Power in Black gained the band two compilation appearances: "Feel the Fire" was included on New York Metal '84 and "Death Rider" appeared on volume V of Metal Blade Records' Metal Massacre series.
In 1983, the lineup of Verni, Skates, Ellsworth, and Gustafson released the Power in Black demo, a recording that made as much impact in the underground tape trading circuit as demos by then-up-and-coming Bay Area thrash metal bands such as Exodus and Testament. As the band continued to write songs, they became a staple at New York and New Jersey clubs, such as L'Amours. More songs would follow, such as "Death Rider" (1981) and "Rotten to the Core" (1982). It was around this time that the band started writing original songs, including "Grave Robbers" (later renamed "Raise the Dead"), "Overkill", and "Unleash the Beast (Within)". In 1981, the band went through a succession of guitarists after Robert Pisarek left, first being replaced by Dan Spitz and Anthony Ammendola, then Rich Conte and Mike Sherry, before settling with Bobby Gustafson in late 1982/early 1983. Along with the new influx of heavy metal covers, the band still played a smattering of punk covers, with extra distortion, intensity, and speed. By late 1980, the band's setlist was made up of songs by bands such as Motörhead ( Overkill and half of the Ace of Spades album), Judas Priest ("Tyrant" was their closer), and Riot. After rejecting several names, including Virgin Killer, the band finally settled on Overkill, named after Motörhead's second album.Įarly covers, especially those done under the "Virgin Killer" name, were punk songs by the Ramones, the Dead Boys and others. Verni and Skates placed an ad looking for a guitarist and lead singer which was answered by guitarist Robert Pisarek and singer Bobby Ellsworth and the first incarnation of Overkill was formed. Overkill was formed in 1980 by members of the punk band the Lubricunts, which featured bassist D.D. Verni (right) gave vocalist Bobby Ellsworth (left) the nickname "Blitz" due to his over the top lifestyle. History Early years and Feel the Fire (1980–1986) Bassist D.D. Overkill has sold over 16 million records worldwide they are also estimated to have sold more than 625,000 records in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era. during the 2010s, with three of their studio albums released that decade- The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017)-reaching the top 100 on the charts. The band experienced a resurgence of popularity in the U.S.
Following their split from Atlantic in 1995, Overkill went through some label changes, but continued to enjoy moderate underground success, particularly in Europe and Japan. (1994)-were also successful on the Billboard charts, with the latter two cracking the top ten on the Top Heatseekers chart. The band's next five studio albums- Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with its second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987), which peaked at number 191 on the Billboard 200. They were one of the first thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the "Big Four" ( Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament. To date, Overkill has released twenty studio albums, an album of cover songs, two EPs, one demo tape and three live albums. The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly" (a skeletal bat with a skull-like face, horns, bony wings and green eyes) who has appeared on many of their album covers. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, whose one-time lead guitarist Dan Spitz was also an early member of Overkill, the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal. In addition to Verni and Ellsworth, Overkill's current lineup includes Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar and Jason Bittner on drums. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only constant members. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey.
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