Overkill – Taking Over

Sort of FEEL THE FIRE Part 2

Released in 1987, TAKING OVER is the second full-length album by New Jersey's Overkill, although the band considers it their third release since they count their eponymous EP from 1985 as their first album. In any case, early Overkill sound like a meshing of Priest, Accept and Maiden intensified to the level of thrash.

The opener “Deny the Cross” naturally sounds like it’s anti-Christian, which explains why band mastermind (at the time) Rat Skates said he found the title stupid and embarrassing. Naturally he asked singer Bobby Blitz what the interesting-but-ambiguous lyrics were about and Blitz simply said, “Don’t put yourself in a position to get crucified,” which Skates accepted. Despite the questionable title, it is one of the standout songs on this album highlighted by an energetic and thrashy main riff and catchy chorus.

The second song, the frantic “Wrecking Crew,” is one of Overkill’s defining cuts, yet “In Union We Stand” is easily the most memorable and ‘hit’ of the opus. “Fear His Name” and closer “Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues) are other favorites, both including hints of early Maiden. Meanwhile “Use Your Head” features some frank and amusing lyrics.

Speaking of which, the band’s penchant for including peculiar parts to offset the composition is one of their best qualities and continues to this day, as observed on THE WINGS OF WAR (2019).

Needless to say, this album and FEEL THE FIRE (1985) are classics that showed the band's youthful energy, not to mention their first four 80's albums with guitarist Bobby Gustafson set a solid foundation. Yet I honestly feel the band improved in years to come with albums like THE KILLING KIND (1996), FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND BELOW (1997), KILLBOX 13 (2003), the aforementioned THE WINGS OF WAR and the unjustly maligned I HEAR BLACK (1993), to say nothing of W.F.O (1994).

The nine songs clock-in at 45.5 minutes.

GRADE: B/B+