Overkill (band)

Overkill
Overkill performing in 2024
Background information
Origin	Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal
Discography	Overkill discography
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Megaforce Atlantic CMC Metal-Is Records Spitfire Regain Bodog Entertainment One Music Nuclear Blast Azra/Metal Storm
Members	D.D. Verni Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth Dave Linsk Derek Tailer Jeramie Kling
Past members	Rat Skates Robert "Riff Thunder" Pisarek Anthony Ammendola Dan Spitz Rich Conte Mike Sherry Joe Mark Archibole Bobby Gustafson Sid Falck Rob Cannavino Merritt Gant Tim Mallare Joe Comeau Sebastian Marino Ron Lipnicki Jason Bittner
Website	wreckingcrew.com

Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling as a touring drummer. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, the latter of whom would feature one-time Overkill lead guitarist Dan Spitz,^[1][2] the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM).^[3][4][5] The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly" (a skeletal bat with a skull-like face, horns, bony wings and green eyes) who has appeared on many of their album covers.

Overkill has released twenty studio albums, an album of cover songs, two EPs, one demo tape and three live albums. They were one of the first thrash metal bands to be signed to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to popularity as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament.^[6] Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with its second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987), which peaked at number 191 on the Billboard 200.^[7] The band's next five studio albums—Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. (1994)—were also successful on the Billboard charts, with the latter two entering the top 10 on the Top Heatseekers chart.^[7][8] Following their split from Atlantic in 1995, Overkill went through some label changes, but continued to enjoy moderate underground success, particularly in Europe and Japan.^[9][10] The band experienced a resurgence of popularity in the U.S. during the 2010s, with three of their studio albums released that decade—The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017)—all reaching the top 100 on the charts.^[7] Overkill has sold over 16 million records worldwide; they are also estimated to have sold more than 625,000 records in the U.S. since the beginning of the SoundScan era.^[11][12]