The Killing Kind

After treading water for the last couple albums, The Killing Kind marks the beginning of a new era for Overkill. We’ve got another lineup shakeup with Sebastian Marino and Joe Comeau coming on board as the band’s new guitarists, the latter’s experience as the lead singer for Liege Lord offering some particular intrigue. We’re still working within an experimental timeframe but rather than mirroring the previous uncertainties, things are much more adventurous here.

The musicianship certainly sounds invigorated, benefiting from a fuller production and much more enthusiastic playing. This may be the band’s most vocally driven album as having multiple singers allows for more harmonies and even greater emphasis on interplay while Blitz himself leads the charge with some of his most emotionally charged performances to date. Fortunately this doesn’t undermine the other players as the drums have more weight than they have in a while, the bass sits on a healthier level of prominence, and the guitars are chunky without feeling too dry.

This approach also leads to some off-the-wall songwriting throughout the album, but the punchy first half indicates that things have stayed fairly in character. “Battle” is admittedly a quirky start, getting some real mileage from its Batman Returns sample and wacky little ‘yeah’ chime-in’s, but the chugs and chorus are fun. “God-Like” and “Certified” up the ante with some especially furious thrash, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Blitz sound so genuinely pissed off as he does on the latter’s breakdown, and “Let Me Shut That For You” sees some punk attitude in those catchy chants.

Shit gets real weird with the back half as each song feels like its own anomaly. “Bold Face Pagan Stomp” is a borderline rap metal track that really shouldn’t work but that groovy riff lives up to the title and the vocals have a cheeky enough flow to sell the off premise. “Feeding Frenzy” is a bass-driven instrumental that reminds me of Testament’s “Urotsukidōji” and its perfect synergy of wah effects, escalating drums, and supplementary chords makes me wonder where this creative spirit was hiding on W.F.O. I also love the epic splendor of “The Cleansing,” its guitar work suiting the watery feel through its dynamic shifts and its cool to see the vocals go from more rhythmic thrust to climactic choral layers.

Despite a sound that’s worlds away from classic Overkill, The Killing Kind feels like Horrorscope’s true successor. The songwriting can admittedly get disjointed at times but it’s coming from a place of excited spontaneity rather than the unfinished nature of an I Hear Black. It almost seems like they were picking up on what bands like Faith No More were putting down, albeit with a sneering attitude that still sounds like themselves. It’s undeniably an acquired taste but as far as nineties thrash weirdness goes, The Killing Kind is among the best.