Somewhat of a superfluous release anchored by the famous (and mildly juvenile) "Fuck You!", this mostly live EP is nothing more than a bit of a bonus prize for Overkill fans. The five live tracks are taken from the Taking Over era of the band as Rat Skates was still a member of the band. To be honest, there's nothing particularly amazing about this EP. The title track, though supposedly controversial, is perhaps a decent crowd inciter for a live setting but is really nothing particularly special when heard in the privacy of your own home. The live tracks are decently recorded and has some inclusion of audience interaction. I was never particularly impressed with either of their first two records so the setlist here is nothing that'll blow me away to any degree. The novelty of instant rebellious gratifcation of an upraised finger might be enough to satisfy some customers, but overall this EP is nothing to punch out grandmothers to purchase.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 10/2000

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Starting off with the mission statement of "Shred", Overkill's third full length album kicks off rather convincingly. Admittedly, I have a softer spot for Under the Influence since this was actually the first Overkill album I ever heard. But it is not without good reason. Overkill has basically had the same style for their entire existence, and this does not provide an exception. Peaking with the incredible anthem "Hello From the Gutter" and hitting high points with the crushing "Drunken Wisdom" and the propulsion of "Head First", the album generally is a good ride. Unlike a lot of the thrash bands of the era, Overkill made ample room for the bass of DD Verni, which gave the songs a bit of a boost. Guitarist Bobby Gustafson was indeed a talented shredder and his contribution is highly evident. Though there are some real clunkers on the album ("Mad Gone World", "Overkill III (Under the Influence)") the good songs outweigh the bad.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 05/1999

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To this day I still believe The Years of Decay represented the ultimate Overkill expression. After the album's release, guitarist Bobby Gustafson was kicked out of the band and in my opinion, the chemistry of the band was forever altered. But for one shining glorious moment, Overkill kicked out the thrash jams one after the other throughout this entire album, spitting out fiery raging songs and even crushing Sabbath bruisers. Though "Time To Kill" starts out the album without much fanfare, the dual punch of "Elimination" and the exceptionally venomous "I Hate" is the perfect pull into the album. The ten minute long ultra-slow and heavy "Playing With Spiders/Skullkrusher" is another Overkill milestone, allowing the band to work in a new environment. The title track is another unique piece of work for the band as it is a slow, melodic ballad-esque song that doesn't fall into the pit of sappy/crappy power ballads of the era. Singer Bobby Ellsworth successfully exudes the loneliness and despair of the song, which is remarkable considering the limitations of his high pitched rasp. The Years of Decay has a couple lesser moments (Overkill has never ever been able to release an album without at least a couple weak filler tracks) but generally is the most devastating and enjoyable album in the band's career.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 06/1999

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Poor Overkill. You gotta give them credit for slugging it out for as long as they have. Considering it's been nearly a decade and a half as of this writing and considering the trends they've survived, some serious respect must be paid to the band for being so darned resiliant. But there's this one nagging problem: everything they have released since Horrorscope (which was marginally uninteresting to me when it came out) has been insufferably generic. Wrecking Your Neck Live is a double live CD set that serves as a highlights package, complete with sharp sound and a broad selection from their discography up to that point. Unfortunately, it also comes across as pedestrian. Other bands who have survived for as long have been able to freshen up their sound or have the songwriting ability to take the same formula and make it sound invigorating. Overkill, sadly, has failed to do that. Naturally older tracks catch my attention: "Skullkrusher", "Hello from the Gutter", etc. But on a whole, Wrecking Your Neck Live creates about as much whiplash as a shopping cart hitting your car in a parking lot.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 03/1999

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