Songs with the Same Title – Overkill Edition

It’s time for another edition of my Songs with the Same Title series, and this time I’ll be covering American thrash metal band Overkill because I just wanted an excuse to check out more of their songs. Last time, I covered American rock ‘n’ roll band The Black Crowes, so if you haven’t already, you can find that blog post right here!

How this works is, there are six rounds total. In each round, I’ll compare two songs with the same title, one by Overkill and one by a different artist, and then, I’ll pick my favorite of the two. After the final round, I’ll tally up the score and pick the winner of the overall battle, Overkill or the other artists. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

“Blown Away” (2000) by Overkill

“Blown Away” (2012) by Carrie Underwood

One of the things I love about Overkill is their heavy bass lines, which “Blown Away” definitely has. Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s vocals are excellent and I love the raw drum sound in the track. The downside is that “Blown Away” drags on forever with all of the pauses, guitar solos, and tempo changes. I first heard Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” on American Idol during one of the result shows for season 11, so I’m a bit attached to the song. It has a nice melody, a catchy chorus, and great lyrics. Taking those factors into consideration and because Underwood is a goddess when it comes to country music, she takes the win for round one.

“Rotten to the Core” (1985) by Overkill

“Rotten to the Core” (2015) from Disney’s Descendants

I hope I won’t irritate anyone by saying that Disney’s “Rotten to the Core” is horrible. It’s way too repetitive and I don’t like the lyrics. Like when the members of AC/DC try too hard to be bad boys; that’s what “Rotten to the Core” sounds like for Descendants. Overkill’s “Rotten to the Core,” on the other hand, is awesome because the lyrics are more in-depth, there’s intense kick drumming, Ellsworth’s vocals sound so mean and gritty, and it’s freaking heavy. Obviously, they take the win for round two.

“Hole in My Soul” (1997) by Aerosmith

“Hole in My Soul” (2019) by Overkill

“Hole in My Soul” is a good ballad, but it’s a terrible Aerosmith song. It’s too poppy and commercial, where’s the rock ‘n’ roll that the band used to bring in the ‘70s? Unfortunately, the bigger Aerosmith got, the more tame and mellow they became. Overkill’s “Hole in My Soul” is the complete opposite, thankfully. There’s a heavy bass line, intense kick drumming, an outrageously killer guitar solo, and the lyrics are relatable. Overkill takes the win for round three.

“Weight of the World” (1993) by Overkill

“Weight of the World” (2007) by Evanescence

Evanescence’s “Weight of the World” is overly produced. The verses have these announcer-type / low-key vocals and the production makes them sound too perfect. Overkill’s “Weight of the World” is very therapeutic. There’s something powerful about the lyrics, “The more I know / The more I feel the weight of the world,” that really resonates with me. It’s one of those songs that listeners can blast when they’re frustrated about something. Because of the intensity displayed on Overkill’s “Weight of the World,” they take the win for round four.

“Save Me” (1980) by Queen

“Save Me” (1997) by Overkill

I’m not the biggest fan of Queen’s “Save Me” because it’s mellow and depressing. At least, Brian May does an amazing guitar solo in the song. Overkill’s “Save Me” is definitely more upbeat musically. Also, I swear there’s a talk box in the song (correct me if I’m wrong, guitar experts), which I really dig. The only thing that annoys me about “Save Me” is over halfway through the song, there’s a portion where it’s just pounding drums and the heavy bass line, and that goes on for almost 45 seconds. Other than that, the Overkill song is good, so they take the win for round five. 

“Walk Through Fire” (1991) by Bad Company

“Walk Through Fire” (2007) by Overkill

Bad Company’s “Walk Through Fire” is a great catchy song with bombastic drumming, a piercing guitar riff, and a charismatic vocalist. But it feels dated because it sounds like an ‘80s hard rock song, which I like, but I have to be in the mood for that. Overkill songs don’t sound dated, in my opinion, and there’s not a bad time to listen to them. I love the kick drum work and heavily distorted guitars on “Walk Through Fire.” Therefore, Overkill takes the win for the final round.

In the end, Overkill won five of the six rounds, so they’re the winner of the overall battle. I get that thrash metal isn’t for everyone, but their lyrics are so powerful that it’s worth checking them out. Plus, the chaos going on in their songs makes for an exciting listening experience because there’s always something to focus on, whether it’d be Ellsworth’s vocals, the heavy bass line, the impressive kick drumming, or the distorted guitar riffs. And again, if you need music to let your frustrations out, Overkill is not a bad way to go!

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Comment below your picks for each round!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana