29-year veterans of thrash, I believe they are sacred for every true metalhead. This new missile from the legends who signed with Nuclear Blast is as aggressive as it should be, delivering no less than hard-hitting, headbanging fuel that won’t let you down.
As a starting note, it’s typically a high-tempo Overkill album, far from monotonous — after the fastest riff, a slow arpeggio comes in, followed by an Overkill chaos that would make ghost thrashers mosh in your room, snatching your mind away (yes, they still manage to pull this off).
The sound is the most modern standard compared to Overkill’s previous works. Song lengths average around 5 minutes, classic style. The songs are more complex compared to Overkill’s 90s or even 2000s era. Blitz’s vocals show no decline despite his age; vocal parts still maintain a master-class professionalism on this album (as if I expected otherwise haha).
As I said before, there’s less groove and more adrenaline pumped by speed on Ironbound (by the way, there’s probably no fool still waiting for a new From The Underground). Ron Lipnicki is very successful on drums, and while listening, you can’t help but think about the kick sound that will explode together with palm-muted riffs at next year’s concert (ahhh).
Thrash’s raw aggression obviously can’t compare to Overkill of the 80s. But here we have a still successful album that avoids repeating itself, uncompromising and far from trends, a worthy Overkill.
The guitars continue in a style parallel to their 2000s albums but with a bit more variation. The guitarist factor isn’t that influential anyway, since DD Verni father writes the songs. There’s naturally an adult-oriented feel due to age, but listening brings some nostalgia. Sometimes you drift back to the 80s, other times to the 90s. The relatively more backgrounded bass legend DD might be the only downside of the album.
Give a Little, Bring Me the Night, In Vain, Ironbound, Endless War are the more satisfying tracks from the second half of the album. The album finishes off with The SRC (Subterranean Resistance Cult).
Open the album and take your medicine. Let it flow through your veins.