Nuclear Blast - 2023
8.5/10
For years, I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my favorite thrash metal band. Since 2000, Overkill have had a questionable career between an entire decade of playing out a stale groove-oriented song and dance, and another decade of reinvention that’s hit or miss. 2014’s The Electric Age may be the only one that truly stands out to me in the latter era, but others have showcased strong moments as well, despite The Wings Of War solidifying their sameness since 2010’s Ironbound. Going into the latest effort Scorched naturally yielded some uncertainties and mild expectations on my end.
Thankfully, Bobby and co. finally delivered something that I’d call a little different from the previous five albums that aren’t bad, but are tough to distinguish to the layman. Most notably, Scorched returns to a doomy tactic that hasn’t been utilized properly since 1991’s Horrorscope. “Twist Of The Wick” injects a lot of this in its embellished center on par with the menacing intro. You also get an almost full-on doom/groove number with “Fever,” and Blitz’s classic snarl goes along well with the stomping nature of “Wicked Place.”
Moreover, the guitar tones themselves feel far less generic, less produced, and not held up by thick “Seinfeld bass” passages (though those are still present at times). The opening title track leaves a pretty strong impression, not feeling entirely derivative, but the solo here has a classic flair that I can’t ignore. “Goin’ Home” boasts similar energy with a steady chorus and sharp leads in the bridge reminiscent of classic Metallica. You also get some chilled energy in “Won’t Be Comin’ Back,” complemented by muscular fret-taps and a rock ‘n roll attitude.
I think this should serve as a lesson to show what can happen if you wait four years instead of trying to get an album out every other year, especially as an old band. Not focusing the album’s entire personality on speed also certainly helped this record out, something that much of their later albums were guilty of. I always say there’s a charm to slower thrash metal songs, and Overkill absolutely makes that clear here, and some serious focus on chops is amped up. It isn’t quite on the same level as the ‘80s records, and it probably could have been a little shorter, but it’s a blatantly clear leap forward from their last effort.
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