The Grinding Wheel is the eighteenth studio album by the American thrash metal band Overkill, released on February 10, 2017. Vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth about the album's style: "At the end of the day, Overkill is Overkill. Our trademark is that we are always recognizable on every release. For the three decades, we have been around we were always Overkill. So sure it is a metal record and like always it will have sort of a thrash vibe to it with some melody in it. It's always best to try to make it better or at least think in your mind that it is going to be better. That becomes the challenge. I think that is what keeps the band rolling. A lot of bands are known for what they have done, but I feel being known for where you are and what you are doing is where true value lies. I feel we accomplished that on the last few albums." The album's title was revealed in an interview with Alternative Nation in August 2016, along with a projected release date of November. It was originally planned to be released in October 2016 before being pushed back a month later; however, the album's release date was pushed back to February 2017 to coincide with their U.S. tour with the Nile. On November 16, 2016, it was announced that The Grinding Wheel was to be released on February 10, 2017, and its artwork and track listing were revealed on the same day. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Blabbermouth.net writer Ray Van Horn Jr. gave the album a rating of nine-and