Thrash Metal Legends Overkill Scorched Lincoln

Legendary New Jersey thrash metal act Overkill made a tour stop at Lincoln's Bourbon Theatre in Nebraska on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. [Photo credit: Robert A Chadwick]

REVIEW BY DAVID TAYLOR AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine

Legendary thrash metal band Overkill made their Bourbon Theatre debut on an off-date from their tour with King Diamond on Tuesday, November 12 in downtown Lincoln. They hadn’t performed in the city, let alone the state, since 2010, so this was a long time coming for the diehard metalheads of the Cornhusker State.

Three local openers, Facinus Rex, from Lincoln, and Omaha, Molten, and Viscerous, warmed up the crowd for Overkill with their unique heavy and fast version of heavy metal. They did a great job promoting themselves onstage. A job well done to get the mosh pit going by the bands. Check out their music and see them at a local show.

New Jersey thrash metal legends Overkill were ready to take over Lincoln. Overkill has had to make some lineup changes in a surprising turn of events in the last couple of months. They hired a touring drummer for the foreseeable future in August, Jeramie Kling, who performed phenomenally, a very technical player. Original bass player, Carlo “D.D.” Verni, has to sit out of the tour to continue to recover from shoulder surgery, with bassist Christian Olde Wolbers, formerly from Fear Factory, filling in, doing a great job, including backing vocals, who I recently saw play with Cypress Hill and the Omaha Symphony in September. What a year he is having. Rhythm guitarist Derek Tailer couldn’t perform and hadn’t performed for the last couple of shows because, if you take a look on his Instagram, it looks like he is getting married this week, despite other reports that said he was “ill”. So, Overkill performed as a four-piece, which is very rare for this band. I don’t know how lead vocalist Bobby Ellsworth does it without blowing his voice, but the man screams unlike any other vocalist I have ever heard. He is truly one of the best out there. Lead guitarist Dave Linsk did a great job holding down the guitar duties, with his incredible playing and soloing. They played “Rotten to the Core” from their debut album, a couple of tracks from their latest album, Scorched, and every thing in between. I don’t know how they compile a setlist when they have twenty albums worth of material while also pleasing the fans, but they seem to pull it off gracefully. I hope they come back to Nebraska with their members back in full force, but this was a solid live introduction to myself and those that hadn’t seen them in the flesh.

Overkill

Viscerous

Molten

Fascinus Rex

All images © Robert A Chadwick


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