OVERKILL's D.D. VERNI On Next Album: 'I Think It's A Little Bit Of A Continuation Of The Last Record'

Veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL will enter the studio next month to begin recording the follow-up to 2017's "The Grinding Wheel" album. The disc will mark the band's recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM),who joined OVERKILL last year.

Speaking to Conny Schiffbauer of WDR's "Rockpalast" at last weekend's Rock Hard Festival in Germany, OVERKILL bassist D.D. Vernistated about the band's next album: "We're in the studio, actually, in two weeks or so. Right when we get home from this, we have a couple of weeks off, and then we start the new record. So that's written and done, and that's supposed to be out in February next year."

Asked about the musical direction of the new OVERKILL material, Verni said: "It's similar to our last record. I guess there's maybe a little bit more traditional metal in there, 'cause I've been kind of liking that lately. So the thrash stuff mixed with some of our roots stuff. But I think it's a little bit of a continuation of the last record. And it's our first record with our new drummer Jason, and he's just a fucking great drummer — really, really good. So I'm excited to try him… [to make] the first [record] with him. And we'll see how it goes."

According to Verni, OVERKILL has yet to come up with a title for the forthcoming album. "Sometimes we have a name this early, but this time, we've got nothing," he said. "We don't know what the cover's gonna be, we don't know what the name of the record's gonna be, we have no clue. So we'll get to that. But the songs I'm really excited about. They're a lot further along, actually, than we are in the writing process a lot. So we'll see how it goes. I'm excited."

D.D. added that he doesn't have any particular favorites among the songs that OVERKILL has written for the next album. "It's hard to say, because Blitz isn't completely done yet," he explained. "And then sometimes when you're in the studio, things change. Sometimes one that you loved on the demo maybe you don't love as much. Or one that was, 'That one is just okay,' turns out to be so great. So it's hard to say, really, till they're done. We'll see."

OVERKILL released the "Live In Overhausen" DVD and Blu-Ray on May 18 via Nuclear Blast. The set was recorded two years ago in Oberhausen, Germany, where OVERKILL celebrated the 25th anniversary of "Horrorscope" and 30th anniversary of "Feel The Fire" by performing both albums in their entirety.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral