Live from OZ

Cool live EP included with some of the deluxe editions of The Electric Age, Live from OZ serves as a potent reminder that Overkill still slay up close and personal, and are perhaps more technically sound than ever. Stage presence aside (the band can never come close to their '91-'93 form), Linsk's unfaltering and comprehensive mastery of his instrument makes some of these recent live offerings like the 6 Songs EP such a surprisingly fresh and varied take on what have long been classic thrash anthems. Only four tracks to choose from here though, and sadly only one of them is from the arguably classic Overkill era. Does this kill it for me? Well, that depends...

Anyway, to start we get the monumental, bound-in-iron juggernaut that is the title track from Horrorscope! Riding that escalating flurry of straight up jaw pulverizing, fret-liquifying morass, it delivers all one should expect in the live arena and more. Linsk mixes it up by including some pinch harmonics during the verses, but studio tempo is retained and Blitz tries to recapture his smoother singing voice of old. Twenty additional years of smoking still makes its mark concerning the vitriol he so generously radiates compared to the original permutation of the song, but his performance on Horrorscope itself was pretty fucking indignant to begin with, so it ends up falling very close to the studio version of the song and is a great transposition. Then we get the alcohol-fueled groover from From the Underground and Below, "Long Time Dyin." The strongest track on that album behind "It Lives," this one has always been a real pit-churner live and has been a setlist staple for going on twenty years now. For some reason they cut out the bluesy lead the song opens with, which I don't necessarily agree with since you can tell it was still present for the performance, the track just starts right before the drums come in. Linsk interjects some harmonies not present on the original version, and it works just like it always has. One of the stronger individual cuts from Overkill's late '90s output.

Speaking of the late '90s, the title track of Necroshine comes next. This one is often cited as a fan favorite, and while it is clearly a standout on the otherwise below-average album it calls home, it also runs far too long. Just like "Thunderhead" along with a number of other tracks from that particular period before Killbox 13, it could use a few minutes shaved off. Anyway, Blitz sounds appreciably inhuman, and he actually pulls off that one scream during the verses that is in cadence with the rhythm section. No idea how he can even manage that one anymore. Then we end on an arguably low note with "Walk Through Fire," which represents the worst Overkill record ever: Immortalis. A cause for concern for sure, and while there are countless better options out there, this song is a somewhat rare case as it translates fairly well live. The classic-sounding riffs and overall vibe just clicks for me, and it makes sense that this one has remained in their set throughout the last few years.

So it isn't horrible, all things considered. This is a pretty clinically delivered live EP, so we don't get much crowd presence or any banter from Blitz at all between songs. Live from OZ was included as a freebie with certain versions of The Electric Age and was released on vinyl as a collector's piece. Considering that, I suppose it is worth a purchase if you need to own everything Overkill. All of these songs exist on more complete live outings like Wrecking Everything and Live at Wacken Open Air 2007 though, so I don't think this really stands out on its own at all. It is nice to be reminded that there are some solid tracks from the band's groovier period along with the fact that Blitz is still as manic as ever live, but I can probably do without this on the whole personally. Nicely presented sonically, but unnecessary, I'll consider myself impartial on this one. Thus, it gets an even score.