OVERKILL singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth talked to “Appetite for Distortion” podcast about his current residence in Vernon, New Jersey, says (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m about 60 miles west of the George Washington Bridge. So I live up in northwest Jersey. I’m closer to Pennsylvania than I am to New York City; I’m only about 20 miles from PA. But this is what they call Skylands. It’s kind of a resort area. It’s the part of Jersey that a lot of people from Brooklyn and Queens try to keep the hell out of here. The point is, it’s a resort area – ski slopes, outdoors. I I’ve had black bears hibernating on my property now for 15 years so I’ve known all the mothers, all the cubs etc etc. And at the same time I’ve raised German Shepherds. So I have black bears on the property and having German Shepherds which you think would be a big problem. But everything is, it’s a push and shove of “stay back, go over the fence” – that kind of thing. So it’s actually cool. If you’re into nature and riding motorcycles and skiing, this is the place to be .”
Asked if he’s ever written a thrash song about a bear, Bobby said: “No, I didn’t write it specifically about a bear, but there can be the scary moments. I have an old cabin – it’s kind of where you go when you’re skiing, with a fireplace and the whole thing. And my office was in the basement looking out the back. And I wrote—I forget which record; it might have been ‘Ironbound’ record (2010) – and sure enough, there is one by the window. I speak 400 pounds black, stand up and look in through the side window. It must have smelled something cooking. And it scared me enough to actually finish the song. So I didn’t write it about the bear, but the inspiration was there.”
OVERKILL‘s twentieth studio album, “Sweat”will be released on April 14 via Records of nuclear explosions. The LP offered a new recording environment for OVERKILL as all members were able to record on their own during the pandemic. The mixing of the plate was taken care of Colin Richardson and his assistant engineer Chris Clancy. Johnny Rodd helped produce vocals, and finally, Major Appelbaum took over to master and add the finishing touches. The band returned to the artist Travis Smith to create the album cover.
Richardson previously worked with OVERKILL in the 1997s “From the underground and below”The 2000s “Discharge” and the 2013s “Killbox 13”.
OVERKILL spent most of 2019 and early 2020 touring in support of his 19th studio LP, “Wings of War”which was published four years ago.
“Wings of War” marked OVERKILL‘s recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOW SHEEP, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), who joined the band in 2017.