Overkill's debut album is nothing short of genius. Primitive, raw, agressive and youthful thrash metal album that turned this small club band from New Jersey into an internationally respected thrash band (that is still around by the way). The shrieky vocals of Bobby Blitz combined with the galloping bass of DD Verni, adequate leads by Gustafson and skin pounding of Overkill founder Rat Skates gives this album a unique character, slightly different and more punk influenced than their bay area peers (testament, metallica). The songwriting is well thought out and at times a bit more complex than their later albums, yet it still retains the balls out anthems such as Rotten to the Core and Raise The Dead. I think the thing I like about this album is that Overkill seems so innocent and I'm not talking about the lyrics (alcohol, evil, destruction etc...) but about belonging to a certain scene - I can't explain it but Feel the Fire seems detached from everyone else, definitley drawing influences from Maiden, priest as well as various punk bands. While the production belongs in the early 80's before a bunch of thrash bands started the high end thin production, which sadly ruined a lot of albums. Overkill has gone on to produce several albums, but this is the first, purest and one of the best examples of Overkill as a band and thrash metal in general.
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