What it is, however, is a snapshot of one of the few old-school thrash bands that has actually gotten better with time rather than collapsing under the weight of their own success/excess, giving the listener a look at one of the original heavy hitters of metal who are still at the top of their game and only getting heavier. To be clear, Ironbound isn’t a boldly experimental work or a masterpiece of unfiltered musical virtuosity, and a younger generation of metal fan might not be able to fully appreciate what it represents. Even after 30 years and an unfortunate stroke, Ellsworth’s voice is clear and dominant, giving him a commanding presence amongst the excellent guitar work. Sure, their later catalog veered more into mid-paced groove territory, but the thrash spirit never dissipated. Ironbound shouldn’t be defined as a return to form because Overkill never really strayed from their roots to begin with. Another high point is Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s singing. This is precisely what Overkill does on their sixteenth studio album, Ironbound. On the titular “Ironbound,” guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer deliver a massive, chugging riff that manages to be intense without ever indulging in meat-headed aggression. With a classic combination of crunchy riffage backed by a furious double-bass drum stampede, Overkill delivers straightforward metal aggression without any neo-classical or prog pretensions. While the album may not have any studio trickery or meandering prog epics, what it does deliver is a dose of old-fashioned, full-speed-ahead thrash. While modern bands have been taking metal into an increasingly esoteric direction, Ironbound shows that sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Paradoxically, most come in the later half.Over the course of 15 albums and a 30-year career, Overkill have proven time and time again that they’re one of the most relentlessly enduring bands in thrash metal. Speedsters, start to finish? Just a few (Hey, the guys are over 50 now!), try old school metal of ‘Bring Me The Night’, ‘Endless War’, ‘In Vain’ or ‘The SRC’ (Subterranean Resistance Cult). Anyone concerned about Blitz’ voice need only hear the vintage yelps within ‘The Green And Black’ and ‘Ironbound’ to allay such (nonsensical) fears. Back in the early days of Feel the Fire, when tape-trading was the way to market yourself in a glam-metal dominated era. Particularly noteworthy nuances are the almost acoustic/bluesy guitar segment within ‘Ironbound’, a spoken narrative delivery in ‘Killing For A Living’ and the multi-voice ‘Give A Little’ (gang chorus and Danzig crooning). 30 Years and 14 Albums Down the Line, Ironbound is far from OVERKILL. (Hell, it’s been twenty five years, there’s bound to be some “heard it before” moments). Overkill Ironbound I finally get Overkill Horns up Awesome metal, great. However, there are fresh elements, albeit subtly, amongst the OverKill trademarks: punk, NWOBHM (soloing and Maidenish guitars of ‘Endless War’), thrash, etc. Songs: The Green and Black, Ironbound, Bring Me the Night, The Goal Is Your Soul, Give a Little, Endless War. Most relevant reviews The type of sonic gem that metalheads love to mine out. If anything, the staccato riffage recalls W.F.O. Incorrect, as the sludgy heaviness of said platter is absent those tracks, as well as anywhere else on Ironbound (brief breakdown on the second aforementioned tune?). The fact both rousing 8:14 lead track ‘The Green And Black’ and ‘The Goal Is Your Soul’ begin with DD Verni’s solo bass notes has given way to pre-release Internet buzz claiming there’s an I Hear Black vibe. However vehemently he denies it, NJ landmarks have once again subconsciously crept into the OverKill lexicon: Ironbound (the restaurant district of Newark that also sports the Devils’ new hockey arena). I’ve long joked with Blitz that ‘In Union We Stand’ refers to the Jersey city of the same name, a short drive from their old (Bridge?) stomping grounds.
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