| Under the Influence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Overkill | ||||
| Released | July 5, 1988 (1988-07-05) | |||
| Recorded | March–April 1988 | |||
| Studio | Pyramid Studios, Ithaca, New York | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 47:51 | |||
| Label | Megaforce, Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Overkill, Alex Perialas | |||
| Overkill chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Under the Influence | ||||
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Under the Influence is the third studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 5, 1988 through Megaforce Records and Atlantic Records. This was Overkill's first album to feature drummer Sid Falck, who had replaced Rat Skates when the latter left the band in 1987 during the Taking Over tour.
Touring and promotion
Overkill toured for six months to promote Under the Influence, touring alongside thrash acts Nuclear Assault, M.O.D., Destruction and Testament. From October to December 1988, the band toured the United States with Slayer and Motörhead, followed by a European tour with Slayer and Nuclear Assault, which took place in January 1989.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Jason Anderson at AllMusic awarded Under the Influence three stars out of five, calling it "another confident, if unremarkable Overkill recording", while listing "Overkill III (Under the Influence)", "Shred", "Never Say Never" and "Hello from the Gutter" as highlights. The album reached No. 142 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for thirteen weeks, making it Overkill's longest Billboard run. It is also their third highest-charting album to date, with over 300,000 copies sold worldwide as of 1997.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bobby Gustafson, D.D. Verni and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shred" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Never Say Never" | 4:58 |
| 3. | "Hello from the Gutter" | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Mad Gone World" | 4:31 |
| 5. | "Brainfade" | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Drunken Wisdom" | 6:17 |
| 7. | "End of the Line" | 7:03 |
| 8. | "Head First" | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Overkill III (Under the Influence)" | 6:33 |
| Total length: | 47:51 | |
Personnel
- Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth – lead vocals
- D.D. Verni – bass, backing vocals
- Bobby Gustafson – guitars, backing vocals
- Sid Falck – drums
Additional personnel
- Overkill – production
- Alex Perialas – engineering, production
- Rob Hunter – engineering assistance
- Michael Wagener – mixing
- Lori Fumar – mixing assistance
- George Marino – mastering
- Jon Zazula, Marsha Zazula – executive production
- Dan Muro, Pat Calello – art direction
- Rich Larson, Steve Fastner – cover illustration
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) | 10 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 42 |
| US Billboard 200 | 142 |
References
- "Overkill – Hello From The Gutter". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- "Overkill – Head First". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ "Over Kill;". metallipromo.com. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ^ Anderson, Jason. "Under the Influence - Overkill". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- "Under the Influence - Overkill | Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ^ "Overkill - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- Nalbandian, Bob (1997). "Interview with Bobby Blitz". HardRadio. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Overkill – Under the Influence" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- "Overkill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
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