OVERKILL are one of USA’s 80′s Thrash Metal greats, I am old enough to remember that era back then and boy was it an amazingly exciting time.

I missed AFTER ALL and HEATHEN as the doors opened at a very early 5pm, I would have liked to have seen them but am sure there will be another time.

DESTRUCTION put on a really good show, ‘Mad Butcher’, ‘Bestial Invasion’ and ‘The Butcher Strikes Back’ were perhaps the top songs on the night with the crowd lapping it all up, keep security busy with the almost non stop crowd surfing.

OVERKILL was the band everyone had been patiently waiting for, for some perhaps their first time seeing them live as they haven’t been to the UK that often over the last 20 years or so. The PA system was pumping out all of the ‘Among The Living’ Album by ANTHRAX which was going down well with the crowd. Took me right back to 1987.

Pretty much from the start of their set the fans went crazy, moshing around and crowd surfing even more than when DESTRUCTION were on.

First song was ‘The Green And Black’, then ‘Rotten To The Core’ which really fired up the fans as did ‘Wrecking Crew’.

Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth was feeding off the energy the crowd were throwing at the band, and he really delivers so much energy and enthusiasm, likewise the rest of the band too. They honestly looked like they were giving it their all, playing really tightly and having a real blast too.

‘Hammerhead’ was another very well received song, and I really love the way Bobby disappears to the side of the stage at the start of songs then rushes over to the mike just before the vocals come in, another example of the energy and enthusiasm to deliver to the audience in abundance.

‘Old School’ was the last song before they disappeared off the stage, and then they returned for the Encores. ‘Deny The Cross’ was followed by ‘Elimination’ and then they finished with THE STIFFS Cover song ‘F*ck You’ Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth threw himself offstage into the crowd which was a fantastic sight to see, he was carried by the fans back to the stage and that was the end of the show.

This was a really, really enjoyable evening of Thrash Metal with ‘Rotten To The Core’, ‘Hammerhead’ and ‘Elimination’ standing out from what was a great selection of songs on the evening.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that OVERKILL still has what it takes after all of these years to kick ass live big time, they earned a solid 5/5 from me. Keep on thrashing!

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Review by Charlie Bear