Oh, look who’s still alive and making music in 2026! That’s right, it’s everyone’s favorite New Jersey thrash veterans OVERKILL, and they’re back to remind us that they’re not dead yet. In a recent interview with SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” (because apparently Eddie still has a job), frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth dropped some tantalizing tidbits about their upcoming album. And by “tantalizing,” I mean he basically said, “Yeah, it’s done, I’m just too busy to finish my parts.”
Blitz revealed that OVERKILL is “always working on new music” because apparently retirement is for losers who don’t want to play the same three riffs for forty years. He casually mentioned they might record the thing “at the end of [their] tour” with TESTAMENT and DESTRUCTION, which is thrash metal’s equivalent of saying “I’ll do my taxes after I win the lottery.”
The best part? The music is “pretty much done musically.” Translation: D.D. Verni (the actual songwriter in the band) has been busting his ass writing songs while Blitz has been… well, we’re not sure what Blitz has been doing, but apparently it doesn’t involve writing melodies or lyrics. “I have to add a few melody lines and a few harmonies and a few lyrics here and there,” Blitz said, as if he’s describing the amount of effort it takes to microwave a Hot Pocket.
But wait, there’s more drama! D.D. Verni, the guy who actually writes all the songs, is recovering from THREE rotator cuff surgeries. THREE! Apparently, playing the same basslines for four decades takes a toll on the human body. Verni’s been through “two on the right and one on the left,” which raises the question: what exactly was he doing with his bass that required this level of medical intervention? Was he headbanging with his shoulders? Fighting off aggressive fans with his instrument?
Since Verni can’t tour (because apparently playing bass with three bum shoulders is frowned upon), they’ve brought in Christian Olde Wolbers from FEAR FACTORY to fill in. This marks the third bassist OVERKILL has used in the last two years, which is ironic for a band that’s been around since the Reagan administration. Previous fill-ins include David Ellefson (you know, the guy from MEGADETH who had that whole controversy) and Christian “Speesy” Giesler from KREATOR. At this point, OVERKILL’s bassist chair is more unstable than a Jenga tower in an earthquake.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the drummer situation! Jason Bittner, who played on their last two albums, quit because he “wasn’t happy” and felt he wasn’t “being paid fairly.” Bittner claims he could make more money playing five shows with SHADOWS FALL than 30 with OVERKILL, which is both sad and impressive. It’s like quitting your office job because you can make more money mowing lawns on weekends.
His replacement, Jeramie Kling, seems to be the busiest man in metal, playing with approximately 47 different bands and somehow still finding time to be OVERKILL’s new drummer. Kling’s resume reads like a “Where’s Waldo?” of the metal scene, having played with everyone from VENOM INC. to MASSACRE to whatever band is currently paying him.
So what’s the bottom line here? OVERKILL has an album that’s “pretty much done,” a bassist who’s literally falling apart, a drummer who quit because the money was bad, and a singer who’s taking his sweet time finishing his parts. But hey, they’re still out there thrashing away, and in the world of metal, that’s all that matters. Whether the new album will be any good remains to be seen, but one thing’s for certain: OVERKILL isn’t going anywhere until they’ve played every county fair and VFW hall in America. Godspeed, you crazy diamonds.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
