OVERKILL Frontman Talks About 'Bring Me The Night' Video

RockMusicStar.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RockMusicStar.com: [Your] "Bring Me The Night" [video] was shot in Brooklyn, New York on January 9th. Tell us about the concept for the video.

Bobby: It is straight performance.. The effects are primarily the lighting. It is filmed with a real high-end camera. So it looks film like almost movie production like something you would see in a theater regarding the quality of the video itself. We did the majority of the video in silhouette with side lighting also. It is kind of unique concept. It was done by gentlemen called Kevin Custer who has rap under his belt, metal, hardcore. He has done HATEBREED DVD and videos, the last TESTAMENT video. He has quite a repertoire. He is a visionary with regard to understanding what goes on. Prior to this, he is a member of the scene. He has done everything from slam dance to play drums in bands. He absolutely understands the songs from start to finish.

RockMusicStar.com: Was the video strictly live performance?

Bobby: It is primarily live performance. I mean, really, that is what it is. It is us performing in front of those lights more so in silhouette. It is really hard to explain because if you see it might be a little bit different to you. It lights us primarily from the side and back. It is unique. It almost looks like it is in black and white but it is actually in color. It is a really, really, cool concept that he came up with regard to lighting and using the strength. And the strength obviously is the performance.

RockMusicStar.com: It was watching "Metal Mania" a few weeks ago and they played one of the first OVERKILL videos. How has making videos changed since the heyday of metal back in the heyday of the MTV days?

Bobby: I suppose with regard to technology the cameras change as much as people tweet and Facebook etc, etc. I mean, technology is just different. But with regard to doing the video, we always relied on live performance for our videos. We really always relied on what OVERKILL does in front of the camera as opposed to what a director sees be it footage or unusual situations for the band. So it is really live performance for us and always has been. So nothing has really changed for us. Maybe the lighting has gotten better; maybe the cameras have gotten better. Technology has gotten better. But I think the band has always been what the band is. Whether we get better or not, we are still about that live performance.

RockMusicStar.com: I remember during our earlier interviews at the magazine that OVERKILL has a distinctive sound that you really don't stray to far way from the secret formula that launched your career and made you successful. In making "Ironbound" did you go back into your mindset of the early thrash days? What was running through your mind when making the album and what did you want to accomplish in the studio when recording your 15th album, "Ironbound"?

Bobby: Yes, it is unbelievable. I don't think anything ran through our minds specifically as the songs took shape and were assembled we were coming right off the road. That was really the X factor with this. What made this record what it is,is the fact that in March we were touring and in April we started assembling. This is that little bit kick in the pants that can put it over the top. We did a lot of touring for "Immortalis" with a lot of fresh type touring for 'Immortalis' with regard to our set list and with regards to bands that we toured with some of the younger thrash bands like Warbinger. But also some of the old school guys like ourselves in EXODUS. So I think that when you come off like a OVERKILL/EXODUS tour and go into the studio in April to start recording drum tracks you are really bringing the stage into the studio. That becomes that unseen element, unplanned element. Then all the plans go away, as you start achieving something that has more energy that you initially thought it would have. I really think that was the over the top element. The fact that we came off from the road and into the studio.

RockMusicStar.com: OVERKILL really started it all. It is so exciting to see the back on top. Do you see a trend going back to old-school '80s metal and thrash metal? I mean, there wouldn't be all the younger bands of thrash metal today if not for OVERKILL paving the way for them to follow.

Bobby: There is a huge resurgence with regard to how the younger bands are re-celebrating this. I think that is due to them. There is an interest in the old school. There was some great records released by TESTAMENT last year, the new MEGADETH record is fantastic. It just goes on and on. I think it is because the newer bands have put a new refound interest in this. You can see the newer bands but you can also see where they come from. Let's say EXODUS, TESTAMENT and MEGADETH and OVERKILL, for instance. I think that because of this a 20-year-old thrash fan can go out and see WARBINGER or also be able to see TESTAMENT or OVERKILL. It really shows the value in this. I think that when we all signed on for this it felt like a life long commitment to it. In our case, it has been. Now that it has transcended to three and half generations. Again, it shows the value of it. You go from the '80s to 2010 — that is quite an amount of time.

Read the entire interview from RockMusicStar.com.