Overkill – “The Wings of War” [Album Review]

The Wings of War is the nineteenth studio album from a band that has been grinding it out for almost forty years. At the risk of dating myself, I’ll own up to having been a fan of the group since the beginning, after seeing them in the local club scene before they took on the world. With that being said, I could not wait to dig into this disc, especially since the addition of seasoned metal drummer Jason Bittner.

“Last Man Standing” kicks things off in true Overkill fashion with a killer riff, thrashing drums, and Bobby Blitz’s signature screech setting the tone for the rest of the record. These guys don’t stray far from their wheelhouse, but honestly, when you are this good at what you do, why would you?

The remaining nine tracks are some of the best the band has done; perhaps the addition of Bittner added a breath of fresh air. Whatever the case, these ten songs are some of the best punk-infused metal of the group’s career and bangers like “Head of a Pin” and “Hole in My Soul” could quite possibly become Overkill classics. Along with “Rotten to the Core” and “Overkill”, they are thrashy, punky, in-your-face tunes that work off great riffs and contain some of Blitz’s best performances of late. And, as a random but cool touch, “Welcome to the Garden State” begins with a spoken word intro from The Sopranos that adds a bit of humour to the heavy ode to the band’s home state of New Jersey.

Bobby Blitz may one day be thrash metal’s “Last Man Standing”.

I am one hundred percent positive that fans of the band are going to totally dig this record, and I honestly feel that if you are not familiar with the guys this is a great place to jump in and join the Wrecking Crew. Nineteen records in and Overkill is still kicking ass!

The Wings of War Track Listing:

01. Last Man Standing
02. Believe in the Fight
03. Head of a Pin
04. Batshitcrazy
05. Distortion
06. A Mother’s Prayer
07. Welcome to the Garden State
08. Where Few Dare to Walk
09. Out on the Road-Kill
10. Hole in My Soul

Run Time: 51:07
Release Date: February 22, 2019
Record Label: Nuclear Blast