Friday, November 29: Overkill, “Bastard Nation”
Atlantic Records faced a conundrum in 1994: two of their longest-tenured thrash metal acts were nearing the end of their contracts and had reaped the most minor of commercial rewards up to that point, but then both bands suddenly turned in some of their best work… but also at the worst possible time for their genre. And so, with business being what it was (and is), the label dumped Testament’s Low and Overkill’s W.F.O. onto an apathetic marketplace, washed its hands and focused its resources on groups that actually made money (and those they thought might make money one day). But W.F.O., though hardly spoken of at the time and long forgotten since, really was one of Overkill’s strongest records, and “Bastard Nation” roared with far more vigor and purpose than expected. The track, like the rest of W.F.O., wasn’t thrash in the traditional sense, but it was a natural progression for Overkill, remaining resolutely metallic and reflecting how Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and Carlo “D.D.” Verni had grown as writers and performers. Self-producing (supposedly requested by the band, but just as likely a function of Atlantic not wanting to pay for a big-name producer) gave the track a bit of a low-budget feel, but the sound was still fuller than most of Overkill’s ‘80s records, and “Bastard Nation” had one monster groove in that chanted chorus. And Ellsworth sounded better than ever, still cantankerous and ornery but not as shrill or panicked. The song was an awesome stomper that didn’t belong to any particular time or place, and remains one of Overkill’s underrated gems.
