Review by Brett Parmenter / ParMetal Media / CRANNK
Firstly, thank you one and all for welcoming me to Crannk. I hope I can meet your expectations and live up to the towering standards Crannk has set over the last decade. With that said, let’s get the fuck on with it, shall we!
Overt Enemy jump right out of the box with “Resinated.” Fuck me, what a start! I love the end of this song; I am a sucker for guitar solos and fast drumming after all. And just when you think the song is over, it kicks back in and starts kicking your ass again! Gimme slamming riffs and give ‘em to me now! What a great start from the 4-piece out of Texas.
“No One Left To Die” is a fast, take-no-prisoners track that offers the question to the listener: what the fuck happens when there is no one else left? Is that what recent viruses, diseases, and global destruction have done to our psyche? Brilliantly crafted, and a question I think most of us have asked recently. “One more false move and we’re fucked” is a line that sticks out to me, because it’s true! We, as a society, are one bomb drop, one pandemic (man-made or natural), or one bad political decision away from total annihilation. So, it begs the question: what will happen when there’s no one left to die? Will you want to be around to answer that question?
“In the Dust The Truth Remains.” Poignant. The name of the game is control over everything we do. Speak the wrong words, post something that is “wrong speak” online, or dare to cross the line in any way, shape, or form, and “they” will come for you. Truth seems to be a dirty word nowadays, but here’s a little truth for you regardless of my punishment: the breakdowns in this ditty are fucking ruthless! The triple-headed vocals add to the angst of the song. The question that needs to be asked is, do any of us really know what the truth is anymore? Misinformation and disinformation are fed to us like fucking Coco-Pops. We are not meant to know “The Truth,” and we never will.
“Bleed Like I Do” starts a little slow with a cool drumbeat, but holy shit does this song EXPLODE into an agonisingly astonishing apocalypse. Another truth told only by the ones of us with the balls to say it. We are not the same as our overlords. They sleep and dine in comfort while the rest of us eke out a living, wondering if we’ll make it through another day without being completely fucked over by our “rulers.” They don’t bleed like we do. They’ll never live like we live. Don’t ever wish your days away — you never know when your last one might be. Breakdowns galore and a fuckload of ferocity to fire up the populous yearning for freedom. Just what the world needs.
“Psychotic Episode” is one for the ages. You feel the psycho seeping from your skin when you listen to this track. Losing your grip on sanity. Standing on the edge of the abyss and staring into nothingness before you take the first step. Missing the essence that makes you, you. The anger in this song is palpable. Imagine a room full of psychotic people told to fight until there is only one left standing, and you’ll touch on the spirit of this song. Guitars wailing, drums battered like the brawling psychos, and screaming vocals set the tone for Psychotic Episode, a track not to be missed.
“Go Hard or Go Home” starts with savagery and does not let up. Living up to its namesake, this track goes fucking hard! It’s a saying we’ve all said at one time or another. I know I’ve said it plenty of times. I know I’ve lived it a time or two as well. But as far as this song goes, it’s a fucking classic. Perhaps not one for daytime radio, but certainly one for the true metalheads out there who live by this creed. Go Hard or Go Home gets my blood pumping, so next time I get a chance, I’m going fucking hard! Before I go home, that is. I’m old, what do you expect?
“Eradication” hits you like a tsunami of sound right off the bat. Guitar acrobatics aplenty and a spine as solid as a 60-inch-thick bank vault door. It creates the aesthetic for the thick atmosphere of the story. We can fight for as long as we can, but there are people out there that want to see the plebs of the world eradicated. Anyone remember a little thing starting with a “C” not so long ago? They “allegedly” tried but failed miserably. Problem is, now they know how much more lethal to make the next one — if you’re some sort of conspiracy theorist, wink wink, nudge nudge?! Will they get the eradication they want in the near future? Who knows? But they sure are giving it a red-hot go!
Next up is “Fire in the Skies,” not to be confused with the Ozzy classic “Fire in the Sky” (may the Prince of Darkness rest in peace). No, no — this song follows the overall theme of the album: extinction, eradication, and extermination of the people and the planet. Take up arms! Don’t make it easy for them, even if, at the end of the day, they have the superior arsenal. Make the fuckers work for it!
“Insurrection.” I feel like I’ve just been punched in the guts! It’s us or them. Simple as that. The breakdowns in this song are fucking insane. Beyond awesome in every way. Blast beats, stoner solo, everything a growing metalhead needs to grow up big and strong like us old fuckers! I’m having a chuckle right now. I actually need a walking stick at most shows, and I’m sure if I was ever to attend an Overt Enemy gig, I’d need the fucking thing just so I could stand after getting blown away by the enormity of the metal being executed with a perfection so rare. I’m actually kinda sad there’s only one more song to go, but considering this album was originally only meant to be an EP, I feel as though the red carpet has been rolled out for all metalheads — for we have been blessed with extra metal that wasn’t planned at the beginning of the writing and recording process.
In my best Casey Kasem voice: coming in at number ten is the final song on the new Overt Enemy album Insurrection, “Even Murder.” Unpredictable yet decisive, Even Murder ends this incredible album with an atomic blast-sized bang. Instrumentally flawless. Vocally vicious. And the solo — goddamn! Rarely do you hear an album that’s all killer, no filler, but I believe this is one of those needles in a haystack. The diamond in the rough.
The message is clear. If not from the titles of the songs on Insurrection, the lyrics certainly and wholeheartedly tell the story with a clear and purposeful vision. I can’t fault anything on this album. It flows like a river with the triple vocal attack of Leo Ortiz, Laura Ortiz, and Robert Hahn, which makes Overt Enemy as diverse as any band out there today. Probably even more so. And having overcome huge obstacles and battling chronic illness in their own personal lives, it’s a credit to the band to have pushed themselves from a Jeff Hanneman/Slayer cover band to the magnificent heights reached on Insurrection. It must be exceedingly satisfying — a tenacity seldom seen, and a fortitude forgotten by a lazy society.
To Leo “Lizard” Ortiz (guitar/vocals), Laura “Slayerella” Ortiz (bass/vocals), Robert Hahn (guitar/vocals), and Saul Castillo (drums): I thank you on behalf of metalheads around the world for delivering us such a dynamic piece of art. And on a personal note — thanks for all of those insane guitar solos. I love the smell of shreddin’ in the mornin’!
Ballsy, cantankerous, and categorically astounding, Insurrection deserves to live in infamy as one of the all-time great albums of the 2020s. Fucking insanely inordinate and relatable, Overt Enemy have kicked all the ass and taken all the names on Insurrection. I’ll be banging my head to this gold for as many years as I have left, and I’m hoping that’s a few, trust me.
OVERT ENEMY is:
- Leo “Lizard” Ortiz – Guitar/Vocals
- Laura “Slayerella” Ortiz – Bass/Vocals
- Robert Hahn – Guitar/Vocals
- Saul Castillo – Drums
Connect with OVERT ENEMY and learn more at overtenemy.com.
Streaming, CD & Vinyl: http://www.OvertEnemy.com
I’m having a fucking ball! Writing is my business, and business is good!🤘🏻🤣🤘🏻