OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth has provided a detailed studio update on the progress of the band's twentieth studio album "Scorched," confirming that basic tracking is complete and that the band has entered the mixing phase with producer Colin Richardson — the Wolverhampton-based veteran responsible for productions by CANNIBAL CORPSE, NAPALM DEATH, and MACHINE HEAD. The update, delivered via a video interview on the band's official YouTube channel, marks the first detailed information about the album since OVERKILL confirmed the title and producer in November 2025.
"Scorched is arguably the most aggressive and focused thing we've done since 'Horrorscope' in 1991," Blitz declared, referencing the album many consider the pinnacle of OVERKILL's catalog. "The riffs that D.D. (guitarist D.D. Verni) and Dave (guitarist Dave Linsk) came in with this time are absolutely ferocious. There's no filler, no fat on these songs. Every track earns its place." The album reportedly features 12 tracks with an average running time of just under five minutes each, suggesting a compact, punishing collection without the extended progressive elements that marked some of OVERKILL's more recent work.
Blitz also confirmed that drummer Jason Bittner, who joined OVERKILL in 2016 and delivered standout performances on "The Grinding Wheel" (2017) and "Scorched" 2022 predecessor "The Wings of War" (2019), has recorded what Blitz described as "the performance of his career" on the new album. A first single is expected in May 2026 ahead of a July release, with a summer festival tour and subsequent headline dates already in planning stages.