From the Underground and Below

After Overkills more ambitious release at this point of time, “The Killing Kind”, which took a much more experimental philosophy than really any of the albums before hand, not including “I Hear Black”, the band continued on fairly quickly and just a year later in the fall of Ninety-Seven released part two of what I call their “groove phase”, “From The Underground and Below”. Arguably “From The Underground and Below” is even more experimental than the last, with more risks being taken with their groove oriented side but with a dash of industrial metal in a specific place to my ears. Noticeably, thrash isn’t the driving force for this album, a stylistic change that really started in the previous record, but it isn’t thrown to the side in a trash can, forgotten and disrespected like the half eaten Taco Bell burrito I had last night. No, the wrecking crew inject those thrashy elements within a good amount of songs as bite size doses of intensity to add some stimulation to the songs. Ultimately if you were looking for songs similar to “Rotten To The Core”, “Elimination”, “Coma”, “Electro-Violence”, or something recent like “Fast Junkie”, you’re not going to find it here.

Maybe to get the general discussion of what’s “thrash” on this album out of the way, the clearest examples of songs that fit more within that genre would be the erratic “F.U.C.T.” with its punky groove speed riffing and the more interesting closer “Little Bit o’ Murder”. But after that, most of the more thrash influenced elements are practically used in certain places to up the ante, like at the start of the opener “It Lives” (which I think is a pretty damn catchy song and one of Overkills more underrated openers) or built up a couple of times in “Genocya”. Usually though, the album remains in this mid-paced heavy groove full of piss and vinegar. To take a quick detour, “From The Underground and Below” is fucking heavy as shit. I believe this was the first album to be mixed by Colin Richardson who some would know as a producer / mixer for albums by bands like Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Machine Head, and Fear Factory during this period. Colin brings a whole new dynamic to the band's sound, cranking the heaviness and saturation to a ten. Arguably I’d wager that this is probably the band's heaviest sounding album, with “Killbox 13” coming in from behind which was also mixed by Colin. I just love how it sounds; every time I go back to songs from this record it just hits you like a sonic sledge hammer.

To return from my little detour, the main fact is that “From The Underground and Below” is much more of a groove metal record than before as most of the songs keep a fairly mid-paced groove throughout and not every song has a solo. Some people’s opinions, some of which I’ve read here on the forums, would be that this album is boring or uninspired for that reason yet I think if you look at an album with that basic simple minded mindset, of course you may draw to those conclusions. But I don’t share those ideals. I think there’s a fair amount of variety to be found, though a common issue is the riffs being more simple and repetitive, and songs remain distinct from one another. There’s also this dark atmosphere that kind of envelops a majority of this record, something Overkill has played around with better than most of their vanguard, before and after. Some songs have more of that typical groove metal crawl, such as “I’m Alright”, “It Lives”, and the genuinely fun “ The Rip n’ Tear”, while Overkill puts on their cowboy hats for their southern / Pantera influenced “Long Time Dyin’” (a favorite of Blitz and a clear standout on the record), and going for a softer eerie approach both instrumentally and Blitz singing in sections of “Genocya” and “Half Past Dead”; which itself features a rather great bass solo from D.D. On top of that, “Save Me” is even more of an outlier because it seems like the only song that seems to have a tinge of industrial metal influencing the general composition and sound, adding some sampling and having that jump up and down rhythm section I’ve noticed a lot of industrial bands like to use. “Promises” does add something a little new, as it probably is the band's only “warm feeling” song they’ve ever written, but ultimately this power ballad comes off somewhat awkwardly sadly and general riffing is a little too simple to evoke the emotions it wants you to feel. It’s got a pretty great solo though. It's alright, not one of Overkill's stronger songs, nor one of their better ballads.

But what's strong though is the musicianship displayed. Sebastian Marino (R.I.P.) and Joe Comeau are still a good combo for this era of the band, pulling off double duty on the guitars. Even with the more simple nature of the writing, both provide a tight performance as they sledge through grooves and bluesy riffs. Tim Mallare on the drums is probably the one that’s fastest here, faster than the guitar riffs, just listen to “F.U.C.T.” or “It Lives” as he dominates those songs. Tim does provide fun fills on the record as well but overall a very concise performance. Honestly if we are talking bass here, this era of the band was the best for D.D. The very nature of these songs allow him to be more expressive and shine more. “Save Me”, “Genocya”, and especially “Half Past Dead” and its solo shows him being more integral to the general flow of these songs. But a highlight that nobody should not expect is Blitz. Blitz just kicks fucking ass. That’s it. And you can tell he’s having fun while doing it. I can see why this record is one of his favorites, Blitz is very emotive and goes through a variety vocal approaches while still retaining that piss and vinegar aggression he always brings to the table.

But with all said and done, fundamentally “From The Underground and Below” is a solid record with some material that reaches out for greatness while the rest are just good songs, though “Promises” is just alright. Mostly the biggest issue, like a good portion of this era, is the writing. From my frame of mind the songs are a little too simple and repetitive and to me, “From The Underground and Below” is just smidge under “The Killing Kind” as I find that album to be slightly better, except for the lyrics, “FTUAB’s” lyrics are better. But as Overkill's “groove phase part 2” comes to a close, it’s undeniable that the band isn’t trying to do something new and mix around with their sound but will that be the same for next one, “Necroshine”? Of course that’ll be answered once that review is written and published but I think it’s important to point out the fact that Overkill does try to expand on the new elements in place; for the most part being successful at doing so. “Long Time Dyin’” is the clearest standout, being a staple in the bands live set list but “It Lives”, “Half Past Dead”, and “Little Bit o’ Murder” are up there as well. If you were on the fence or curious about the album, check out a few of those songs to gauge your interest. Overkill may strive in the underground, their longevity proves it, but to my eyes, “From The Underground and Below” is able to rise above most of their contemporaries at this time.

The centerpiece of what I call the unholy trilogy of groove metal albums by our favorite once-thrashers! From The Underground And Below is another one of those albums where it seems to be disliked more than it is liked. Though there are smaller distinct differences between its sandwiching records and itself, there’s still something great to be found in all three. This one in particular has always held a special place in my heart, even if Necroshine may be objectively just the tiniest bit better.

While that record focused on energy and breaking up the approach, this one just dumps every bit of effort into being massive. Like, holy shit! These guitars are potentially the most saturated in weight they’ve ever been, and the rumbling production coat adds even more to that. Off the bat it makes for something more consistent than anything they’ve done in a while (with one exception of “Promises”). You can also bet you’ll find a lot more trudging steam and mean snarl, the latter mostly coming through in Blitz’s vocals but also in whipping repetition of the riffs.

Let’s not pretend there isn’t loads of unique treasure to dig up, though. “F.U.C.T.” is an easy outlier not only because of the bunt vocals, but the sheer speed that stands out from the lot; the drums alone are incredible. It also has a really hooky chorus, for something so harsh. “It Lives” opens on a similar note, which can be somewhat misleading, however that song absolutely smokes right at the gate. I also find “Long Time Dyin’” to be an earworm not only from the chorus, but also from the galloping bridge that ties it all together. Same could be said about the fun energy of “The Rip ‘N Tear.” The layering in particular is nice, which helps the boosted bass rumble. See the gradual flow on “Genocya” (I know, you do have to overlook some of these ridiculous song titles) for a blunt taste of this, or the bass solo in “Half Past Dead” that ends very abruptly.

As I mentioned earlier, there is one huge exception to the rule. One could argue that “The Years Of Decay” was the band’s first legit ballad, but that one is even colder and less-comforting than the band’s usual thrash attacks. No, but “Promises” is not only an album outlier, but a career outlier. This is the lone Overkill track that I could actually describe as warm, comforting, and heartfelt in the way of an ‘80s power ballad. But it’s still constructed within the dense riffs and heavy production, thus manages to fit in. Obviously some people are gonna hate this, but I think it’s nothing short of impressive. Little hints like the short, soft lick on “Save Me” could show that it’s possible, or the acoustic fills in “Half Past Dead.” But man, it aint the same at all; what a ballsy move!

With all of that in mind, I do see why From The Underground And Below could be tough for those who aren’t die-hard fans of the band to dig into. It’s a very thick wall to knock down, and the approach itself runs for a while. But those are the exact things that I love about it. Not only does that make it unique from everything before, but there’s a lot of standout to grasp from it on its own, just funneled into an unconventional groove-tube. I’ll forever see this and its successor as far better than either ever got credit for.

From my point of view, "The Killing Kind" had been a surprisingly strong album, energetic, varied, lively. In view of the qualitative rollercoaster ride that Overkill had been on since the stinking "I Hear Black" at the latest, I feared bad things for the follow-up. But lo and behold, "From the Underground and Below" not only had a cool (yet slightly misleading) title, I also liked the dark cover. Anything is better than radioactive green monsters, skulls, bats or other mostly undead stuff. But what about the music?

Basically, the record boasts a very basic heaviness. The guitars leave no doubt that the listener is entering the territory of more or less pure heavy metal. In addition, a dark, partly ghostly note shimmers through again and again, not only at the beginning of "Half Past Dead". Of course, the intoxicating freshness, spontaneity and explosiveness of "Blood and Iron" or "Wrecking Crew" are missing, and a riff like the one in "Rotten to the Core" is written only once in a lifetime, even by a competent gang like Overkill. But it is more important to stay away from slowly grooving or often even lethargic rhythms, as they had practised especially at the low point of 1993. Occasionally, they even use a decent amount of speed, for example in "F.U.C.T.". It's not enough for the big hit, not even in the solid, growly "Little Bit o' Murder" at the end of the 49 minutes. Nevertheless, the band deserves respect for an idiosyncratic work that is not exclusively aimed at the greatest possible commercial success.

Blitz's voice also contributes to the relatively individual appearance. In the movies, one would probably say: he plays himself. Thus, his singing often resonates with a negative, sullen note, which, however, does not end in a low-energy performance. Especially in the snappier tracks, among others the well-building "It Lives", Blitz enhances the effect of the material. While the instrumental fraction has not been mixed overly transparently, his voice is given a good place in the sound and so every track sounds unmistakably Overkill, even if it is introduced and accompanied by quite eccentric tones, as the pretty dynamic "Save Me" successfully demonstrates.

To make a long story short, I'm sorry to say that I don't think the record is bad. No doubt, it would have been much better if Overkill had done without the meaningless "The Rip 'n Tear" and the worn-out ballad on the ninth position. But all in all, an intact line-up with enough good ideas asks you to dance. I'm just glad that nobody saw me dancing to this decent full-length.

After releasing 85’-95’ Wrecking Your Neck Live!, the couple of guitarists that recorded Horroscope were fired and the first album they recorded with the new pair of axemen was “The Killing Kind”; which once again portrayed the band playing uncompromised speed metal, pretty similar to W.F.O. It seems though, they still dreamt of writing an slower, more obscure kind of record so this time they tried an industrial/groove composition style which I find sadly unsatisfying for a band that had reinvented themselves so neatly in the past without losing the ‘balls to the walls’ heavy metal trademark attitude. For this record they experimented randomly between genres without a proper conceptual direction. Every classic Overkill album kicks ass big time, Horrorscope and W.F.O were also great but “From the Underground and Below” is like the nü metal version of the overly corny, melancholic and gothic “I Hear Black” which is the first Overkill album I actually dislike.

Not everything about this record is bad, there are some groovy stop and go palm muted riffs that actually slay and manage to build some atmosphere through repetition but at the end of the day it sounds like they cut-off the head of a beast, compared to their previous album or classic material. Mid tempo or fast passages are scarce and uninspired but the worst parts are the ballady-like clean guitar arpeggio sections, sooo fucking boring. “The Years of Decay” was a calmed song but it showed gifted composition and vocal skills, the chilling parts featured here on FTUAB are dark but also pretty damp and monochromatic, linear and crushed. Some upbeat riffs are played over a techno/disco drum beat with lots of open hi hats while the bass drum and the snare just keep the time, it sounds lame... I mean this is supposed to be Overkill!

One of the last songs “I’m Alright” tried to include a catchy vocal line in the chorus but it sounds like Blitz is trying to cheer a pop crowd, or take Rip n Tear’s ‘everybody’s moving from the right to the left” part for example… can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on? I ain't going anywhere. The production is pretty good though, such a shame. The drums were perfectly recorded, the bass guitar tone is amazing; thick, bright and it lets you hear DD Verni’s pick. The guitars sound huge too, with all those aggregated effects technically well achieved in the studio, resulting on a weak and boring record by a band so far from their comfort zone they couldn't even manage to write one decent full song. Blitz is a very capable clean singer but also a very energetic thrash metal screamer and those abilities were also captured with high fidelity but just aren't enough to salvage a record so different from the band’s original sound that it shouldn’t exist.

With a screen name like mine, what did you expect? As a long-time metalhead I should at least give some backstory on my journey though. I came into the scene around 95/96 when groove was in full effect so an album that sounded like this sounded normal to me - heavy as hell, some solos, nasty vocals, all that good shit. My first Overkill album was WFO so when this came out it wasn't exactly a surprise to me. So in the long run I have either the privilege or burden of catching my favorite band in the (so-called) decline of their career without prior experience of their history. Well, here's what my virgin thoughts are...

First of all, this thing fuckin' rips. The riffs may be a little groovy, but this isn't Soulfly or anything. Blitz is as harsh as usual, DD brings the heaviest bottom around, and the other players do their job admirably. Honestly, I love every song. "Promises" is of course a bit of an outlier in their entire catalog but it's really not all that bad as far as metal ballads go and Blitz has some of his best vocals on this one. Otherwise, you get quite the variety of styles throughout - a little industrial via the sampling in "Save Me", plenty of blues in the bendy notes on something like "Long Time Dyin'", the aforementioned balladry of "Promises" - and they all meld pretty well into an enjoyable package.

As far as highlights, the opener "It Lives" is quite the burner with plenty of venom built in. "F.U.C.T" is even meaner with a nice little circular riff, a Comeau-Blitz grit-off lyrics-wise, and a filthy chorus. Sure, "I'm Alright" gets a little repetitive and the riffs are pretty simple, might be my least favorite on the album, but it's followed up with the fuckin' "Rip N' Tear" which although containing some groove riffs (some of the best you'll encounter) is a hell of a lot of fun while being heavy as shit. Then there's the closer with the title all thrash albums should be called - "Little Bit O' Murder'". Honestly, that chorus creeps into my brain at least once a month and as a music listener who splits his loyalties between metal and indie rock, that's a pretty special distinction.

So, at this point you've either skipped down to this paragraph and already assumed I'm an idiot (here's some more proof, I don't like Feel the Fire that much) or come in as an Overkill newbie and become intrigued compared to the hate that everyone else is giving this gem. If this helps, I don't think every Overkill album is amazing - the trio of Killbox 13/Relix IV/Immortalis plus White Devil Armory don't do much for me - but of course this one isn't in the upper echelon of their albums. Then again, this band is amazing and their worst album is better than most bands' best album so it's all relative. You've already seen my history so if you can't stand all the groove that came out in the mid-90s then this might not work for you. If you're willing to look at this without that stigma though, I think you might enjoy yourself.

I never paid much attention to Overkill until recently, so my prejudices regarding the band's different periods come from a mixture of public and personal opinion. We're definitely dealing with the groove side of Overkill's output here, but there are some subtleties in here that seem to be neglected in most of the reviews I've read. My aim in this review is not to re-tread too much old ground, but to emphasize those forgotten areas. For this reason, I'm going to state the general view and broad aspects of 'From the Underground and Below' very quickly.

First, this isn't an album that acknowledges many of Overkill's thrash roots, nor does it have a great deal of the punk attitude from early on, the vocal diatribes notwithstanding. The groove influences come from Pantera (particularly regarding the more rhythmic passages) and some of the associated New Orleans acts like Down and Corrosion of Conformity, who pursued sludgy, southern variants on the more aggressive groove of Pantera and Prong. However, Overkill is actually more like the precedent of many of the modern groove bands, even having some similarities with a few nu metal outfits of the 90s, though with radically heavier drumming and regular forays into faster material. The moody, restrained passages are contrasted with high energy battery that references thrash more often than the downtuned guitars would suggest.

To be honest, most of these parts of the sound don't have a great deal of appeal: there isn't the impulsive speed and complexity of thrash, nor are the grooves all that catchy or blissfully dirty. That makes the extra elements all the more important, and it's the clean verses of 'Half Past Dead' with their classic melodies (not to mention the closing bass solo), the eerie "ooh"s at the end of 'Genocya' (an excruciating title if I ever saw one), or the sheer exuberance of the stupid, fat thrash grooves that pound out for all 5 minutes of 'F.U.C.T.'. I've read plaudits for the opening tracks 'It Lives' and 'Save Me', but these sound so utterly generic and uninspired now that I can only assume those who praise them are searching for musical skill and not enjoyment, because they're fairly boring, which is no good for any kind of music. The mid-section of the album is more palatable than the straighter attempts simply because it has some divergences from the rather obvious groove thrash template.

One problem with the thrashier parts of this album is that the drums, although they show commendable skill and extremity for this style, don't complement the guitar tone. Since the guitars are tuned low, the drums end up a little sharp and direct, especially the aggressive snare, which competes with the grooves and drains some of the power from them. When the drumming slows down and gives the crunchy guitars more chance to bite, like on 'The Rip 'n' Tear', the power is really irresistible and makes even the dumb chorus sound great. In this style, the bass is more of a grooving presence too, which works really well, meaning that Bobby Blitz can provide most of the higher register parts, dominating the mediocre riffs with an attention-grabbing delivery. That's what really marks this out from other 90s groove metal albums - the calibre and craziness of the singer. Though not always under control, Blitz brings a slight edge of unpredictability to an otherwise plain album, making the boring songs a little better than forgettable, even if they ultimately don't require more than a few spins. Joe Comeau also provides some vocals, but does little to make himself stand out.

'From the Underground and Below' is less a bad than an unremarkable album, dragged down by a lack of great ideas and an awkward imbalance of influences. It's worth a listen for all fans, but its place in Overkill's history as an often-forgotten, sometimes-maligned release is fair - this is the definition of inessential.

There was a reason I held out so long on reviewing Overkill's oft-abhorred 1997 release From the Underground and Below. To my ears, it has always been one of the most difficult to categorize, right up there with Necroshine. However unlike it's successor, it wasn't so cut and dry whether or not the album was a mess or an overlooked masterwork. Is it either? Not really.

Right off the bat, as usual, I have to address the production. However, this time I'm not bitching. This may be the best produced Overkill release since Horrorscope and until Ironbound; ironic that it came at a time when interest and the band's resources were probably at a record low. These guitars are massive and the drums rumble your core, just listen to the beginning of "It Lives", when the distortion kicks in, or during the groovy breakdown later on. DD Verni is scaled back more than normal, he is still audible, but it isn't much of a loss because his performances during the '90s were lackluster at best anyway. Comeau gets perhaps his biggest chance to shine alongside Blitz on this album, and the vocals are mixed so masterfully sometimes it is difficult to tell the two apart. Knowing the accolades both individuals have as vocalists, this is a huge compliment to both of them.

This is definitely the grooviest Overkill release, so that will probably turn most off at first blush. The way I see it, at least in this case they totally devoted themselves to the sound, instead of trying to please everybody. This is commendable, but doesn't necessarily mean the material is all searing or memorable. Blitz's voice on here is just...inhuman. His performance falls most in line with Necroshine, which isn't a bad thing at all. His voice sounds monstrous and the sense of rotten evil pervades every single vocal line save for the really out-of-character ballad "Promises". Comeau and Marino honestly never had much to work with during their tenure with the group due to factors mostly out of their control, but the riffs are passable. There are moments of overt thrashing, but they mostly settle into a mid-paced chug that still carries the day fairly well. There are even some great solos, like on the aforementioned "Promises". Finally, while I constantly bash Tim Mallare, I have to admit that he delivers a commendable performance on the kit here, with enough variety to keep things from getting stale. Definitely one of his best performances during his twelve-year tenure.

Despite all of these positives, many of the tracks in the middle of the album tend to blur together in trademark Overkill fashion. Ironically, just like on The Years of Decay, the first three tracks are the best of the bunch. "Half Past Dead" and "Little Bit o' Murder" are both worth a spin as well. "The Rip n' Tear" is pretty fun, albeit uncharacteristic for even someone like Blitz who is just full of surprises. Don't miss that one. Now don't misunderstand me, From the Underground and Below is still very much an acquired taste, but for '97 this kicks plenty of ass and shouldn't be disregarded by any fan of The 'Kill.

It’s a foregone conclusion that classic 80s Overkill is superior to it’s modern 90s counterpart, but what is often missed by those who dismiss the latter era is that modern 90s Overkill is superior to about 80% of what flies under the modern groove moniker. Even when at their most groovy, overly polished, slowed down extreme, this New York outfit can’t help but keep their heads above the raw sewage that is radio oriented music. Of their various offerings from this era, save perhaps “I Hear Black”, “From The Underground And Below” flirts the heaviest with Zakk Wylde territory, but still manages to possess a charm that its late 90s contemporaries largely lacked.

From the first thudding note of “It Lives”, which is among the more thrashing grooves to be found on here, it is clear that Blitz, D.D. and company are taking a set of ideas from recent works out of Ozzy, Metallica, Machine Head and a few others and attaching some metallic balls to them. Some of the chugging riffs that filter in and out sound somewhat akin to riffs heard on “Load” or “Ozzmosis”, minus the muddiness and plus a whole lot of punch. “Save Me” takes a few notes from Ozzy’s “Miracle Man” both lyrically and musically, but removing the 80s elements in favor of a Pantera-like feel. Sometimes things get bluesy like in the case of “Long Time Dyin’”, while at others there’s a strong intercession of hardcore into the mix such as in “F.U.C.T.”, but the overall attitude of every song tends to stick to the classic middle finger approach common to the time period.

Generally this approach to metal, at best, is worthy of a lukewarm reception, but a few elements at play here making this a fairly praiseworthy release. Blitz has not forgotten how to carry a tune the way Phil Anselmo did, and delivers solid performance on every song found on here. The guitar solo has not been fully discarded to make nice with radio-friendly maggots that were eating up “Stomp 442” and “The More Things Change”. Further still, much as with the previous album and the follow up “Necroshine”, the presence of famed Liege Lord and Annihilator vocalist Jon Comeau ads a unique flavor to the mix. Being one of the more versatile vocalists occupying the power/speed/thrash styles, when not emulating Rob Halford or Harry Conklin, Jon does a solid job going in similar vocal circles to Blitz. His contribution to “F.U.C.T.”, which is a de facto duet between the two, delivers twice the garbled sleaze and anger with little accounting for subtlety.

With perhaps the exception of the extremely lame power ballad “Promises”, which sounds almost sappy enough have been on an early 90s Annihilator album or maybe even a more recent Motley Crue release, this is a consistent collection of songs. It’s not the sort of thing that should be broken out every day or even every week to complement one’s daily intake of metal, unless it’s to bring credibility to a sorry day of gobbling up groove metal; but it is a good token groove album for fans of purer forms of thrash metal. There’s bound to be a bargain bin somewhere in every major locality with a copy of this in need of rescuing, so why not blow 7-9 bucks on something that’s decent enough.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on July 12, 2010.

I consider the climax of Overkill's career to be their first four albums (Feel the Fire through The Years of Decay), each a solid effort with more than its share of classic live staples; and Taking Over being the very best of those. However, the band has continued for 20 years past that period, producing a large body of work, most of which is average and acceptable to fans. Many of their albums tend to have 2-3 catchy tracks and then a lot of filler which is easy to forget in favor of the early records. In the case of 1997's From the Underground and Below, their 9th, the material starts off with a bang, and then slowly fizzles out, leaving only a few moments of excitement for the later tracks.

In order to keep themselves relevant to the era, Overkill injected a lot heavier groove into their sound during the 90s, and also (wisely) upped the ante on the production standards of their albums. From the Underground and Below is massive sounding, though it successfully retains that raw, gutter crunch that made albums like Taking Over and Under the Influence legendary. "It Lives" is an intense opening track: after the percussion builds and the thrashing guitars blaze into a big ol' groove, they inject the perfect sample: Looks like you've been up to the devil's business!

And thus the thrashing commences, huge neck breaking grooves as Bobby Blitz spews infectious layered vocals (I like it when he uses this style). The song is quite tight throughout, with some nice further grooves and breakdowns to open up the pit. "Save Me" repeats a vocal sample of miracle man, you're a miracle man over a big Prong-like thrash groove, and the song's thick bass, chugging guitars and wild multi-tiered vocals kick some more ass, as does the murky, bluesy bridge where Blitz busts out a quiet, brief falsetto.

After these two tracks...the album more or less staggers. "Long Time Dyin'" is ballsy and bluesy, imagine Black Label Society fronted by Blitz and you'll get the idea. This isn't a bad song, but the bruising "Genocya" and the mellow "Half Past Dead" are not quite catchy, nor are the punky "F.U.C.T." and the rock & roll anthems "I'm Alright" and "The Rip'n Tear", the last of which is like Southern bar metal with a part for the ladies to dosado:

'Everybody movin from the right to the left
Everybody movin from the life to the death
Everybody movin from the good to the bad
Everybody movin from the happy to the sad
Everybody churnin and life ain't fair
Everybody movin to the rip n' tear'

This is followed by "Promises", which is Overkill's rather awful attempt at a cheesy ballad. It succeeds in breaking up the momentum of the album for a breather, and then things end on a decent note with the rager, "Little Bit O'Murder", which is the best song since the first two, with some nice grooves and great thick bass playing courtesy of D.D. Verni.

From the Underground and Below is not a total waste...and if I were to make a sampler of the band's career I would probably include "It Lives" and "Save Me", more than I can say for a few of the band's previous 90s albums. But the band was capable of far better in the past, and have even produced some superior work since this.

Highlights: It Lives, Save Me, Little Bit O'Murder

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com