Overdrive – Overdrive

Overdrive
Overdrive
1989 (no label)
Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

Doug Levy – Lead vocals, backing vocals
Stacy Puckett – Guitar, backing vocals
Jimmy Prior – Guitar, backing vocals
Joe McLaughlin – Bass, backing vocals
Bobby “The Basher” Collins – Drums

Side 1:

1. Big Guns
2. Hellbound
3. Slow Song
4. Living Sacrifice

Side 2:

1. Mark My Words
2. Rodent of the Piper
3. Crusade

Overdrive described themselves as “gothic power metal,” but I think it would be best to replace “gothic” with “progressive.” In 2006, this demo, a later demo (A Grave Mistake), and earlier demos from the bands that became Overdrive were compiled on CD. You can still find the mp3s of this album for cheap if you dig around. This type of metal wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea back in the day, but if you like bands like Armored Saint, Sacred Warrior, Queensryche, etc, you would probably like at least some of what you hear here. I even detect a slight King Diamond influence on the vocals here and there – maybe that is where they got the “gothic” part?