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OVERKILL – TAKING OVER 1987 – Thrash Metal New Jersey!

overkill band 1980s old school thrash metal

Overkill’s First Journey Into “Major Label Success”

Taking Over is the second album by Overkill. It was released in 1987 on Atlantic/Megaforce in the US and Noise International in Europe. The album is Overkill’s last with drummer Rat Skates. He left the band in 1987 and was replaced by Sid Falck. Taking Over was the first major label release on Atlantic. Overkill remained on Atlantic up to W.F.O. (1994).

Some Fun “Taking Over” Facts

  • It was Overkill’s first release to chart, reaching position 191 on the Billboard 200, and included classics like “Wrecking Crew” and “In Union We Stand” which still played at nearly every Overkill show.
  • Rat Skates decided to leave the band shortly after touring to support the album, citing several creative differences.
  • Bob “Sid” Falck, a former member of Paul Dianno’s band, would replace him. The band stopped touring and only played locally around New Jersey and New York. They also began to wring new material together.

Original Artwork and Bootlegging

Because of the popularity of this release, it is highly bootlegged on eBay, Discogs, and other online marketplaces. I have provided for you refernce some pictures of what the original Megaforce artwork should look like.

Listen To The Full Album On YouTube


No. | Title | Length

1. “Deny the Cross” 4:43
2. “Wrecking Crew” 4:32
3. “Fear His Name” 5:24
4. “Use Your Head” 4:19
5. “Fatal if Swallowed” 6:45
6. “Powersurge” 4:36
7. “In Union We Stand” 4:26
8. “Electro-Violence” 3:45
9. “Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues)” 7:07

Total length: 45:37

6 thoughts on “OVERKILL – TAKING OVER 1987 – Thrash Metal New Jersey!”

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