Overkill - Under The Influence - guest review
Overkill - Under The Influence - guest review
Tracklist
01. Shred02. Never Say Never
03. Hello From The Gutter
04. Mad Gone World
05. Brainfade
06. Drunken Wisdom
07. End Of The Line
08. Head First
09. Overkill III (Under The Influence)
Guest review by
DayFly December 10, 2008
On the more positive side, Bobby Ellsworth's vocals, while still sounding more the work of a capable singer rather than of an archetypal thrash metal shouter, have a nastier, rougher edge to them. His (even through snarls) light-hearted sounding delivery adds a dose of freshness many other thrash bands were lacking. The perhaps only real complaint is the at times rather chaotic and sloppy playing by guitarist Bobby Gustavson. This may very well be a matter of taste (after all many well known bands such as Kreator and Sodom played far sloppier) but I personally prefer a more precise approach.
And lastly the compositions are far more unified and focused. Which makes it hard to discern real highlight as, two or perhaps three notable exceptions aside, the songs hardly leave a lasting impression on their own. "Hello From the Gutter" is a real monster and most likely the reason why you will be buying this album. The catchy and yet powerful and intense main riff makes it easily one if the most accessible and memorable thrash metal songs ever written. The other obvious highlight is the concert favourite album opener "Shred", which is a fitting way of introducing the listener to Overkill's new sound.
The remaining tracks are not without merit, for instance the the bass line of "Head First" is great, despite clanking, and the chorus of "End of the Line" is quite nice as well, but still "Under the Influence" is the weakest of the first five Overkill records, only hinting at the quality yet to come.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by DayFly | December 10, 2008
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 383 Written by Growing on 09.04.2010 at 20:40 Because the whole is more than the sum of it's parts. The album is reasonably good during it's running time but does not leave much impression afterwards. Since Overkill (and plenty of other thrash metal bands) released albums without that deficiency Under the Influence got a lower rating.
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Posts: 90 Quote:Quote: OK,i understand.
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NO way 6.4 is a joke of a rating Overkill is one off my favorite bands this is one of their best albums 8.5 out of 10
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Don't agree with the rating, it's a great album...different from the previous two albums, but still pretty amazing. Very heavy, fast...and definitely sick in his concept. greets, AndMetalForAll
---- greets, kual21
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Posts: 3593
I am with you. I love overkill, but this album is average.
---- Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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