REVIEW: OVERKILL - Immortalis (2007)

1989's epic The Years Of Decay album featured E.N.D. (Evil Never Dies), a marvellous thrasher which was the fourth and seemingly final instalment in the themed Overkill song series. Ever since, I've been vainly hoping to see the title Overkill V turn up among the tracklisting of Overkill albums. Ten studio albums later, I'm blown away to see Overkill V... The Brand turning up on Immortalis.

It's a worthy sequel too, gathering elements of virtually all of the four previous songs, while continuing the loose storyline (which basically seems to be about a hellish assassin, not unlike the Friday The 13th film series' Jason Voorhees). It also pulls off the stunt of managing to rejig the original Overkill's main riff while making it sufficiently similar and different! Fantastic stuff, with a great chorus.

So that's me delighted. Worth the price of admission alone. Yet there are nine other songs to enjoy, offering a very high standard. Immortalis is more consistent than its 2005 predecessor Relixiv, which I enjoyed but have still yet to fully absorb into my system, despite some stand-out tracks like Loaded Rack and Bats In The Belfry. Yes, this one is back to the heights scaled by 2003's Killbox 13 - a fact which is made pretty obvious by the brilliant opener Devils In The Mist. It's an old-school thrasher which nails you to the wall in fine style, awash with that traditionally sinister Overkill atmosphere.

Between Devils and the closing Overkill V, there's really not a lot to moan about. This is good, solid, meat-and-potatoes Overkill with riffs the size of Belgium - especially on Skull And Bones, or Shadow Of A Doubt. Walk Through Fire sees a slight variation in form, with its slightly AC/DC-esque, driving chorus, but there are no ballads or mad deviations to interrupt your frenzied headbanging. Simply put, Immortalis rocks like The Rock in a rocking chair.

TRACKLISTING: Devils In The Mist, What It Takes, Skull And Bones, Shadow Of A Doubt, Hellish Pride, Walk Through Fire, Head On, Charlie Get Your Gun, Hell Is, Overkill V... The Brand.

AVAILABILITY: Out now through Bodog Records.

RATING: 91%