OVERKILL bassist D.D. VERNI returns to live stage after shoulder surgery
22-05-2024
Original OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni, who was forced to miss the band’s Latin American tour while he was recovering from shoulder surgery, returned to the live stage this past Friday (May 17) at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Fan-filmed video of the concert is now available (courtesy of WORT Mosh Pit Radio).
Watch the footage below.
For the Latin American tour, OVERKILL recruited former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson as Verni‘s temporary replacement.
In a recent interview with The Metal Podcast, Ellefson was full of praise for Verni, saying: “D.D.‘s amazing, man. Look, I may be David Ellefson, but I ain’t no D.D. Verni, man. I mean, that guy, he’s a masterful songwriter. His arrangements are killer and his parts are very clever and cool. And so, yeah, it’s got my thrash chops up and it’s an honor to just step in and help them out.”
Ellefson made his live debut with OVERKILL on April 11 at C3 Stage in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The band is continuing to tour in support of its twentieth studio album, “Scorched“, which was released in April 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.
David Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly three years ago, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.
MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine ended up hiring TESTAMENT‘s Steve DiGiorgio to re-record Ellefson‘s bass parts on MEGADETH‘s latest album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”
In May 2022, MEGADETH announced bass player James LoMenzo as a permanent member of the band. LoMenzo was MEGADETH‘s bass player in the mid-2000s and initially stepped back in as a touring member for “The Metal Tour Of The Year”.
The official music video for “Scorched”, the title track of the new album from New Jersey thrash metal veterans OVERKILL, can be seen below. The band’s twentieth studio album was released last year (April 14, 2023) via Nuclear Blast Records.
Watch the visualiser for “Scorched” below.
OVERKILL singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth spoke in more detail about “Scorched” in an interview with Canada’s The Metal Voice . When interviewer Jimmy Kay suggested that the pandemic has been “good” to OVERKILL by giving the group a chance to focus on making a new LP without the distractions of being on the road, Bobby clarified: “It hasn’t been good to us. We took advantage of the opportunity of the luxury of time. I think that that would probably be the best way to put it. It’s directly responsible, I think, for the results, especially my results on it. I think the other guys, they tweaked and pushed and pulled and pinched and added things over that three-year period. But for me, I tore that record down a few times, just to make sure that it was a metal record worthy of the luxury of time, as opposed to a hit-and-run kind of a thing.”
Watch the visualiser for “Wicked Place” and “The Surgeon” below.
Scorched offered a new recording environment as all members were able to record on their own. The mixing of the record was handled by Colin Richardson and his assistant engineer Chris Clancy. Johnny Rodd helped with producing vocals, and finally, Maor Appelbaum took over mastering and adding finishing touches. The band returned to artist Travis Smith to create the album cover art.
Scorched is available in the following formats:
- CD Jewel
- Fluorescent Green Cassette (Limited to 400 worldwide)
- Longbox (Limited to 1,000 worldwide)
- CD Jewel
- Button
- Sticker
- Double LP
- Black
- Aztec Gold (Limited to 2,500 worldwide)
- Fresh Green (Limited to 1,000 worldwide)
- Trans Amber w. Fluorescent Green
OVERKILL are expanding their reach but don’t be fooled, the band will remain the filthy, massive gutter thrashers that we all know and love.Order Scorched in the format of your choice here: https://bfan.link/Overkill-Scorched Below is the track listing for Scorched:1. Scorched2. Goin’ Home3. The Surgeon4. Twist OF The Wick5. Wicked Place6. Won’t Be Comin Back7. Fever8. Harder They Fall9. Know Her Name10. Bag O’ Bones
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