Overkill – W.F.O.

Front sticker: "CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF INCREDIBLY HARD THRASH FEATURING "FAST JUNKIE" "SUPERSONIC HATE" & "BASTARD NATION" 82630 · 2/4". Warner case. Promo insert. Promo golden stamp on front. For Promotional Use Only on CD. Black CD tray. Matrix: 3 82630-2 SRC##04 M1S1. "S" symbol in the matrix zone.

OBI (1.800¥). Booklet. Matrix: WQCP-1468 2W IFPI L244 IFPI 4011.

Really bad sounding vinyl, awful cover quality. Buy only if you have money to spend for records you will never listen again once spinned.

Solid Overkill album, featuring their best anthem “Bastard Nation.”

Released in 1994, W.F.O. is Overkill’s seventh album and completed their first decade of recorded material. It was the band’s third release after the departure of original guitarist/songwriter Bobby Gustafson, who was replaced by guitar duo, Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino, the latter being Gustafson’s former guitar tech. W.F.O. was the last of three albums with the duo. Gant wanted to get away from the demands of touring to spend time with his family while Cannavino wanted to focus on motorcycle racing.

W.F.O was the first album produced by the band and the last album released through Atlantic Records, who released their previous five albums. Several critics lambasted DD’s bass sound on W.F.O. as too overwhelming in the mix, but I never had a problem with it except that the tone is kinda wimpy (similar to the weak bass sound on Testament’s PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH). Other than that, it’s nice to prominently hear the bass.

In any case, the group obviously wanted to get back to thrash basics after the experimental I HEAR BLACK (1993). But I wouldn’t call W.F.O. conventional by any means; it still has Overkill’s penchant for quirkiness and diversity. Look no further than the top song of the album, “Bastard Nation,” for which a video was eventually released (although it might have been the live version from 1995’s WRECKING YOUR NECK). Another example of diversity is the atypical instrumental acoustic piece “R.I.P. (Undone).”

“The Wait/New High in Lows” is also a highlight, which starts out with a quote from the 1993 crime thriller “Carlito’s Way.” Other notables include: the catchy “Under One,” “Supersonic Hate,” “Up to Zero” and the closer “Gasoline Dream” with its cool acoustic fade-out.

While W.F.O. is a decent effort, it paved the way for the band’s top two albums ever, THE KILLING KIND (1996) and FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND BELOW (1997).

GRADE: B

this version has a very poor sound, plus mistakes in the print of the cover where in the track list appears a bonus that does not exist in the original press.

This is awfull pressing of the album. You should defenetely exclude it from your buying list - it's just not worth money
Poor quality of sleeve and low-res artwork on cover, vinyl sonds like it have no bass at all. Horrible pressing, don't buy it.

LP reissue of "W.F.O." (first time on vinyl!!!) and "I hear black" is planned for may 2017:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/18827073/overkill-wfo-and-i-hear-black-vinyl-pressing?lang=es