Overkill – Feel The Fire

Energetic and primal debut with raw production

Released in 1985, FEEL THE FIRE is the first album by New Jersey's Overkill wherein they sound like Priest, Accept and Iron Maiden intensified to the level of thrash. For instance, the opening song "Raise the Dead" implements the basic riff of Priest's "Running Wild" from seven years earlier, just sped-up within the framework of a more frenetic piece. So, while Overkill is rooted in traditional metal, they mix-in a lot of thrash, speed, punk, doom, power and hard rock. The begging chords of "Raise the Dead," for instance, are total doom. This is what I like about the band; they're not one-dimensional despite being pigeonholed as thrash.

I also like how they throw in sections that are hooky or quirky, like the catchy “oh, oh, oh” vocals in the mid-section of "Kill at Command," which is probably my favorite song on the disc, along with the title cut. This penchant for including peculiar parts to offset the composition is one of their best qualities and continues to this day, as observed on THE WINGS OF WAR (2019). The acoustic break in "There's No Tomorrow" is another a good example.

While this album and the next one, TAKING OVER (1987), showed the band's youthful energy and the first four 80's albums with guitarist Bobby Gustafson set a solid foundation, I think the band improved in years to come with albums like THE KILLING KIND (1996), FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND BELOW (1997), KILLBOX 13 (2003), the aforementioned THE WINGS OF WAR and the unjustly maligned I HEAR BLACK (1993), to say nothing of W.F.O (1994).

The nine songs clock-in at 37.5 minutes. The version I have also includes the bonus track "Sonic Reducer," a cover of the 1977 song by Cleveland's Dead Boys.

GRADE: B

Release date 10/85, source Megaforce Discography "The Indie Days" (from Deeper Into The Vault compilation CD).

If there ever was an Overkill album that had hints of power metal as well if this one right here and quite possibly my favorite but if you ask me Tuesday it would probably be Taking Over 4.5/5 And top 5 thrash debut. plus if there ever was a big 5 of thrash metal Overkill should be a shoe-in or take Anthrax's place all together

One Of The Best ( BEAST ) Albums They Made ! Awesome Sound, Speed, Technique......Great ! KILLER TRUCK IS 9
OVERKILL !!!!!

Mine is identical to this one (no barcode, same cover, same inner sleeve, same labels) but with these matrix/runout:
A- ► MRI-1469-A STERLING
A- ► MRI-1469-B STERLING

Anyone else?

This one is not official press but bootleg. Beware of this release.

Does anyone know what kind of cassette jewel case this came in? Clear or black? Lmk thank you

very disappointed now. i just got it few weeks ago from dodax :( i was thinking they selling only official staf :(((((((

Avoid this pressing!!! Very low quality presentation and sound. Luckily a friend had 2 copies of the original pressing and gave me one. The sound difference is incredible. Its these crappy make a quick buck pressings that are going to kill vinyl.

Anyone can help identify who have cut the lacquer on deadwax? RJ*?