There’s some headscratching going on over at the Review Desk. The powers that be of the metal interweb threw American thrashers Overt Enemy into our lap, wordily touting its wares in often flowery language. An act from Mission, Texas,1 who had – and I quote “…carved a name for itself in the global metal scene…” happily riding into the sunset on all that newfound global fame. Or something.
And that sounds great, except that their 2025 tour happens all around the Lone Star State. And the only live location abroad that we could find was the UK. Back in 2018. There must be a different understanding of global out there, unless you think that posting on Spotify gets you trve global reach.2 Thus, unsurprisingly, the RMR crew never heard of them, even though the band saw the light of day in 2013 already.
Fun fact: The band’s newest piece, Insurrection also serves as their debut after a whopping 12 years of (in)action. To the band’s credit, Overt Enemy started out as a Slayer tribute act, so some of these years weren’t really spent on true songsmithing. But they have been at it since 2019, which is impressive nonetheless. A record that was set to become yet another EP, but morphed into a full-length through extended mission creep, I guess.
The outcome, however, is brutal. The moment Insurrection leaves the dock, Resinated will get you a first glimpse of where this is heading. This one’s already raw Thrash Metal fury incarnate, albeit with some subdued groove slammed on it. And unsurprisingly, the Slayer influence really gushes to the forefront. Yet to just accuse them of copycat would be unfair. And that, even if you sport a bassist called Slayerella.3 Instead, Overt Enemy roar forth with a style of thrash that relegates Metallica straight into the glitz of Metal o’ the Light. And that comes mixed with a speed problem that feels like emanating from a drag truck fueled by kerosene. Plus, an almost punk-esque ferocity that’s full of hard-hitting, savage beatz. Hardcore-infused vocal shouting matches, forays into Death Metal, and specifically some sort of Swedeath-ish incursions will round this all up.
In other words, Insurrection serves a blend of Extreme Metal somewhere in between Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, and Fear Factory to fend off the ghosts of Slayer some. And all of that delivered with the grace of a disgruntled punk band from the ’80s with a death wish and too many drugs on offer. That said, the record cannot hide its roots nor can it shake those Neanderthal vibes. Boring through heaps of metal like a runaway tunnel machine on steroids didn’t let them shake their devotion to Slayer. Even if they tried, and try they did.
Ultimately, Insurrection will have a lot to give to fans of the mosh pit. It exudes a sense of dark, steamy underground music halls, filled with an endless barrage of razor-sharp shards of Death, Thrash, and Punk Metal until the music machine gives up the ghost. Or the drummer has a heart attack, that is. Whatever comes first. As to this reviewer, the record will serve nicely to melt some mental fat off our bodies for a few late-night listening sessions. But we surely will not wake up at 4 am to turn up the volume or have it on our internal playlists for any length of time.
Now, if you excuse me. More metal awaits this crew.
Record Rating: 5/10 | Label: Self-Released | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 26 September 2025