New Jersey thrash metal legends OVERKILL have confirmed they are ten songs deep into songwriting for their twenty-first studio album, continuing a remarkable run of productivity that has stretched across four and a half decades of uncompromising aggression. Vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth revealed in a recent interview that bassist and founding member D.D. Verni has demoed all ten tracks, with the band poised to enter the studio in the coming months to begin proper recording sessions.
Drummer Jeramie Kling, who joined OVERKILL in August 2024 after the departure of Jason Bittner, will handle drum duties on the record. Kling, formerly of VENOM INC. and ABSENCE, played his first show with the band at Posada Rock Festival in Romania and has since proven himself a powerful addition to the lineup. His technical proficiency and aggressive style are expected to inject fresh energy into the new material while maintaining the relentless intensity OVERKILL are known for.
Verni confirmed the album will "definitely" arrive in 2026, targeting either a spring or fall release window, though his ongoing shoulder recovery from surgery could potentially affect the recording timeline. Despite the physical setback, the bassist remains fully committed to delivering the goods, emphasizing that the new songs carry the same East Coast thrash aggression that powered classics like "The Years of Decay," "Horrorscope," and "W.F.O."
OVERKILL's previous album "Scorched," released in 2023 via Nuclear Blast, was met with critical acclaim and demonstrated that the band shows no signs of slowing down even as they approach their fifth decade. The group is also set to hit the road on a major U.S. tour with TESTAMENT and DESTRUCTION in spring 2026, a triple bill that unites three pillars of thrash metal from both sides of the Atlantic in what promises to be one of the year's most anticipated package tours.
Ellsworth, now in his mid-sixties, continues to deliver live performances with the ferocity of a man half his age, cementing his reputation as one of thrash metal's most enduring and explosive frontmen in the genre's history.