Overkill - White devil Armory

July 18th 2014

(CD Album Review)

****
Overkill continue their winning streak on album number seventeen!

Overkill are one of the few bands where even if your not much of a fan they are respected by everyone, well they certainly deserve to be. One can't name many bands who have been going as long as Overkill have and have seventeen albums under their belts. Over the years the two sole members Bobby Ellsworth and bassist D.D Verni have rode the waves since 1980. They never sold out, never watered down their sound or went commercial or split up for that matter. Their popularity rose, fell and rose again with the best of them and as Thrash Metal evolved over the year Overkill evolved with it.

'White devil Armory' is a hard album to write a review for because it's so easily summed up. Overkill have released some albums better then others over the years but they never delivered a real stinker at least not to my knowledge, and all can agree that with starting the new decade with 2010's masterpiece 'Ironbound' marked a new peak of greatness for the band. While 2012's 'The Electric Age' didn't quite match that album it wasn't far behind it. It's main problem was that it followed a classic but it was a stormer in it's own right. Well 'White devil Armory' follow's the standard set by 'Ironbound' it's the sound of a band on top of their game the only way a band can by being together thirty four years.

Their newest member is drummer Ron Lipnicki and even he has been in the band for nearly ten years!. Musically it's Thrash Metal at it's purist. All the member's are on fine form. There are riff's aplenty, thundering drum's all finished off with Bobby Ellsworth's distinctive raspy vocal's. I personally think Overkill are Thrash Metal's equivalent to AC/DC they do exactly what they say on the tin and when your in the mood for them nothing will suffice and 'White devil Armory' is a fine example of Overkill doing what they do. From the superb opener 'Armory' to 'Bitter Pill' which is in the vein of Motorhead to the excellent pace changing 'King of the rat Bastard's'. There are no slow or acoustic songs it's pure Thrash from the opening to the closing notes. Closer 'In the Name' finishes with a slightly cheesy army / crowd chant but it's forgivable.

All in all 'White devil Armory' is a fine example that the oldest Thrash Metal bands are still the most relevant and the best music/// whatever the genre that is being made now. If your new to the band this is as good a place to start as any. The perfect album to drive to! just watch out for speed camera's.