Editing Overkill (band) (section)

===Early years and ''Feel the Fire'' (1980–1986)===
[[File:Overkill - Jalometalli 2008 - 02.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|Bassist [[D.D. Verni]] (right) gave vocalist [[Bobby Ellsworth]] the nickname "Blitz" due to his over the top lifestyle.]]
Overkill was formed in 1980 by members of the [[punk rock|punk]] band the Lubricunts, which featured bassist [[D.D. Verni]] and drummer [[Rat Skates]]. Verni and Skates placed an ad looking for a guitarist and lead singer, which was answered by guitarist Robert Pisarek and singer [[Bobby Ellsworth]], and the first incarnation of Overkill was formed.<ref name="metal-rules1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-rules.com/metalnews/2008/05/03/rat-skates-ex-overkill/ |title=Interview With Rat Skates|publisher=Metal-Rules.com |date=May 3, 2008|access-date=November 26, 2013}}</ref> After rejecting several band names, including Virgin Killer, the band finally settled on Overkill, named after [[Motörhead]]'s [[Overkill (Motörhead album)|second album]].

Early covers, especially those done under the Virgin Killer name, were punk songs by the [[Ramones]], the [[Dead Boys]] and others. By late 1980, the band's setlist was made up of songs by bands such as Motörhead (including songs from ''Overkill'' and half of the ''[[Ace of Spades (Motörhead album)|Ace of Spades]]'' album), [[Judas Priest]] ("Tyrant" in particular), and [[Riot V|Riot]]. Along with the new influx of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] covers, the band still played a smattering of punk covers, with extra distortion, intensity, and speed. In 1981, the band went through a succession of guitarists after Robert Pisarek left, first being replaced by [[Dan Spitz]] and Anthony {{not a typo|Ammendola}}, then Rich Conte and Mike Sherry, before settling with [[Bobby Gustafson]] in late 1982.{{r|metal-rules1}} It was around this time that the band started writing original songs, including "Grave Robbers" (later renamed "Raise the Dead"), "Overkill", and "Unleash the Beast (Within)". More songs would follow, including "Death Rider" (1981) and "Rotten to the Core" (1982). As the band continued to write songs, they became a staple at clubs in New York and New Jersey, such as [[L'Amour (music venue)|L'Amour]].

In 1983, the lineup of Verni, Skates, Ellsworth, and Gustafson released the ''[[Power in Black]]'' demo, a recording that made as much impact in the underground tape trading circuit as demos by then-up-and-coming [[Bay Area thrash metal]] bands, such as [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]] and [[Testament (band)|Testament]] (then-called Legacy). ''Power in Black'' gained the band two compilation appearances: "Feel the Fire" was included on ''New York Metal '84'' while "Death Rider" appeared on the fifth volume of [[Metal Blade Records]]' ''[[Metal Massacre]]'' series. The success of ''Power in Black'' also enabled the band to secure a small recording deal with Azra/Metal Storm Records that resulted in the 1985 four-track [[extended play]] (EP) ''[[Overkill (EP)|Overkill]]'', which quickly sold out, instantly pushing the band to the forefront of the fledgling thrash metal movement. Long out of print, the vinyl-only EP is now considered{{bywhom|date=October 2024}} a rare collector's item and all the songs appeared eleven years later on the compilation album ''[[Fuck You and Then Some|!!!Fuck You!!! and Then Some]]''.

Though it is said that the band{{bywhom|date=October 2024}} never saw any money from its release, the ''Overkill'' EP garnered the band massive underground interest, and the attention of [[Jon Zazula]], owner of [[Megaforce Records]], one of the most prominent independent heavy metal record labels at the time. Megaforce signed Overkill to a multi-album record contract and released their full-length debut album ''[[Feel the Fire (Overkill album)|Feel the Fire]]'' in October 1985. Hailed by many critics and fans as a thrash metal masterpiece, the album cemented the band's position as one of the driving forces of the East Coast thrash metal movement. The band spent the better part of 1985 and 1986 touring in support of ''Feel the Fire'', touring Europe with [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]] and [[Agent Steel]], and supporting [[Slayer]] on their ''[[Reign in Blood]]'' tour in North America.<ref name="metallipromo">{{cite web|title=Overkill Tour Dates|url=http://www.metallipromo.com/ov.html|publisher=metallipromo.com|date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> Overkill's grueling tour schedule and the growing buzz for ''Feel the Fire'' resulted in the band being courted by several major labels; they were eventually signed to [[Atlantic Records]], making Overkill one of the early thrash metal bands to get signed to a major label.<ref>{{cite web|title=Overkill - Wiki - Metal Amino|url=https://aminoapps.com/c/metal/page/item/overkill/RrzC_vIWEPoPdaKBoev5Y45D13aBdG1|publisher=aminoapps.com|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NoFriender Thrash Metal Show Podcast - (Free) — When It Was Cool - Retro Pop Culture, Comics, Pro Wrestling, Toys, TV, Movies, and Podcasts|url=https://www.whenitwascool.com/nofriender-thrash-metal-show-podcast|publisher=whenitwascool.com|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>