W.F.O.

Unlike its peers, Overkill had no trouble adapting to the rapid stylistic changes of the \'90s; in fact, the band used changing trends as an excuse to reconnect with its roots. 1994’s *W.F.O.* was Overkill\'s most punk-influenced album since its very first release. Songs like “Fast Junkie,” “Where It Hurts,\" and “They Eat Their Young” have as much in common with Bad Brains and *Let There Be Rock*–era AC/DC as they do Metallica. It was clear that Overkill had at least temporarily abandoned the alt-rock experiments of *I Hear Black* in favor of a renewed campaign of ferocity. Thanks to the double-stacked guitars of Merritt Grant and Rob Cannavino, a song like “What’s Your Problem” is at once stealthy and bombastic. As the band rekindles its youthful anger, singer Bobby Ellsworth sounds grittier than ever. His voice shows a new edge on “Supersonic Hate” and “Up to Zero,” with the operatic yelps of the \'80s replaced by a guttural growl. Stripped-down, lean, and right to the point, *W.F.O.* shows why Overkill remained one of the genre’s most respected outfits, even at a time when thrash itself was in danger of extinction.

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