Review by Ben for Overkill (US-NJ) - Taking Over (1987)

I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got around to spending some time with Overkill's debut album Feel the Fire, so I was excited to get my hands on Taking Over. It's ratings on sites like RYM suggested it would be a whole lot better than the debut and one of the classic thrash albums of the 80s. I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed by it!

The main problems I have with it are Blitz's vocals on a few tracks and that two or three of the tracks are quite average. I know that Bobby Blitz has always had one of those love it or hate styles but for some reason I find his performance on this album a little unbearable at times, whereas I just didn't feel that way with the debut. He seems to be singing higher quite often and I can't help feeling that tracks like Deny the Cross would be great with a more aggressive style. As for the average tracks, In Union We Stand is fairly crap attempt to make a stadium rousing ballad and Fear His Name and Use Your Head are just not very captivating in my opinion.

But there is also a lot to like on Taking Over. The second half of the album is much more to my liking with great tracks like Powersurge, Electro-Violence and Overkill II finishing things off nicely. I guess I'm not writing the album off entirely and will happily give it a 3.5. I just had much higher expectations!