Keeper - mp3

What else can you say about Overkill that hasn't already been said? In seems every review from the band, from every source, starts out the same way: The boys from New Jersey have delivered yet again, picking up right where they left off, staying true to the chunky thrash metal they've forged for virtually their entire careers. While repetitous, it's true -- and it's also very commendable. I mean, think about it -- how many bands can you name that have ten to fifteen releases, and really haven't had any stinkers? Any letdowns? How many bands have simply churned onward, year after year, with two years being the maximum amount of time they've ever had between albums? So here we stand yet again, praising the continuity, aggression, and metal "balls" of Overkill. As it should be.
Within 'ReliXIV' (pronounced "relics") you can heard shades of 'Necroshine,' 'I Hear Black,' and maybe shades of slower 'Horrorscope'; though again, the band's sound spans decades, not just a couple of releases. This disc is not as through-and-through attacking as the previously-released 'Killbox 13,' instead sporting a slightly thicker feels in places. This does not stop it from being a tasty release, with plenty of tracks that will slay when played live.
The chunky and building "Keeper" has a cranking chorus, with "Wheelz" being a steady and methodical treat. "A Pound of Flesh" is fast and thrashy, with "The Mark" following suit.
"The Ace" has some dark grinding, all of "Within Your Eyes," "Love," and "Loaded Rack," are good, and the band nods its head to the past with "Old School," a piece with a very punk-feel to it. It's different, but a ton of drinking-song fun, though.
As with almost all the Overkill albums of the past, this rating is subject to improve slightly over time...

TRACK LIST: Within Your Eyes/Love/Loaded Rack/Bats in the Belfry/A Pound of Flesh/Keeper/Wheelz/The Mark/The Ace/Old School