OVERKILL Frontman Discusses Making Of 'Ironbound'

Jesse Capps of Rock Confidential recently conducted an interview with vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL. An excerpt from the chat follows below..

Rock Confidential: I'm gonna jump in and say you must be pleased with the promotion for "Ironbound".

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: I am. It's fuckin' huge, man. We've never taken this lightly. Love us or hate us or if you think one record is better than the other, that's just normal. When you put everything into a record and then hand it over to someone who takes it lightly, it's not a good working relationship. With E1 in North America and Nuclear Blast for the rest of the world, we're just overwhelmed with the response we're getting for this record. That's due to the fact of the record's strength and both of those labels are heavy hitters when it comes to getting the word out. It's a good relationship, here. It's a weird world now. I've been in the business for so long now that I can look at it objectively from a distance. I know how it was pre-Al Gore's Internet. I remember putting fliers on windshields to promote yourself and even using faxes. It's quite a different time. Promotion was much different then. The modern technology has changed the industry but it's also positively changed the promotion, too. You can get the word out through your website and any of the social networking tools that are out there. Any label that wants to stay current has got to use that stuff.

Rock Confidential: What about doing interviews. Does it ever get old or redundant to you or do you relish every bit of it?

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: Obviously it's repetitive. A lot of questions fall into certain categories. There is opportunity in this. I think that's one of the reasons OVERKILL has attained longevity. We recognize opportunity, no matter how big or small. That's what keeps us grounded to understanding those opportunities. They're all necessary regardless of size. You have to look at each opportunity as a chance of broadening your metal horizons. I look back and count the years now and not the days. It's kinda cool.

Rock Confidential: How long has "Ironbound" been finished?

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: We finished it in September. I was still dropping a few vocal things in. You're never really finished until there is a final mix done. We were finished September 15 but I still recorded bits and pieces here and there up until the first week of October. It was mixed in about 2 1/2 weeks. It was delivered prior to November 1.

Rock Confidential: Was anything done differently in the studio this time around or have you guys pretty much got your formula nailed down?

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: We're always open to new ideas. In regards to technology you don't have to work together. There's always a point where we choose to work together. You need everybody there when drum tracks are being done, for instance. Maybe someone will disappear after that. There is that old-school recording principle of being in the room with each other. There's also a cool thing of not being there in the day but getting a rough mix that night of what they've done in the studio. I could pop into a studio I use that's 40 minutes from here because what they've done is awesome and I could change what I'm doing. We adapt as time goes on. We keep the principle that makes metal what metal is, what makes rock and roll what rock and roll is. That being in the same room and creating it together, especially in the beginning. Then we really embrace the technological end of it and can have privacy to ourselves. Our formula is ever-changing.

Rock Confidential: Was there anything you decided upfront that you wanted to change before you entered the studio? Maybe a certain sound you wanted to work with as far as guitar tones or drums go?

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: You want a certain cohesive feel between guitars and drums. That's what you want in metal. I know it's weird coming out of the singer's mouth. Whenever I mix it's really about the drum sound and building from that point up. When it comes to production you have to start with the best sounding drums that you have. Yes, there's a conscious effort. Our initial vision was changed when it got to Peter (Tägtgren, producer). He could hear it for the first time. He turned some of our original visions and got us on board. You hire a guy for a reason. The reason he hired him is because of his ears and what he's been doing in the industry for the last 10 years or so. Sure, there's an initial vision. It changes as the recording develops. The initial as compared to the final can be two totally different things.

Rock Confidential: I've read countless pieces recently where the writer will say something about OVERKILL sounding more and more old-school with each release. I'm pretty sure that's just what comes out. There may be obvious hints here or there but I think you guys sound just as contemporary as ever. What some people call old-school is simply just OVERKILL. What do you think?

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: That's a cool take on it. A person's definition of old-school is different to everybody. One of the things OVERKILL is — first and foremost — is OVERKILL. That's what makes it unique. Sure, it's within a genre. Maybe even pigeonholed to some degree. With us it's about progress and evolution. That evolution is about reinventing yourself. If you've read interviews with me recently that "reinvent" word always comes up. It's really about taking a step. If you can really establish the fact that this is your vibe and your style but present it differently without rehashing it, there's your contemporary value. It's really a combination of both. It's rooted in old-school and us knowing who we are. We are what we are. Let the evolution happen.

Read the entire interview from Rock Confidential.