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OVERKILL @ The Chance, Poughkeepsie, New York - 10/19/07 |
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Posted: 10/20/07Reviewed by: Dirt Category: Thrash Metal Live Performance Date: 10/19/07 Label URL: www.newbodogmusic.com Artist URL: www.wreckingcrew.com | |
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At 11:45 PM on Friday night, dry ice encompassed the stage at The Chance, a long running rock club in Poughkeepsie, New York. The lights went out and vocalist Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth, bassist D.D. Verni, guitarist Dave Linsk, guitarist Derek Tailer, and drummer Ron Lipnicki entered the stage shrouded in the mist and darkness. Launching into "New Machine" from 1991's Horrorscope, I could tell that this was going to be one helluva an evening. Blitz was clearly ready to ....kill! The man sports an incredibly ripped physique, and has clearly held on to his youth, while the rest of us guys have developed pot bellies and lost our hair. Bastard! After the audience moshed in the pit to "It Lives" (a killer track that appeared on From The Underground And Below), Blitz addressed the crowd - "Well, what do we have here? It looks like a 100% bonafide metal show! God bless your dirty little hearts for keeping this alive."
The last time I had seen Overkill was in April 2005, when the band was supporting their last release, RelixIV. For that show, the band was relegated to The Loft, a much smaller club that's part of The Chance Entertainment Complex. Much was different this time - the crowd was ten times larger, the band had tee-shirts to sell (including one that said "Get Your Own Fucking Logo" - a slap in the face to Avenged Sevenfold who have stolen Chaly Overkill's mascot for their logo), and their stage set included a cool backdrop with the Overkill logo. Plus, best of all, the mix/sound was the best I've heard of the four times that I've seen the band. Usually, Blitz gets somewhat drowned out by the guitars and bass. This time, every lyric was clearly heard.
The setlist was different than the last time I had seen them as well. While "Wrecking Crew," "Rotten To The Core," "Elimination," and "Fuck You" were expected, I was surprised at the three songs performed from From The Underground And Below ("F.U.C.T.," "Long Time Dyin'," and "It Lives"). FTUAB is a favorite of mine and clearly the band is fond of it as well. Only "Skull And Bones" and "Walk Through Fire" were performed from Immortalis, the band's new album (although Blitz slightly exaggerated when he said it was the band's "45th record"), both of which went over very well with the frenzied pit.
The performance ran smoothly except for when Blitz ordered some chick to "hit the fucking road...there's no murdering anyone at my fucking shows." Apparently, she wrapped one of the band's monitor cables around another women's neck. After security (slowly) removed the crazy woman from the the venue, Blitz described the incident as "a slight little detour."
These guys are professionals all the way around and it's always fun to listen to Blitz's between song banter. He supports the idea of camaraderie that heavy metal fans have, stating, "There's nothing wrong with growing old, as long as you have good friends to do it with and have a common goal!" And his tongue-in-cheek humor always comes through, especially when he said, "This shit's making me feel like I'm 45 again. I'm living my younger days."
While I sing the praises of Mr. Blitz, the rest of the band kicked major ass as well. D.D. Verni (sans braided pony tail) is a huge part of the Overkill power and aggressive backing vocals (and he has the coolest looking basses in the business). The guitar team of Tailer and Linsk complement each other nicely and seem to jam out the power chord riffs and solos with ease. Ron Lipnicki is a fine (and heavy hitting) replacement for a missed Tim Mallare.
The Bloody Truth: I thought it was gutsy for them to not play "Hello From The Gutter," a song I am sure they are sick of. As Blitz said at the close of the show, "I think we can put the stamp of success on this evening." Overkill was on fire, delivering a killer metal performance. These guys are the real deal and in my mind are as vital today as they were in the 80s - in fact, I'd say they have gotten better with age. They have maintained their honesty and kept their fingers on what and who they are. They have never sold out or chased a trend. Lyrically, Blitz still has the ability to put rebellious lyrics together that are metal to the max. Vocally, his delivery was as frenzied, gut-wrenching, and vicious as could be hoped for - few vocalists have his unique style, much less his intensity. The band was powerful, tight, and the sound was clear but loud! Who could ask for much more. See them if they hit your town or state or nearby state (yes, you should drive several hours to see them!)
SETLIST 01) New Machine 02) It Lives 03) Rotten To The Core 04) The Wait - New High In Lows 05) Skull And Bones 06) Thanx For Nothing 07) Necroshine 08) Skullkrusher 09) Long Time Dyin' 10) Hammerhead 11) Walk Through Fire 12) Wrecking Crew 13) F.U.C.T 14) Old School -------------------------- Encore 15) Elimination 16) Fuck You
Read our interview with Bobby Blitz from March 2005 here.
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