BravePicks 2019 - OVERKILL's The Wings Of War #13
December 19, 2019, 4 years ago
As Dark Angel famously said, “Time Does Not Heal”, but it certainly moves fast and here we are again, staring at our annual BravePicks countdown where the devout scribes at BraveWords get to stand up and shout! 2019, yet another banner year for extreme music, whether you call it heavy metal or not. We do, cuz we wear it on our sleeves! So the votes are in and the compiling is complete! It's time to crown the winners and put the noose around the bands that truly let us down.
So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2019 each day in December!
Everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! And stay tuned in January for the writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2019? and Metal Predictions For 2020. All will be showcased come the New Year!
So let’s commence the good, bad and ugly of 2019! First up, the Top 30 releases of 2019!
BravePicks 2019
13) OVERKILL – The Wings Of War (Nuclear Blast)
The New Jersey punks are back in full force! Overkill keeps grinding at the wheel and 2019 is no different as the seed has spread with The Wings Of War. Welcoming newcomer Jason Bittner behind the kit, The Wings Of War is full of stunning thrashers check marked by Bobby Blitz’s signature snarl and humor, as evidenced by “Welcome To The Garden State”. The masterclass of thrash has been nonstop since 2010’s Ironbound. While their peers have up and down in quality and inspiration, the ‘Kill has only strengthened and it is no different with The Wings Of War as it takes the #13 spot on our countdown!
As scribe Mark Gromen remarked in his review: “Paradoxically, the album actually kicks off with ‘Last Man Standing’, a pulsating mechanized/industrialized drone eventually morphing into newboy Jason Bittner's drums, followed quickly by the requisite shuffle of guitars and Blitz trademark caterwaul. Fine lead work by Dave Linsk on this one. Second song (of two) that mentions ‘fighting’, nice change of of tempo, midway through ‘Believe In The Fight’. Thematically also two-in-a-row about the band's viability/longevity. Can't help but think some of the retirements, (forced or otherwise) by contemporaries, like Slayer, haven't crept into the songwriter's psyche.”
BravePicks 2019 Top 30
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13) OVERKILL - The Wings Of War (Nuclear Blast)
14) CANDLEMASS - The Door To Doom (Napalm)
15) MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST - Revelation (Nuclear Blast)
16) QUEENSRŸCHE - The Verdict (Century Media)
17) SABATON - The Great War (Nuclear Blast)
18) WHITESNAKE - Flesh & Blood (Frontiers)
19) GATECREEPER - Deserted (Relapse)
20) GRAND MAGUS - Wolf God (Nuclear Blast)
21) DESTRUCTION - Born To Perish (Nuclear Blast)
22) TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION - High In The Saddle (eOne)
23) EXHUMED - Horror (Relapse)
24) DEATH ANGEL - Humanicide (Nuclear Blast)
25) BEAST IN BLACK - From Hell With Love (Nuclear Blast)
26) D-A-D - A Prayer For The Loud (AFM)
27) IDLE HANDS - Mana (Eisenwald)
28) HELL FIRE - Mania (Riding Easy)
29) SOILWORK - Verkligheten (Nuclear Blast)
30) MEMORIAM – Requiem For Mankind (Nuclear Blast)
