Horrorscope
Studio album by
Overkill
ReleasedSeptember 3, 1991 (1991-09-03)[1]
RecordedMarch–April 1991
StudioCarriage House (Stamford, Connecticut)
GenreThrash metal
Length53:01
LabelAtlantic, Megaforce
ProducerOverkill, Terry Date
Overkill chronology
The Years of Decay
(1989) 		Horrorscope
(1991) 		I Hear Black
(1993)

Horrorscope is the fifth studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on September 3, 1991, through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. It was the first Overkill album to feature the duo of guitarists Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino, and the last to be released through Megaforce, although they remained on Atlantic until 1995. Like its predecessor, The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope was produced by Terry Date.

Overview

Following the departure of longtime guitarist and songwriter Bobby Gustafson, who left or was fired from the band amid a feud with its founding members Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (vocals) and D. D. Verni (bass),[2][3][4] Overkill added two new guitarists in Cannavino (who had been Gustafson's guitar technician) and Gant (previously from thrash metal band Faith or Fear). Drummer Sid Falck left the band during the Horrorscope tour in 1992, and was replaced by former M.O.D. drummer Tim Mallare.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Rock Hard8.5/10[6]

AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia gave Horrorscope a positive review, awarding it 4.5 stars out of five and stating, "The insecurity felt among Overkill fans by the departure of founding guitarist and key songwriter Bobby Gustafson in 1990 ultimately proved unfounded when the New York thrashers' expanded two-guitar lineup—featuring Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant—arguably delivered the finest effort of the group's career in 1991's Horrorscope."[5]

The album reached No. 29 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart[7] and as of 2010 remains Overkill's best-selling album of the Nielsen SoundScan era, having sold over 120,000 copies in the U.S.[8] Promo singles were released for "Coma" and "Infectious",[9][10] while the cover version of "Frankenstein" got airplay on modern rock stations, most notably on KNAC-FM in Los Angeles.[11] Despite never being released as singles, there were music videos for "Horrorscope" and "Thanx for Nothin'", both of which received airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Overkill,[13] except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Coma"5:23
2."Infectious"4:04
3."Blood Money"4:07
4."Thanx for Nothin'"4:07
5."Bare Bones"4:52
6."Horrorscope"5:49
7."New Machine"5:18
8."Frankenstein" (Edgar Winter; instrumental)3:28
9."Live Young, Die Free"4:11
10."Nice Day... for a Funeral"6:17
11."Soulitude"5:25
Total length:53:01

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Top Heatseekers (Billboard)[7] 29

References

  1. ^ "Overkill – Horrorscope CD". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  2. ^ "Ex-Overkill Axeman Bobby Gustafson Returns To Metal With New Band Response Negative". Metal Rules. May 2003. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  3. ^ David, Leslie (2010-11-15). "Over Kill – Bobby Gustafson". Leslie's metal. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  4. ^ "Ex-OVERKILL Guitarist BOBBY GUSTAFSON Slams Former Bandmates, Says Upcoming DVD Is A 'Piece Of S**t'". Blabbermouth.net. March 17, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Horrorscope – Overkill". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  6. ^ Kühnemund, Götz (1991). "Review Album: Overkill – Horrorscope review". Rock Hard (in German). No. 54. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  7. ^ a b "Horrorscope – Overkill – Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 2015-10-04. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
  8. ^ "Overkill Frontman To Guest On Tonight's 'Headbangers Ball'". Blabbermouth. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  9. ^ "Overkill - Coma (1991, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "Overkill - Infectious (1991, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "KNAC A to Z Listing". people.delphi.com. Archived from the original on 2000-03-05. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Episode Database - Headbangers Ball Unofficial Tribute Site". headbangersballunofficialtributesite.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Horrorscope (CD edition liner notes).
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