Album Dive
Anytime Overkill’s 1989 Thrash masterpiece “The Years of Decay” comes on (henceforth also to be known in the realm of Metal Nerdery as “The YOD”, pronounced like nod, not like yode), IMMEDIATELY you can hear neon green and visualize an omnipresent, crazy, winged, bat-skull (or is it skull-bat?) flying through the entirety of the sonic landscape, like Overkill’s own quality control.
“I’ve learned to deal with the absurd…”
“The YOD” was the pinnacle of Overkill’s sound during the late 80’s, streamlining and further refining the East Coast Thrash sound they had developed over their three previous albums to create not only one of the finest albums of their career but also one of the finest albums in all of Thrash Metal! No one articulated the sheer attitude, aggression and general New Jerseyan irritation and angst of the 80’s quite like Overkill. All summed up in a single, succinct directive; a kind of “single finger salute” if you will. (If you know, you know…).
“Last one out closes the coffin door…”
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It’s time to prepare your “pre-game” relaxerole regimen (try it with an orange this time), put the bats back in their belfry, turn on the black & green black-lights and JOIN US as we dive headfirst into The YOD and explore its multi-faceted majestic thrash splendor. PLUS…a few “extras” just for fun (because “we don’t care what you say” …just kidding).
Overkill: The Years of Decay (aka “The YOD”)
Recorded: June-July 1989 (Carriage House Studios Stamford, Connecticut)
Released: 10/13/1989 on Atlantic & Megaforce Records
Produced: Terry Date, Overkill and Jon and Marsha Zazula (R.I.P.)
NOTE: This album has a high tangentionalality to Pantera and to Dime
TIME TO KILL: Of their 80’s catalog, “The Years of Decay” (Known henceforth throughout this document as: “The YOD”) definitely had the best production quality and captured (perfectly) their angry, New York aggro-thrash palette with top notch production quality, giving them their thickest (and darkest) sounding record to date. The way Overkill builds songs (then as now), there are many layers and movements that all work together to the final “punchline” of Blitz’s message (complete with psychotic pterodactyl pscreams). “Time to Kill…NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!”
ELIMINATION: Such a fitting song for the pandemic (hahahaha!). Check out the video for “Elimination” and Read. Those. Lyrics.
No thrash band has EVER had (or ever WILL have) more “FUCK YOU!” per capita than Overkill (and BLESS them for that!). “We don’t care WHAT you say…” hahahaha. (j/k. We do.). E….limination! Can you downpick that fast? NO!? That’s what I thought. (Me neither).
“Last one out closes the coffin door…”
I HATE: Overkill always had (and still has) a heavy punk undertone to their brand of thrash; it had that in your face, #GFY (that’s #gofuckyourself if you need the long name and aren’t good with acronyms) kinda mentality. Plus…can YOU play that fast!? Huh? Huh? NO! You can’t!! “But MOST of all, I HATE you!” (j/k. most of all, I don’t hate you). Play this song at the end of a shitty day and you will immediately experience relief of tension and achieve instant transcendental bliss. Oooosahhhhh
NOTHING TO DIE FOR: Back in the DBD (“Days Before Dime”), Bobby Gustafson was often hailed as a highly gifted Riff Lord, not only in terms of sheer crunchy ball riff insanity, speed, and precision (the dude can also fucking SHRED!), but just in sheer terms of SOUND! Bobby Gustafson’s sonic palette was a force to be reckoned with (as is particularly evident on the next track…insert ridiculous laughter and weird jazz breakdown bass part here…and then “I’m back to shred…”).
PLAYING WITH SPIDERS/SKULLKRUSHER: This was a very odd opening; something to jack up the tension just enough to bring down the hammer: a crunch that makes The Almighty Iommi smile every single time it’s played. This was, again, back in the DBD (again…”Days Before Dime”), and at this point in thrash, this was one of the slowest, heaviest, and darkest tunes that I’d ever heard or even knew existed in 1989). If you read those lyrics, you’ll see why the lyrics match the darkness and heaviness of the music. If you’re interested, that’s a drop D tuning btw. “Bury your secrets in the sand and forget…”.
BIRTH OF TENSION: (WTF is being said in the background? Hmmm…). This was the beginning of ‘Side 2” on cassette (also known as “the next track” on your CD or playlist). The riffs in this song alone will satisfy your minimum Required Daily Allowance of Crunchy Ball Riffs.
“Livin’ ain’t livin’ with the tension and the fear…”
WHO TENDS THE FIRE: This song evokes a certain, uneasy imagery to it; like walking up on some dark, secret ceremony in the woods where nobody else is supposed to be (meaning YOU!). Definitely one of the heaviest Overkill songs on this album, if not one of THE heaviest songs in their entire catalog. That part after the faster middle section and before the solo…”boys, it just don’t get any heavier than this…” “And they go from dark to light…”
THE YEARS OF DECAY: Here it is, the “acoustic intro” (a staple of ALL 80’s thrash). There’s a definite (emotionally) heavier, darker tone to this particular intro; a certain kind of sad resignation. At the time this almost seemed like a “stretch”; like Overkill was doing a “ballad” (even though it was FAR from being any kind of ballad, more like a mournful dirge dedicated to choices made; win, lose or draw.).
“No one remembers that very first day…”
E.VIL N. EVER D.IES: I had not realized that this was Part IV in the Overkill continuing saga. Not sure if it’s the production genius of Terry Date, the overall feeling of the late 80’s, or the fact that Overkill could always churn out a certain dark and creepy and unsettling tone with their sonic and lyrical palette.
“Skipping numbers 1 through 10, permanence through the pen…” Again, not only is this song chock full of crunchy ball riffs, it’s got a lot of lyrical venom to boot.
Show Notes:
(00:00): - #waitfuck #noteven / Overkill and the East Coast (#fuckyourbox) / Overkill: Per capita, by volume, THE Most “Fuck You!” of any band in Thrash/ Wait…Zero!? The Bobby Gustafson (DBD: Dime before Dime #backwagon #backshadowing) The One stop shop Riff Lord “The Years of Decay” (The YOD) / A message from Steve, a great moment in radio and Matt’s comedy consulting campaign #dmdirectly #ridiculous #overkill
(04:40): – The last Overkill record with Bobby Gustafson (#YOD)/Elimination and Overkill’s “brand” and a beautifully executed accidental #mandatory #blackalbumreference / The Master of Black Albums / Various Overkill show memories and remembering the whole issue with #Chaley and #A7X #thrashslut/ Overkill and the punk influences in their brand of thrash / #pregame at #johnnyspizza / Terry Date’s Production genius and the high degree of #tangentionalalityismness with Pantera.
(12:34): - #trackboner #onmicburp / #masterofblackalbumscore / Old Overkill band history/The Tony Iommi of Overkill? #DBD / Russell is “producing” in the #bigboychair for a moment / #killerintros / Time To Kill (#downpicking) / #CBLE / Blitz as a “spirit animal” = #Chaly / A few more words as to the incredible production prowess of Terry Date and the extreme tangentionalality of #CFH to #YOD / All the gravy, sarcasm and fuck you (#killerending) / E-Limination: the perfect song for a pandemic (#canyouhearit?) #shreddery #oldefayce #noteven #mathwords
(32:28): – I Hate: Proof that Overkill has MORE Fuck You per capita, by volume #thenewcore #postfuckyoupercapitacore (Thrashy, Upbeat and crunchy, verbal, venom ball riffs) / Coverkill, various Overkill covers ***BONUS TRACKS*** Overkill doing Dirty Deeds by #akkadakka #totally / Nothing to Die For (never played live) / Those riffs… #sickaf / ***GET YOUR POPCORN & RELAXERS, IT’S STORY TIME***/ Playing with Spiders/Skullkrusher #stonermetal #heavyasfuck/ Blitz and The character of the frontman and the impact on the band’s sound (and the #urgency of #blitz) / Overkill doing Black Sabbath’s “Cornucopia” #ASMR #EASMR #genre #timetofrost / Track listing for Coverkill
(51:58): – Side 2: Birth of Tension (#crunchyballriffs) That tone and that tightness (#dogslovemetaltoo) / Hello WAY after the fact… / Who Tends The Fire (Definitely #creepyaf) #CBLE #cantbeloudenough / Side 2 is darker than Side 1/ The Years of Decay (#YOD) and Thrash “ballads” #readthoselyrics / Overkill’s Exciter #mandatoryexciter #reference #ASMR #creepy More of a #dirge than a #ballad #rockstardrummersolo #intheairtonight / The Grueling cycle of touring & recording
(1:03:40): - E. vil N. ever D. ies (Part of the #backwagon #jackwagon #backshadowing #sidetitle Overkill Saga: This was Part IV) / Overkill’s tangentionalality to Slayer and Venom back in the 80’s / Ron’s special C.O.T.L.O.D. #RibLoungeRub / A.N.D. #gumASMR #creepy #chewy #dontdenythepowerof #heaviness #thatpart #readthoselyrics / #IDigest / Tracking The YOD (Side 1 vs Side 2) #boom #bolth #hold / ***SPECIAL DEDICATION TO EVERYONE!*** #hashbagtrashtags “We don’t care what you say…” / Calgon for men during the middle age and the #blackdog ***THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND SUPPORTING AND SHARING METAL NERDERY AND GO PURCHASE THE YEARS OF DECAY***#youareablessing #words #reoanthraxwagon #what?