riffing paradigm, showcases the beginning of an epic formula that would become much more prominent on the next few albums.

For the thrash fanatic who really goes for the older guard before things started to get less catchy and more dissonant, “Taking Over” will take a very prominent place in any collection that includes the likes of “The Legacy”, “Game Over” and “Kill ‘Em All”. I personally tend to prefer the debut album because of the rawer production and dark mystique, but this in a similar league and will probably appeal even more to those who want crunchy riffs rather than creepy atmospherics. But even for those who identify with the cult of Quorthon, the dark rider of the overkill makes his triumphant return for a fresh new kill, only now his location has become inhabited with a group of demolition enthusiasts who like things that blows up. It’s all a matter of taste, but either way, this is quite delicious.

With the release of this follow up to the classic debut “Feel the Fire”, Overkill had firmly established themselves as a major force in the arena of thrash metal. While the classic predecessor was heavily rooted in NWOBHM and early speed metal, this album takes a step ahead for good and combines brutality with equal proportions of control to produce a relentless attack of chainsaw like riffs, thunderous drumming and vocals that aim for high decibel levels. But as the omnipresent fate that befell many a talent during those turbulent times in terms of changing music tastes and severe unrest in the music industry, this album too suffered a similar fate at not getting the recognition it deserved initially. Despite all of those factors, this is one of the best releases of 1987.

Aptly titled “Taking Over”, it was pretty imminent that Overkill meant business. They were out to take over the scene by flushing out wannabes and poseurs. The production is very heavy and I’m yet to hear a thrash metal album with such a crushing feel. Maverick vocal man Blitz sounds a lot like he would on the debut, but he pulls off some deafening shrieks on almost all the songs. It’s amazing how he does that so effortlessly. The rhythm section sounds highly beefed up, although the bass somewhat gets stepped over by the heavy guitar and drums. It’s very unlike the measures D.D Verni would take on the next few releases, where the bass is extremely prominent. Personally, I find this production to be better than any other albums released in the 80s.

The front cover doesn’t do this full length even an ounce of justice for what its worth. You take one glimpse of it and you could probably think of it as the cover of a B-grade action flick comprising of four young action heroes with guns. There’s also an uncanny resemblance to the cover of Darkness’ teutonic thrash fest debut “Death Squad”, except that the German quintet looked more morbid and scary.

The tracks are such that you wouldn’t need to feel the urge to skip at any time, purely because of the fact that each song is capable of standing on its own. “Deny the Cross” starts the proceedings with slow and plodding heavy riffs, almost Sabbath like before unleashing a fury of blazing fast metal mayhem with a chorus so infectious that it would take some doing to miss it. And what a way to follow up than the thrash wreck that gave them the nickname “Wrecking Crew”, a barrage of E minor riffs that blend really well with the vocals and the chorus. “Fear his Name” is perhaps the only track on the album that wouldn’t have looked out of place on “Feel the Fire”, with Maiden like harmonies and hooks. Overall a very catchy track nevertheless.

The thrash carnage continues with the next three tracks which spare the listener no time for rest, especially “Powersurge”, which just screams pure power!! Next up is the essential epic anthem “In Union we stand” that talks of world unity in thrashing style, a video for which was also recorded. The bridge section of “Electro-violence” which combines heavy riffs with a devastating chorus is arguably one of the best moments in thrash metal history. The closing track is part two of the “Overkill” saga that is filled with insane shrieks, punishing riffs and a chorus that is simply beyond words. “The Nightmare continues” ends with a clean guitar part at the end which forms the intro of the third installment of the legacy that’s present on the successor. Has any other thrash metal band ever attempted that? You know the answer.

This album holds a really special place in my collection. The feeling of unmatched nostalgia always seems to “awaken in me” as soon as I load this up in my deck. I’ve heard it a million times and yet I can’t seem to get enough of it. This is the kind of nightmare I'd like to cling to my whole life. Are you looking for some quality early thrash metal from the east coast? This one would do just fine. Grab it fast!!!

“Taking Over” was the second and last album with drummer Rat Skates who gave the old Overkill a punk feeling at times because of his style of drumming . Punk drums were very important in the development of early thrash metal (Slayer anyone? or what about the Celtic Frost song ‘Into The Crypts Of Rays’) Also this album can be considered their most pure old school thrash metal album with the exception of some heavy metal based material. I will not elaborate about all the songs too much this time because the album mostly is one good trip from start to finish.

The album takes a flight immediately with two of the best songs they ever wrote, namely ‘Deny the Cross’ and ‘Wrecking Crew’ which both a re filled with typical eighties thrash metal riffs, high tempi and a very catchy chorus. ‘Wrecking Crew’ is slightly more punk-influenced and ‘Deny The Cross’ is a more eerie and evil sort of thrasher.

The anthem ‘In Union We Stand’ is one of the most famous songs from this album and personally the only track I do NOT like. It is a slow paced heavy metal anthem with a Manowarish chorus of which I can only say I do like that genre but truly think this kind of song does not suit Overkill, does not suit the rest of the album and should be sung by melodic vocalists like Michael Kiske, Bruce Dickinson or Eric Adams

“Taking Over” is an important early thrash metal album and one of the best ones from Overkill. Due to the bad (foggy and sloppy) production and the horrible album cover I must however deduct a few points. But still, 95 points is quite a score, right?

Overkills second attemp comes close to being as good as their first. It doesn't have the same moments as feel the fire does...certainly not the intensity, but it sure as hell offers so much to make this one great thrash album by Overkill. Its fast, lengthy, heavy, and has a more thrash sound to it that Feel The Fire...its a transitional album between Overkill's speed/thrash metal days into their late 80's early 90's thrash sound. It combines the best of these two different Overkill styles and delivers thrash greatness.

Blitz's vocals are still similiar to how they were on Feel The Fire. Pretty clean, not raspy at all like Overkills newer stuff. They are authoritative and have more attitude than Mr. T. He sings about kicking your brains in, taking over...destruction, pretty intense stuff. The way Blitz delievers the lyrics on this album certainly makes the songs have a destructive anthem for thrash metal theme. Thats what most of the songs on this album sounds like aside from Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues), anthems for thrash. As well he sings with such intensity it gives me goosebumps and energy.

The guitars are full of great thrash riffs, solos, and rolling guitar work. The songs will have this great main riff thats heavy and grabs your attention. Blitz's vocals will come in and Mr. Gustafson keeps playing his guitar with this rolling riff that keeps the song heavy and thrashy. The guitars have great rythym thoughout the songs as well. Overall they are fast when they are not playing a main riff but keeping the rythym while Blitz sings. The main intro riffs are pretty slow, but heavy and authoritative.

Overall this is Overkill's thrid best work, falling shortly behind Fell the Fire and The Years of Decay. It offers the speed of old Overkill, the heavyness of the early 90's overkill, and a mixture of those two disticnt Overkill eras in their early career. This is a solid thrash album, nothing from 1987 beats this in the thrash genre. A great follow up to Feel The Fire

By the time Overkill had gotten their label deal, they had enough material for two albums. This is the second, and most everything on here was part of their setlist by 1984. Consequently, this album has a pretty similar feel to Feel the Fire, though the production is much nicer, bringing out the riffs pretty well.

The newest songs on here, Use Your Head and Overkill Part II, both written around 1986, have a definite Nuclear Assault feel to them, as far as the riffs are concerned, especially with the driving under-verses riff of Use Your Head. Some of the older stuff is more melodic, namely Deny the Cross and Fear His Name, which have a bit of a speed metal influence to them.

The highlight of the album is Overkill Part II, which manages to combine brutal riffs, nice atmosphere, and killer lead guitar into one epic song. This closes the album on a definite high note. Overall, it's quite a good album, and fans of Feel the Fire should definitely pick this one up.