Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. Th… Read Full Bio ↴Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only constant members. In addition to Verni and Ellsworth, Overkill's current lineup includes Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar and Jason Bittner on drums. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, whose one-time lead guitarist Dan Spitz was also an early member of Overkill, the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal. The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly", a skeletal bat with a skull-like face, horns, bony wings and green eyes, who has appeared on most of their album covers.

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)

Loaded Rack
Overkill Lyrics

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Rolling like a thunderfucker, green light night trucker
Got an eye full a' something to love
Get it up, bring it down, I know it over 'till I hit the ground
Train sane homicide, nothing like a suicide
Gaze into the skies abover
Keep it up, knock it down, I don't see anybody else around

I will eat your soul in broad daylight

Front the all seeing watchful eye
Barrel like a train in the dead of night
Where the good things pass me by

I am always ready, though I never had no guns
I am holding steady, with a bullet in my....
Run...

All I want is just a loaded rack
Domination, strapped across my back
All I want is just to keep it low
Do I need to tell you
Where you can go

Keeping with the time line, had my fill turpentine
Drank until I didn;t know why
Lift it up, chug it down,
Wonder why I'm always layin' on the ground

Waste face out a place, just outside the human race
(Keep it) in the (bloodshot) public eye
Style up, bring it down
Think they all hate me, when I do fall down

Screaming like a hog tied, pig slut crunch
In my own private Slaughterhouse 5
Spittin' out the souls that I ate for lunch
And I'm happy just to be alive

I'm not always ready, but I can't speak for my guns
Sometimes I think I'm Freddy
Though he never had no... fun

I can't believe my hands are growing cold
Give me all the good inside your soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Loaded Rack" by Overkill is a heavy metal anthem that exudes raw energy and aggression. The lyrics speak of a truck driver who is always on the move, living life on the edge, and searching for the thrill of the kill. The opening lines paint a picture of a man with a lust for life, tearing up the highways and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He's on a mission to seek out the best things in life, and he won't stop until he finds them. The chorus, "All I want is just a loaded rack, domination strapped across my back," asserts his desire to be the leader of the pack, the alpha male who takes control of every situation.

The verses delve deeper into the psyche of the singer, revealing his darker thoughts and impulses. He threatens to "eat your soul in broad daylight" and speaks of the pleasure he derives from spitting out the souls he's consumed. He's a man who is always ready for a fight, even if he's not always armed. He's always on the lookout for the next challenge, and he won't back down until he's victorious. The bridge section is a moment of introspection, as the song's protagonist confronts his own mortality, wondering why his hands are growing cold and seeking the warmth of someone's soul.

Line by Line Meaning

Rolling like a thunderfucker, green light night trucker
Driving fast like thunder, cruising through green lights like a pro truck driver

Got an eye full a' something to love
Seeing something that makes your heart skip a beat

Get it up, bring it down, I know it over 'till I hit the ground
Life is about ups and downs, and it won't be over until you die

Train sane homicide, nothing like a suicide
Killing someone in a planned way is different from killing oneself

Gaze into the skies abover
Looking up at the sky above

Keep it up, knock it down, I don't see anybody else around
Keep trying, even if you fail, because nobody else is around to do it for you

I will eat your soul in broad daylight
I will take everything from you without any shame or secrecy

Front the all seeing watchful eye
Facing a powerful, vigilant entity of some sort

Barrel like a train in the dead of night
Moving forward with great force and speed through darkness

Where the good things pass me by
Feeling like the good things in life always elude you

I am always ready, though I never had no guns
Always prepared and alert, but without any weapons

I am holding steady, with a bullet in my....
Remaining calm and stable despite being in a dangerous situation

Run...
Trying to escape from something or someone

All I want is just a loaded rack
All I want is to have control and power

Domination, strapped across my back
Having complete control and authority in all situations

All I want is just to keep it low
I just want to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble

Do I need to tell you Where you can go
While asking if anything more needs to be said, implying that the destination is not a good one

Keeping with the time line, had my fill turpentine
Going with the flow of time, and having had enough to drink

Drank until I didn't know why
Continued drinking even when there was no reason to

Lift it up, chug it down, Wonder why I'm always layin' on the ground
Drinking more alcohol without regard to the consequences, and then wondering why they always end up on the ground

Waste face out a place, just outside the human race
Being in a state of intoxication where they feel isolated and not part of the human race

(Keep it) in the (bloodshot) public eye
Keeping themselves in the spotlight, even when it takes a toll on their appearance

Style up, bring it down
Trying to look their best, while also bringing attention to themselves

Think they all hate me, when I do fall down
Feeling like everyone dislikes them, especially when they fail

Screaming like a hog tied, pig slut crunch
Screaming in a wild, uncontrolled manner

In my own private Slaughterhouse 5
Being in their own world of chaos and destruction, like in the book Slaughterhouse Five

Spittin' out the souls that I ate for lunch
Feeling as though they have taken something precious from someone else and discarded it

And I'm happy just to be alive
Being grateful for being alive, despite their chaotic lifestyle

I'm not always ready, but I can't speak for my guns
They are not always prepared, but their weapons always are

Sometimes I think I'm Freddy, Though he never had no... fun
Sometimes they feel like a fictional character named Freddy, who was not known for having a good time

I can't believe my hands are growing cold
Feeling shocked or surprised that they are losing control of their situation

Give me all the good inside your soul
Asking someone to give them their best qualities

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARLO VERNI, ROBERT JOSEPH ELLSWORTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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