From the Underground and Below

There was a reason I held out so long on reviewing Overkill's oft-abhorred 1997 release From the Underground and Below. To my ears, it has always been one of the most difficult to categorize, right up there with Necroshine. However unlike it's successor, it wasn't so cut and dry whether or not the album was a mess or an overlooked masterwork. Is it either? Not really.

Right off the bat, as usual, I have to address the production. However, this time I'm not bitching. This may be the best produced Overkill release since Horrorscope and until Ironbound; ironic that it came at a time when interest and the band's resources were probably at a record low. These guitars are massive and the drums rumble your core, just listen to the beginning of "It Lives", when the distortion kicks in, or during the groovy breakdown later on. DD Verni is scaled back more than normal, he is still audible, but it isn't much of a loss because his performances during the '90s were lackluster at best anyway. Comeau gets perhaps his biggest chance to shine alongside Blitz on this album, and the vocals are mixed so masterfully sometimes it is difficult to tell the two apart. Knowing the accolades both individuals have as vocalists, this is a huge compliment to both of them.

This is definitely the grooviest Overkill release, so that will probably turn most off at first blush. The way I see it, at least in this case they totally devoted themselves to the sound, instead of trying to please everybody. This is commendable, but doesn't necessarily mean the material is all searing or memorable. Blitz's voice on here is just...inhuman. His performance falls most in line with Necroshine, which isn't a bad thing at all. His voice sounds monstrous and the sense of rotten evil pervades every single vocal line save for the really out-of-character ballad "Promises". Comeau and Marino honestly never had much to work with during their tenure with the group due to factors mostly out of their control, but the riffs are passable. There are moments of overt thrashing, but they mostly settle into a mid-paced chug that still carries the day fairly well. There are even some great solos, like on the aforementioned "Promises". Finally, while I constantly bash Tim Mallare, I have to admit that he delivers a commendable performance on the kit here, with enough variety to keep things from getting stale. Definitely one of his best performances during his twelve-year tenure.

Despite all of these positives, many of the tracks in the middle of the album tend to blur together in trademark Overkill fashion. Ironically, just like on The Years of Decay, the first three tracks are the best of the bunch. "Half Past Dead" and "Little Bit o' Murder" are both worth a spin as well. "The Rip n' Tear" is pretty fun, albeit uncharacteristic for even someone like Blitz who is just full of surprises. Don't miss that one. Now don't misunderstand me, From the Underground and Below is still very much an acquired taste, but for '97 this kicks plenty of ass and shouldn't be disregarded by any fan of The 'Kill.