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Artist
Overkill
12+ albums
thrash metalspeed metalheavy metalmetalthrash
about
Overkill is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in New Jersey. The group has undergone numerous line-up changes, with bassist D. D. Verni and vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth remaining the only original members. The band has been associated with the East Coast thrash metal scene alongside groups such as Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, and their musical style has been influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal. A recurring visual element in the band’s imagery is their mascot “Chaly”, a skeletal bat-like figure that has appeared on many of their releases. Overkill were among the early thrash metal bands to sign with a major label, joining Atlantic Records in 1986. They gained wider recognition during the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, contemporaneous with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus and Testament. The band achieved their first chart success with their second studio album "Taking Over" (1987), which entered the Billboard 200. Subsequent releases including "Under the Influence" (1988), "The Years of Decay" (1989), "Horrorscope" (1991), "I Hear Black" (1993) and "W.F.O." (1994) also charted in the United States. After parting ways with Atlantic Records in 1995, Overkill continued recording and touring, maintaining a presence particularly in Europe and Japan. During the 2010s, albums such as "The Electric Age" (2012), "White Devil Armory" (2014) and "The Grinding Wheel" (2017) marked a renewed level of chart succe
