New Jersey thrash veterans OVERKILL have confirmed they are deep into the recording process for their 21st studio album, continuing one of the most prolific careers in thrash metal history. Frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth revealed in a recent interview with MetalSucks that the band has ten songs fully demoed out and is actively tracking at the studio.
"We're ten songs deep," Ellsworth told the outlet, adding with characteristic enthusiasm that the album should "definitely" land in 2026, targeting either a spring or fall release window via Nuclear Blast Records. The label has been OVERKILL's home since 2019's "The Wings of War," and the partnership has yielded some of the band's strongest late-career material.
Bassist and primary songwriter D.D. Verni, who has been the band's creative backbone alongside Ellsworth since OVERKILL's formation in 1980, is recovering from shoulder surgery but remains fully committed to the project. His bass lines and songwriting have been a defining element of the OVERKILL sound for over four decades, and early reports suggest the new material continues in the aggressive, high-energy vein that characterized 2023's acclaimed "Scorched."
Drummer Jeramie Kling, formerly of VENOM INC. and THE ABSENCE, is expected to handle drum duties on the record. Kling joined OVERKILL following the departure of Jason Bittner in August 2024 and has quickly integrated into the band's relentless work ethic. His technical versatility and death metal background bring a fresh dynamic to the OVERKILL rhythm section.
OVERKILL are confirmed for a major U.S. tour with TESTAMENT and DESTRUCTION in spring 2026, which will likely serve as the launch platform for the new album's live debut. With 21 studio albums and counting, OVERKILL remain one of thrash metal's most dependable forces — a band that has never stopped creating, touring, and delivering the goods to their loyal "Wrecking Crew" fanbase.
Ellsworth, now in his mid-60s, shows no signs of slowing down, and his signature snarl remains one of the most recognizable voices in all of thrash metal.