The Musical Void
“Horrorscope”,
the great predecessor of reviewed album “I Hear Black” is a real quintessence
of thrash metal. It is a crowning achievement of the first period of the band,
where Overkill matured in the mighty and golden 80s. This is well known truth,
so why the hell I write such statement? Simply, I can’t write about new album not
to writing anything about “Horrorscope”, as the musicians changed (consciously
or not) the music style and their compositions. That’s true that thrash metal was
weakening at those days, some bands broke up, some changed the music
significantly. These New Yorkers didn’t give up of course, but the final result
is terrible and I consider this effort not only as a weak album and the weakest
one in Overkill’s discography, but as a complete musical defeat.
It’s hard
to write, but the only positive element of “I Hear Black” is a front cover with
two hues (black and orange), they create really good and memorable picture. But…
can you believe it? The only positive thing is front cover? On Overkill
album??? It’s hard to believe, indeed, but yes, the remainder is simply bad and
I know that it sounds really appallingly. When I bought this tape and played
the stuff, the sound seemed to be broken. Still having in mind excellent
“Horrorscope”, I couldn’t believe my ears. Production: flat, dry, powerless,
emotionless and soulless. Unfortunately these five adjectives refer to the
music also. Listening to the songs, maybe there is one track which is above
this horrible mediocrity, it is called “Weight of the World”. Why? Because it
is the fastest one here! Of course this song isn’t special or unique in
Overkill career yet it is impossible to put it in the “Horrorscope” melting
pot. The rest is maintained in mid tempo and it makes “I Hear Black” some kind
of horrible cradle-song for disobedient child. I die of boredom! For sure the
thrashing fire is gone yet I found some influences coming from Black Sabbath
(“Spiritual Void”, “Ignorance & Innocence”, “Undying”) when I can hear
slow, hard, very simple riffs. In turn “Shades of Grey” (good title describing
the whole, by the way!) is a mix of Candlemass (but made very poorly) and
grunge (Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam…) where I can distinguish three solo
leads which of course don’t pluck out this song from musical death. The opening
track is based on average riffs and destroyed by lame chants, just like the
title track with very poor chorus, but this situation refers to each song: very
poor melodic lines, in addition Blitz’s vocals are just mirror images of music
and production. Simply: there is no song I can worship, there is no song to be
remembered. No power means no thrash, no thrash means no power. And I wonder
why they recorded an instrumental “Ghost Dance”, totally useless piece?
Questions with no answers attack my mind…
All these
aspects make “I Hear Black” the worst album in Overkill career. Really I can’t
understand the musical entirety, fast glance at the line-up and I read:
Ellsworth, DD Verni, Gant, Cannavino, Mallare. No imitations, no parody, no
aliens, I can see creators of “Horrorscope” (except the drummer), so what the
hell happened? This is a real secret for me. After five classic unforgettable
metal shots Overkill tried to go a new way. Unfortunately this road leads to
musical agony and spiritual void. Listening to this album is a real torture for
me and I do it very, very seldom. Till nowadays I can’t understand this
creative decline. But what is great thing in this kingdom of calamity, the next
album called “W.F.O.” brought the music I was waiting for: thrash metal. And in
a moment I forgot about this mistake. So let’s play “Where It Hurts”
immediately!!!
25/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(previously written for Encyclopaedia Metallum, on May, 2012, now modified a bit)
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