''Feel the Fire'' is the debut studio album by American

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

band Overkill, released on October 15, 1985 through

Megaforce Records Megaforce Records is an American independent record label founded in 1982 by Jon Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula to release the first works of Metallica, and devoted primarily to hard rock and heavy metal. It has offices in New York City (w ...

Overview

The final track, "

Sonic Reducer "Sonic Reducer" is a punk rock song written by Cheetah Chrome and David Thomas during their tenure in Rocket from the Tombs, which made its recorded debut on the Dead Boys 1977 album '' Young, Loud and Snotty'' with a change of lyrics that were ...

", is a cover of a 1977 song by punk rock band

Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv B ...

; it was not included on the

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

versions of the album, and on some CD reissues it was instead placed between "Second Son" and "Hammerhead". "Rotten to the Core" has been a mainstay of the band's live setlist since 1984."Rotten to the Core by Overkill Concert Statistics"
setlist.fm. 2013-12-24.

Reception

''Feel the Fire'' received a positive review from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Alex Henderson, who awarded the album three stars out of five, saying that it "made quite a splash within the heavy metal community and listenership", and "possessed all the blistering riffs and complete abandonment fans would learn to expect from Overkill." Henderson then finished his review, saying that ''Feel the Fire'' "solidified a loyal fan base that would grow steadily as the band expanded their sound and catalog through the mid- and late '80s. The classic original band lineup of

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth Robert Ellsworth (born May 3, 1959), best known as Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, is an American singer who is the lead vocalist of New Jersey thrash metal band Overkill. He has been the vocalist of Overkill since its inception in 1980, and he and b ...

on vocals,

Bobby Gustafson Robert Wayne Gustafson (born July 15, 1965) is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the New Jersey-based thrash metal band Overkill from 1982 until his split with the band in 1990. He was also the rhythm guitarist for thr ...

on guitars,

Rat Skates Rat Skates (born Lee Kundrat on May 17, 1961) is an American filmmaker, writer and musician. He is most widely known as a director of music documentaries and his contributions to the thrash metal genre as a founding member and the original drumm ...

on drums, and bassist

D.D. Verni Carlo "D.D." Verni (born April 12, 1961) is an American musician, songwriter, and producer, best known as a founding member, bassist and songwriter of the thrash metal band Overkill (band), Overkill. He and vocalist Bobby Ellsworth, Bobby "Bli ...

sounds surprisingly accomplished on this major-label debut, giving tight performances and ultimately helping (along with fellow second-wave thrash bands like

Flotsam and Jetsam In maritime law, flotsam'','' jetsam'','' lagan'','' and derelict are specific kinds of shipwreck. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage. A shipwreck is defined as the r ...

and a myriad of Bay-Area metal outfits) define a generation of spastic, but impressive second wave of aggressive thrash metal." ''Feel the Fire'' did not initially reach the ''Billboard'' 200 charts or become a commercial success. Based on the moderate success of ''Feel the Fire'', Overkill signed a recording contract with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

in 1986, although they would still remain on Megaforce until '' Horrorscope'' (1991).

Touring and promotion

Overkill spent most of 1985 and 1986 on tour for ''Feel the Fire'', supporting such bands as

Carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

, S.O.D., Blessed Death,

Nuclear Assault Nuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast along with Overkill, Whiplash, T ...

Liege Lord Homage (from Medieval Latin , lit. "pertaining to a man") in the Middle Ages was the ceremony in which a feudal tenant or vassal pledged reverence and submission to his feudal lord, receiving in exchange the symbolic title to his new position (inv ...

, Black Flag,

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and D.R.I. In 1986, Overkill was part of two major tours; they supported

and

Agent Steel Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1984 by vocalist John Cyriis with drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full-length albums and one EP before disbanding in 1988. They were most notable for Cyriis' hi ...

on the ''

Spreading the Disease ''Spreading the Disease'' is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Anthrax, released on October 30, 1985 by Megaforce Records and Island Records. It was the band's first album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Fr ...

'' tour in Europe, and opened for

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

on the ''

Reign in Blood ''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...

'' tour in the United States.

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals *

D. D. Verni Carlo "D.D." Verni (born April 12, 1961) is an American musician, songwriter, and producer, best known as a founding member, bassist and songwriter of the thrash metal band Overkill. He and vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth are the only two o ...

– bass *

– guitars *

– drums Technical *Overkill – arrangements * Alex Perialas –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

*George Marino – mastering *Carl Canedy – production *

Jon Zazula Jonathan Zazula (March 16, 1952 – February 1, 2022), also known as Jonny Z, was an American music industry executive who was the owner of New Jersey's Rock'n Roll Heaven record store and founder of record label Megaforce Records. Zazula's recor ...

– executive production *Marsha Zazula, The Music Connection – project coordination

References

{{Authority control Overkill (band) albums 1985 debut albums Megaforce Records albums