In a recent chat with Germany’s Moshpit Passion, Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth from Overkill revealed when the next album might come out.
“Well, we just kind of slot it into a timeframe,” the vocalist said. “We’re looking at, I suppose, the majority of the first half of 2025 as being that timeframe for the writing. And probably recording by the end of 2025 and then releasing in 2026.”
He continued his words, “Now I don’t know who we’re gonna release with — I mean, I assume it’s Nuclear Blast; they have one more option. There’s no direction that we’re looking at.”
“I don’t think directional changes are necessarily recognized by the outside. It’s more recognized by the inside, because I’m involved in all the interior workings of the band,” Ellsworth also discussed how Overkill handles changes in their music and band members. “We’re like the mechanics that keep the machine running, so we know when something needs to be changed, whether it be an individual…”
The singer also reflected on Jason Bittner’s departure, saying, “Jason [Bittner, now-former Overkill drummer] was coming to the end. Listen, he’s a great drummer — don’t get me wrong; he’s a good friend — but it was, like, you just felt that change was coming because… Tension can be a good thing in a heavy metal band, but too much tension can bring you to your own demise; it can destroy everything.”
Bittner left Overkill last month after seven years. He wants to focus on Shadows Fall and Category 7. “On August 1, 2024, I played the Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, and it was the last show I will play in the band Overkill,” he told Metal Injection. “For a while now I have been juggling a few different bands along with Overkill, and I knew at some point something would have to give since I simply can’t be three places at once.”
The drummer added, “Over the course of this last year, my schedule has reached that breaking point. At this time Shadows Fall is working towards completion of our new material that will take us back out on the road sometime in 2025, as well as our fall shows we have booked for the rest of this year celebrating 20 years of ‘The War Within.'”
Overkill’s latest album, ‘Scorched’ arrived in April 2023. The group is currently touring Europe. They have shows in Hungary, Austria, Germany and Italy. They also have a North American tour with King Diamond in October.
