Overkill Fuels Old School Fire in Brooklyn
Writingbound hits Saint Vitus Bar for the first of two nights
If you can’t see Overkill in New Jersey, Brooklyn is the next best place. Less than seven miles from L’Amour, a long defunct mecca of metal, they took over the relocated Saint Vitus Bar in Bushwick and gave us the thrash we wanted.
And the middle finger, that sign of love and respect to the green and black.
Capacity of 500. Sold out. Masses sweaty, practically interlocked like links in a spiked chain. And because it hasn’t been the easiest ride for me recently, I needed the community. Forget about life between the stage and the pit, that’s become my mantra of sorts, and this third round of quartet Overkill was just what the bat-winged Dr. Chaly ordered.
I’m different in that I enjoy hearing quality newer material from bands that’ve been around for as long as Overkill has, not just the classic stuff. Still, both nights in early October were billed as old school sets: Only three of the 17 songs on Saturday came after 1994, and with D.D. Verni on bass, the night was more OG fun than the two other times I’d seen them this year.
All their shows I’ve attended on this tour since 2023 had started with the title track of their latest album, Scorched. Not the case here, a sign of things to come—instead, we got a “Deny The Cross” that couldn’t be denied. “Rotten To The Core” and “Powersurge” and “Wrecking Crew” increased the mayhem through further nods to their earliest days. A little jump forward to ’88’s “Hello From The Gutter” capped the ridiculous beginning. Everyone was already at the mercy of the people around them, a form of bonding that’s extra supportive, especially with strangers.
The difference between the setlists turned out to be four cuts, and I was stoked with the selection on Saturday. “Feel The Fire” rages primal attitude. “Thanx For Nothin’” delivers a fistful of closure. “Bring Me The Night” brings buckle-up acceleration. “Under One” messages unity, that very metal theme. Together, they told a short story of not only thrash in general but the Overkill and Jersey experience, too.
Three songs later, “Elimination” time. Set closer. Crowd surfing and stage diving—both fixtures pretty much throughout, no rail helping the crowd’s cause—picked up. As usual. Arms, legs, feet, bodies from seemingly everywhere. After, the short recess was needed to recuperate for the encore. The vintage pairing of the “Fatal If Swallowed” intro into “Hammerhead” progressed from a slow, heavy build into the certified banger. “In Union We Stand” and then “Fuck You” had that mid-tempo/up-tempo contrast to polish off what was another lesson in thrash. Effort. Symbiosis between band and fans.
I went looking for a tall glass of water before the hour drive home.
Frontman role aside, Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth is a professional MC who continues to belt out, with snarled purity, these lyrics that matter to so many of us. With Derek Tailor still out of action, Dave Linsk crushed it as the sole guitarist—rhythms right there, solos causing the pit to circle faster. Jeramie Kling is clearly up for the challenge of manning the drum throne. But this was all about D.D., his Warlock four-string, and that South Jersey biker battle vest. He’d been absent when I saw them in March due to his health, so I spent most of my glorious evening watching him provide the sound that defines Overkill.
Collected a tour debut and a pair of bustouts that hadn’t been played in 6-8 years. Always nice, helps create even more history and mystique around the show, which was yet another wild ride through their blue collar songbook. I appreciated the energy and the shit-eating grin I walked out with. And if these guys can remain this fresh after 40+ years of recording and touring, it’s a good reminder to stay true to yourself but keep changing. Adapting. Thrashing.
Overkill 10/03/2026 Setlist
Deny The Cross, Rotten To The Core, Powersurge, Wrecking Crew*, Hello From The Gutter, Sonic Reducer, Feel The Fire, Thanx For Nothin’, Bring Me The Night, Under One, The Surgeon, Ironbound, Elimination
E: Fatal If Swallowed (intro) > Hammerhead, In Union We Stand, Fuck You
*Tour debut
First “Sonic Reducer” since 2020, first “Thanx For Nothin’” since 2018.