OVERKILL: Taking Over LP 1987 German issue. SIGNED / Autographed by Bobby Gustafson + d.d Verni. Check video “In Union We Stand” and audio + video reviews of this album.

Description

Studio album by Overkill
Released 1987
Recorded September December 1986
Pyramid Sound Studios,
Ithaca, New York, USA
Genre Thrash metal, Speed metal
Length 45:22
Label Megaforce Records
Producer Alex Perialas

Taking Over is the second album by thrash metal band Overkill, released by Megaforce Records in 1987. The album, was the last to feature Rat Skates on drums, who would leave the band later that year. Taking Over reached #191 on the Billboard 200. “In Union We Stand” was the song which was chosen to be Overkill’s first music video. Another European tour followed the release of Taking Over, this time opening for Helloween.

All music, lyrics and arrangements by Overkill
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth: vocals / Bobby Gustafson: guitar /   D.D. Verni: bass, backing vocals   /  Rat Skates: drums

Label: Megaforce Worldwide ‎– 781 735-1, Atlantic ‎– 781 735-1
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Europe
Released: 1987
Genre:  Thrash
Tracklist
A1 Deny The Cross 4:42
A2 Wrecking Crew 4:30
A3 Fear His Name 5:23
A4 Use Your Head 4:18
A5 Fatal If Swallowed 6:44
B1 Powersurge 4:34
B2 In Union We Stand 4:23
B3 Electro-Violence 3:43
B4 Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues) 7:05

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Megaforce Records, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Phonographic Copyright (p) – WEA International Inc.
Copyright (c) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Copyright (c) – WEA International Inc.

Engineer – Alex Perialas,  Executive-Producer – Jon Zazula,  Producer – Alex Perialas, Over Kill*

Includes a poly-lined printed inner sleeve with lyrics & credits.

Recorded and mixed at: Pyramid Sound, Ithaca, N.Y., Sept.-Dec. 1986.
Mastered at: Frankford Wayne.

All lyrics © 1987 Zazmar Music Co./Blood & Iron Music Co. BMI.

On labels:
℗ + © 1987 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Made in Germany by WEA Musik GmbH.

On back cover:
℗ 1987 Megaforce Records, Inc. © 1987 Atlantic Recording Corporation.
Manufactured in Germany by Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf. Pressé en Allemagne par Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, machine-stamped): R/S Alsdorf 781735-1-A
Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, machine-stamped): R/S Alsdorf 781735-1-B >UK<
Barcode (As printed): 0 7567-81735-1 6
Barcode (Scanned, UPC A): 075678173516
Label Code: LC 0121
Rights Society: GEMA / BIEM
Other (Distribution code, France:): WE 381
Other (Price code): Ⓤ

Kicking off with the brutal riffing of “Deny The Cross”, the band make it obvious that in no way have they compromised, if anything they’ve got heavier! “Wrecking Crew” is next, the best song on side one, with brilliant guitar work from Bobby Gustafson. Powerful rifferama as always, and a great solo which rips the speakers to tatters. Mr. Gustafson pisses all over most of the so-called guitar heroes, most of whom can’t write a song to save their lives. But no way are OVERKILL a one-man band, the crunching rhythms are an essential part of their sound and are ably provided by D.D. Verni on bass and Rat Skates on drums.
“Fear His Name” and “Use Your Head” are next up, both good songs delivered strongly, the latter featuring the great chorus line “You, you’ve got a lot to learn, you heads up your ass!” Great! The last song on side one is a re-recorded version of “Fatal If Swallowed” from their EP of a couple of years ago, and this is a far superior version.
Over on to side two, “Powersurge” has a catchy chorus and a great bass intro while “Electro-Violence” has some speedy riffing and shouted backing vocals. But vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth has such a distinctive voice that when combined with the guitar of Gustafson it gives OVERKILL their own sound which makes them one of the few bands that are instantly recognisable. “In Union We Stand” is a classic chant in the style of JUDAS PRIEST’s “Take On The World”, but this is done so much better. Ellsworths voice does let him down a bit on this but its such a good song it hardly matters. My favourite track one the first album was “Overkill”, and on here it”s “Overkill II”, in the same vein as part one. This song is so powerful its frightening. From the doomy Gothic intro, through the classic chorus with its brilliantly melodic guitar hook, to the acoustic guitar on the fade out, this song says everything about the band. As the song says, “The nightmare continues”!

OVERKILL Taking Over album review:

OVERKILL Taking Over presentation, more than an album review really:

OVERKILL Taking Over album review:

OVERKILL Taking Over album review:

OVERKILL Taking Over album review:

Η Ανατολική Ακτής της Αμερικής μπορεί σίγουρα να υπερηφανεύεται για τα δύο σπουδαία thrash groups: OVERKILL  + ANTHRAX αφού (ιδιαίτερα) στη δεκαετία του ‘80 μας έδωσαν μερικά πολύ σημαντικά δισκάκια. Το “Taking over” είναι ένα από αυτά. Και μπορεί το εξώφυλλο να αφήνει πολλά περιθώρια γέλιου (είναι όμως και πολύ cult), το υλικό ωστόσο ανταμείβει και με το παραπάνω τον θαρραλέο ακροατή! Σε σχέση με το “Feel the fire”, ο εν λόγω δίσκος των OVERKILL διαθέτει σαφέστατα μία μεγαλύτερη ποικιλομορφία και ένα μουσικό βάθος, δύο στοιχεία που αναδεικνύονται από μία πολύ πιο δουλεμένη και καλογυαλισμένη thrash παραγωγή. Η μελωδία του υπερκλασικού “Deny the cross”, το συναυλιακό mid-tempo “In union we stand”, το ξέφρενο “Use your head” και τα πάντα χαρακτηριστικά φωνητικά του Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth αποτελούν μερικά μόνο αξιοσημείωτα χαρακτηριστικά του “Taking over”. Ήταν μία συνολικά καλή περίοδος για τους OVERKILL και το Thrash ιδίωμα γενικότερα. [Σάκης Νίκας]