Album Review: Overkill – The Wings of War (Nuclear Blast)

It’s with over 30 years under their leather belts that the New Jersey natives are prepared to unveil their latest offering: The Wings of War.

With 10 tracks and fifty-one minutes long, their 19th full length album is the ultimate combination of sickening brutality and addictive melody. With the fresh addition of seasoned drummer Jason Bittner (ex-Shadows Fall, Flotsam and Jetsam, Stigmata), Overkill is experiencing a new chemistry this time around.

The writing was funnelled through its familiar foundation, but now had a fresh influence and energy that inspired the entire band. “We’ve never had an identity crisis,” says frontman Bobby Blitz, “but we still like raising an eyebrow from time to time!”

Overkill’s The Wings of War will be released on February 22nd 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Still thrashing as hard as ever, Overkill’s The Wings of War is ten tracks of frantic and frenetic heavy metal. Screeching riffs, hyper percussion and sharp vocals, they get things started in a smashing way with Last Man Standing. A track with so much energy it threatens to derail, crashing and burning but manages to keep things on track just about.

A solid start, Believe in the Fight is a step up thanks to the spitfire delivery of the evil sounding vocals and a wicked guitar solo. This is a track that belongs alongside the greats of Overkill’s back catalogue.

In fact overall The Wings of War can proudly sit alongside the likes of Horrorscope and The Years of Decay. The fire in the thrash metal band still burns very brightly and there isn’t a moment where they slow things down until Bat Shit Crazy, of all tracks. Here we get a brief drop into gothic sounding melody and whispered vocals before it erupts.

The head-banging gold continues into the meaty riffs of Distortion. The excitable A Mother’s Prayer and the punky ode to the Garden State. Before Where Few Dare to Walk lays on some atmosphere with a slower-tempo bassy number that is filled with threat and warning.

The middle section of Overkill’s The Wings of War is simply fantastic and it’s a pleasure to see the high quality doesn’t drop for even a second. The return of the thrash giants wraps up with a very traditional sounding Overkill track, Out on the Road-Kill. Frantically hyper, it’s as traditional as you’re going to get here. Before Hole in My Soul asks for one last gargantuan effort of wild head-banging and circle pitting to see things out.

Do it.

The return of Overkill is as good as you could ever possibly hope it to be. Hot and heavy thrash metal.

Overkill – The Wings of War Full Track Listing:

1. Last Man Standing
2. Believe in the Fight
3. Head of a Pin
4. Bat Shit Crazy
5. Distortion
6. A Mother’s Prayer
7. Welcome to the Garden State
8. Where Few Dare to Walk
9. Out on the Road-Kill
10. Hole in My Soul

The Wings of War will be available via all major streaming services and can be ordered now via Nuclear Blast here.