Overkill

To remain both modern and relevant is pretty difficult for any band over the course of a single year, much less 25 of 'em. But Jersey's favorite thrash sons, Overkill, make it look easy. "You have to show your roots," vocalist Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth told Noisecreep. "You have to offer something contemporary, and we always have done that. We're self-managed for 15 years. We stay top the wave and see what is going on."

For their next album, 'Ironbound,' the band is now signed to E1 throughout North American territories. Blitz is proud that the album was fully recorded and mixed before the ink was hit the paper on the band's new record deal. "'Ironbound' was fully recorded and mixed and deals were not inked," Blitz beamed. "I suppose you can say you love to do it when you do it without a deal. That, or you are absolutely f---ing insane or you love it. The result of the record, at least when I hear it, is that there are five guys saying, 'Damn the torpedoes! Straight ahead.' It's a testimony to what we've always done, and we did it on our own."

The intensity is turned up a notch on 'Ironbound,' as well. Even though Blitz and his crew, namely longtime partner D.D. Verni, are pushing 50, they play with the same ferocity as when they were young, hungry turks! "There is no identity crisis," Blitz said. "We know what we are. We are working man's band and we're comfortable with our tools on. That presentation is the music. It's a simple end to a non-complex formula. I use the word 'art' sometimes, but this is what we do, man. It is simple for us.

"When everything aligns, you get the right results. You have the vision. I know I am excited when I press play. It's a simple process. The less we complicate the process, the more we get results."

'Ironbound' is in stores in February.

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