OVERKILL
ReliXIV - Spitfire
By Fizz
Rating: 8.5
Overkill is a band that sometimes gets a bad rap. Their detractors (who are noticeably fewer than for many other longtime thrash bands) like to say “Oh, Overkill never changes, they make the same record again and again.” While it is certainly true that Overkill’s music is instantly recognizable, and is still as consistently heavy as ever (which is precisely what their legions of fans love about them), you can’t say they haven’t changed. Play 1989’s Years of Decay, and then slap on the new release, ReliXIV. Yep, Overkill have definitely changed. They’ve slowed down a bit. They groove more than they thrash. But you still get those signature vocals from Blitz Ellsworth, and that same rumbling bass of DD Verni, and the riffs are no less bruising.
ReliXIV (pronounced “Relics Fourteen”) comes on the heels of 2003’s stellar Killbox 13, and offers much the same type of fare. As a general rule though, the riffs seem to involve more fretwork, rather than Killbox’s steady hammering on one or two chords. This could be attributed to new guitarist Derek Tailer. Meanwhile, longtime guitarist Dave Linsk (he's been with the band for a few years now, which constitutes an eternity in Kill-time) continues to bust out punchy solos that are both creative and to the point.
Just looking at the song titles, you find yourself scratching your head a little. The first two tracks are called “Within Your Eyes” and “Love.” Is Blitz mellowing in his old age? Nah. “Within Your Eyes” is much the same type of opener as was the excellent “Devil by the Tail.” Hell, to be totally honest, it sounds like Blitz is even using some of the same vocal patterns as on that song. Regardless, it’s still a great, energetic track, after we finally dispense with the slow, building intro (the first few seconds of which are definitely ……… odd). “Love” kicks the pace up another notch, while still managing to sound similar to the faster second half of “Devil by the Tail.” The problem here is that there are occasional sudden stops, where Blitz tries to sing, accompanied by some clean guitar picking. Now despite his (deserved) reputation as a screecher, Blitz can, in fact, sing clearly and fairly well. He just doesn’t show it on this song, and the effect of these interludes ends up being distracting.
The simplistic but contagious rhythms of “Loaded Rack” (cool title as well) finally offers a respite from “Devil by the Tail Parts II and III,” with some flanger-tinged guitarwork and a memorable chorus. Once it gets going, this is also one of the more creative riffs on the record.
Maybe you were starting to wonder where the THRASH has gone. True, the first few songs do have their swift moments, but there’s not as much of the sort of sheer speed as on the band’s early releases. Halfway through ReliXIV, however, Overkill delivers a surprise punch to the kidneys, in the form of “A Pound of Flesh. Double bass drums? Lightning-fast riffs? All here, gang. Blitz has mentioned that this song is a bit anachronistic, and as the tune careens along toward it’s finish, you start to agree with him: it DOES sound a little out of place amid all themore groove-oriented tunes that dominate the release. Still not a bad song, and a nice change of pace. Especially ear-catching is the machine-like pummeling of the midsection.
The two top highlights hail from right around this point. “Keeper” features some nasty-ass harmonics in the riff, that almost sound like a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell. The battering-ram verses and chanted chorus (not a little reminiscent of “Damned” from the last album) don’t hurt either. But the absolute, A-1 track here is “Bats In the Belfry.” This one has “radio hit” written all over it. That chorus! “Bats! In the belfry! Bats!” It’ll have you jumping around the room like an idiot. Although some might see this song as too “commercial,” it’s the song I find myself most coming back to.
I realize there are a lot of you who don’t like groove in your metal. You’re probably rather have it all be thrashing along with the pedal firmly mashed. If that’s the case, you probably aren’t going to think ReliXIV is so great. And you’re probably going to be cringeing all throughout the slow, lurching headbang of “Wheelz,” and not just from the title. This is easily the grooviest song here, and probably the grooviest of the band’s entire catalog, and by groovy, I don’t mean, “Whoa, groovy, man!” The thick bottom-end keeps things thundering along steadily, and if the sound makes you think of any kind of vehicle, it’s probably going to be a very large truck, rather than a motorcycle or hot-rod.
For quite a while now, every Overkill has had at least one song with strong Black Sabbath overtones, and this one is no exception. Here, the doomy sounds surface in the slow-down second half of “The Mark.” Unfortunately, this section goes on too long and is too repetitive, and Blitz overenunciates worse than Dio. This hasn’t been my favorite facet of Overkill’s music anyway. “Play the Ace” picks things back up again, with a groove (yes, another one) that approaches the infectiousness of “Bats” and “Wheelz,” before accelerating dramatically for the last half.
The first song I heard off this album was the punk novelty “Old School,” which closes the offering. It definitely wasn’t what I wanted to hear from a new Overkill record, but since it’s the last track, it doesn’t get in the way too much. Actually, after hearing it a few dozen times on XM’s Boneyard, I can honestly say I like the song for what it is: a lighthearted little tune about metal pride and longevity and the good ol’ times we all used to have and how we’re all still here, dammit: Overkill to make the music, and we, the fans, to continue enjoying it.
As I hear it, there are two main flaws with ReliXIV. I have already referred to numerous parts of songs that tend to sound recycled from the last couple of releases. This is mainly in regard to certain vocal patterns, the way words are phrased and arranged, and to several of the choruses. The other drawback is that a lot of the songs seem to have sections that don’t add anything to the track, aside from another couple of minutes we didn’t really need. Blitz has made a big point over the last couple years of how Overkill are about “simplicity and impact.” So how come many of these songs are still over five minutes long, often unnecessarily? Even the would-be radio hit, “Bats In the Belfry,” is begging for a shortened radio edit, one that would omit about a minute and a half between the second chorus and the solo.
In more general notes, as I believe I may have mentioned a time or two, there is less thrash and more lurch, although the overall pace is slightly faster than Killbox 13. Production continues to be stellar, with each instrument clear and distinct. Gang-style vocals are used a bit more than on recent records, and Blitz himself sounds exactly like you would expect him to. On the whole, if you liked Killbox, you’ll like ReliXIV. If you didn’t, well, you’d do well to find another use for your $15.
Best songs: “Bats In the Belfry,” “Keeper”
Worst song: “The Mark”
