Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands. The band has a notable mascot named Chaly, a skeletal bat with a skull-like face, bony wings, and green eyes. Chaly has appeared on most of their album covers. To date, Overkill has released 16 studio albums, 2 EPs, 2 live albums and a "covers" album. They were one of the early thrash metal... bands to sign to a major label , though Overkill would not achieve commercial success until they popularized "thrash" in the late 1980s with their contemporaries Anthrax, Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Testament. The band achieved its biggest success with their 1993 album I Hear Black, which debuted at #122 on the Billboard 200 charts, the band's highest ever chart position in the United States.
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| Career began: | 1980 |
| Members: | Dan Spitz, Bobby Gustafson, Tim Mallare, Joe Comeau, Sebastian Marino, D.D. Verni, Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, Ron Lipnicki, Derek Tailer, Rob Cannavino, Dave Linsk |
| Hometown: | New Jersey |
| Also known as: | Overkill |