Overkill Bassist D.D. Verni to Drop Cameo-Filled Solo Album ‘Barricade’

Overkill co-founder, bassist and primary songwriter, D.D. Verni will release his debut solo album, Barricade, on Oct. 12, but don't expect Overkill Mach II. Verni reached far beyond old-school thrash for the new release.

"There's some metal, punk, and classic rock... it's all in there, from Queen to Green Day to Metallica. I think we covered all the bases," he wrote on Facebook.

Verni decided to record a solo album after stockpiling songs that weren't suitable for either Overkill or his other band The Bronx Casket Co. "The material was kinda metal and kinda rock and kinda punk, so those really are my basic influences," he explains. "In Overkill, I take all that background and funnel it into our thrash sound, but these songs were not thrash but a combination of the other stuff."

Verni added that there was no point in releasing a straightforward thrash record since he doesn't think he could raise the bar on the songs he's done for Overkill. "I just don't think it could be any better," he wrote. "The fun is trying new shit and seeing where it goes for me."

To add to the diversity of the album, Verni hired a variety of established guitar players to perform guest spots. Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, ex-Nevermore), Angus Clark (Trans Siberian Orchestra), Jeff Waters (Annihilator), Bruce Franklin (Trouble), Mike Romeo (Symphony X), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Steve Leonard (Almost Queen), and Andre "Virus" Karkos (Dope) all appear on Barricade. Ex-Overkill drummer Ron Lipnicki, who played in the band from 2005 to 2017, also guests on the record.

Verni pointed out that he could have played all the instruments on Barricade, but he decided it might be more interesting to work with guest musicians. One of his greatest advocates agreed: "My wife was hearing me thinking out loud and basically said, 'Why don't you just call some guys whose work you like and see if they would be interested?' And so that's what I did."

Check out the revved-up lyric video for "Fire Up" in the player above.

D.D. Verni, Barricade Track Listing + Artwork

01. Fire Up
02. Miracle Drug
03. Off My Leash
04. (We are) The Broken Ones
05. Lost in the Underground
06. The Party of No
07. Night of the Swamp King
08. We Were Young
09. Slow My Ride
10. Heaven Calling

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