To date, Overkill has released nineteen studio albums, an album of cover songs, two EPs, one demo tape and three live albums. They were one of the first thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament. Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with its second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987), which peaked at number 191 on the Billboard 200. The band's next five studio albums—Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. (1994)—were also successful on the Billboard charts, with the latter two cracking the top ten on the Top Heatseekers chart. Following their split from Atlantic in 1995, Overkill went through some label changes, but continued to enjoy moderate underground success, particularly in Europe and Japan. The band experienced a resurgence of popularity in the U.S. during the 2010s, with three of their studio albums released that decade—The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017)—reaching the top 100 on the charts. Overkill has sold over 16 million records worldwide; they are also estimated to have sold more than 625,000 records in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overkill_(band)
Studio albums
Feel the Fire (1985)
Taking Over (1987)
Under the Influence (1988)
The Years of Decay (1989)
Horrorscope (1991)
I Hear Black (1993)
W.F.O. (1994)
The Killing Kind (1996)
From the Underground and Below (1997)
Necroshine (1999)
Bloodletting (2000)
Killbox 13 (2003)
ReliXIV (2005)
Immortalis (2007)
Ironbound (2010)
The Electric Age (2012)
White Devil Armory (2014)
The Grinding Wheel (2017)
The Wings of War (2019)
Scorched (2023)
Hammerhead
Overkill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twisting what's left of my mind.
Tearing the same, this blood burning flame
Decaying all it can find.
Banging your head, stuck in the dread,
Leaving the posers behind.
Powers you see, the power you need
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Knocked to the floor, left wanting more.
Scars decorate your face...
Playing the game, your never the same
The heat is melting this place
Emotion and fire!!, you never tire
Running a death metal race...
Knife in the back, guitar heart attack
Murder, rest my case.
Hammer! Hammerhead
Hammer! Hammerhead
No one can stop, our way to the top!
No one can get in the way
Neck snapping force, taking its course.
Keeping the dogs at bay.
Nailed to the wall, giving your all
We know that you ain't dead.
We know your name, know why you came
Your a fucking hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead!
Hammer! Hammerhead!...
Hammer! Hammer!
The song "Hammerhead" by Overkill is all about the power and intensity of heavy metal music and its effect on listeners. The lyrics speak to the physical and emotional impact that the music has on the band and the audience, using violent and aggressive language to describe the experience. The first verse describes the pain and chaos that the music creates, "Feeling the pain as it rips through my brain, twisting what's left of my mind. Tearing the same, this blood burning flame, decaying all it can find." The second verse focuses on the power and aggression of the music, "Banging your head, stuck in the dread, leaving the posers behind. Powers you see, the power you need, nerves and bones we grind."
The chorus, with its repeated use of the word "Hammerhead," reinforces the idea of heavy metal's brute force and aggression, and encourages the audience to embrace their own power as listeners. The bridge of the song creates a picture of the physical toll that such intense music can take on those involved, "Emotion and fire!!, you never tire, running a death metal race... Knife in the back, guitar heart attack, murder, rest my case." The final verse brings the focus back to the band's strength and determination, "No one can stop, our way to the top! No one can get in the way. Neck snapping force, taking its course. Keeping the dogs at bay."
Overall, "Hammerhead" is an expression of the passion and intensity that heavy metal music can inspire in both performers and audiences, as well as a celebration of the power and strength that comes with embracing that experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Feeling the pain as it rips through my brain
Experiencing intense agony as the music penetrates my thoughts.
Twisting what's left of my mind.
Distorting and warping my already damaged mental state.
Tearing the same, this blood burning flame
Destroying everything it touches, fuelled by an intense passion.
Decaying all it can find.
Causing disintegration and decay in its wake.
Banging your head, stuck in the dread,
You headbang despite feeling the fear this music generates.
Leaving the posers behind.
Separating yourself from those who pretend to like the music simply to fit in.
Powers you see, the power you need
Finding strength and revitalization by embracing the powerful music.
Nerves and bones we grind.
Crushing and pulverizing our very beings with the sheer intensity.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Calling forth the powerful energy of the song.
Knocked to the floor, left wanting more.
Feeling knocked down and overwhelmed but still craving for more of the music.
Scars decorate your face...
Showing the physical evidence of the toll of the heavy metal music on your body.
Playing the game, your never the same
Engaging in the challenging nature of the music, allowing it to transform you.
The heat is melting this place
The intense passion is causing everything to melt and merge together.
Emotion and fire!!, you never tire
Feeling the rawness and intensity of the music, remaining energized and enthralled.
Running a death metal race...
Participating in a competitive musical journey, fuelled by death metal.
Knife in the back, guitar heart attack
Being betrayed by the music and being stabbed in the heart with its intensity.
Murder, rest my case.
Death metal is so powerful that it can lead to murder or even take a life.
No one can stop, our way to the top!
Moving onwards and upwards with the unstoppable force of heavy metal.
No one can get in the way
No one can get in between the heavy metal fans and their passion for the music.
Neck snapping force, taking its course.
The music's neck-snapping force taking control and leading the way.
Keeping the dogs at bay.
Defending against all those who stand in opposition to the power of heavy metal.
Nailed to the wall, giving your all
Being pinned in place by the unrelenting force of the music, giving everything you have.
We know that you ain't dead.
The music has drained you, but it has not killed you.
We know your name, know why you came
Heavy metal fans know who you are and why you embrace the music.
Your a fucking hammerhead.
A term of identity, describing someone who is unmistakably and unapologetically a fan of heavy metal.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
A commanding call to invoke the power of the heavy metal music.
Hammer! Hammerhead!
Reinforcing the power and intensity of the last call to action.
Hammer! Hammerhead!...
A triumphant continuation of the calls toward the indomitable energy of heavy metal music.
Hammer! Hammer!
The energy and intensity of the music still ringing out, refusing to be silenced.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Soler
Eeling the pain as it rips through my brain
Twisting whats left of my mind.
Tearing the same, this blood burning flame
Decaying all it can find.
Banging your head, stuck in the dread,
Leaving the posers behind.
Powers you see, the power you need
Nerves and bones we grind.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Knocked to the floor, left wanting more.
Scars decorate your face…
Playing the game, your never the same
The heat is melting this place
Emotion and fire!!, you never tire
Running a death metal race…
Kinfe in te back, guitar heart attack
Murder, rest my case.
Hammer! Hammerhead
Hammer! Hammerhead
No one can stop, our way to the top!
No one can get in the way
Necksnapping force, taking its course.
Keeping the dogs at bay.
Nailed to the wall, giving your all
We know that you ain’t dead.
We know your name, know why you came
Your a fucking hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead.
Hammer! Hammerhead!
Hammer! Hammerhead…
Hammer! Hammer!
Marc Beaulieu
Bobby's almost 60 and still sings like a young 20 years old metal dude, Overkill rulz!
Jorge1496
Here is new video from DVD my friends "Rotten To The Core"
https://youtu.be/wRczpCyXndA
Shannon James
Absolutely man.. that dude had a stroke on stage n everything.. and he's still killin it.. he sounds just as good now as he did back in the 80s.. he actually sounds better now than he did.. he just gets better n better w age I guess lol.. but you are so right man..
marc 2000 z
Bobby is like a fine wine, he just gets better and better with time 🙂
sa ba
You know if you ask me he sounds more awesome
sa ba
Marc Beaulieu I love all of metal \m/
FesteringKadaver
Overkill is a highly underrated band. These guys are metal at some of its best.
Daby
GaëlB Galbar uhhh Overkill is fucking amazing. Just because you prefer a different band such as Exodus or Megadeth (which I also love) doesn’t invalidate the quality that Overkill produces on their albums. Regarding the comment about Megadeth being more “heavy, melodic, and complex” I have to say
1: Overkill is still very heavy as they have always been while Megadeth is inconsistent in that manner
2: Both Megadeth and Overkill are melodic. Hell I’d say Overkill is MORE melodic than Megadeth these days
3: Megadeth hasn’t produced very complex songs in a long time. Dystopia and Endgame aren’t very complex and I feel like those are some of their best albums in recent years.
It’s okay to like whatever you like but let’s not put down the stuff and quality of material Overkill has produced.
Jorge1496
Here is new video from DVD my friends "Rotten To The Core"
https://youtu.be/wRczpCyXndA
Shannon James
@Matt Davis exactly bro.. one of the most consistent metal bands in the game.. and have been since the beginning.. especially when rat skates was in the band.. that dude was a marketing machine.. just a genius at what he did w that band.. I agree 100 percent w you man..