If you're a fan of Motörhead but think they sound a little too clean cut, Italy's Overcharge might be what you're looking for. Overcharge play a style of music called metalpunk which is exactly what it sounds like – a sleezy mash-up of speed metal and punk rock – for reference, see Venom, Midnight and the aforementioned godfathers of the style, Motörhead. These upstarts aren't on the same level as that holy trinity of metalpunk heavyweights, but they've got a good handle on the style for such a young band.
Accelerate is the debut album from Overcharge, and, while it's not great, it's still a respectable first effort from a band that just formed in 2012. What these guys lack in nuance, they more than make up for in energy and attitude. From the eponymous opening track, Overcharge rush full bore through 30 minutes of ignorant, d-beat infused speed metal. Listeners who are familiar with Discharge, or any other punk band who's name begins with the prefix Dis-, will find that Accelerate is stampeding through well-traveled territory. But, even though Accelerate is a d-beat punk record at heart, there are enough screaming guitar solos peppered throughout the album to lend the music a scuzzy metal vibe.
The inclusion of a few guitar solos isn't enough to make Accelerate a "must purchase" record, however. The album's main problem is that every song sounds the same. That's a critique frequently and inaccurately leveled at both punk and heavy metal bands, but in this case it's the truth. On Accelerate, Overcharge only serve their songs up one way – loud, fast, and angry. Upon first listen, the songs hold your attention with their relentless furry, but, after two or three listens, it becomes clear that there's not much to distinguish one song from another. "Dirt" sounds like "No Law" sounds like "Nowhere To Go," etc. This is a pretty standard complaint with d-beat bands as the style's practitioners seem content with aping Discharge's discography as closely as possible. At least Overcharge demonstrate a willingness to break from the pack somewhat by embracing speed metal and old fashioned rock n' roll, though.
Overcharge is a brand new band so take any criticism with a grain of salt. They show definite promise, and hopefully they'll continue to release albums and evolve their sound into something a bit more complex. The band has attitude to burn which is a good thing; they just need some time to develop a signature sound. Accelerate is out now on Unspeakable Axe Records. The CD costs a measly ten dollars and the digital download is only six. That's a reasonable price to pay if you're looking for some sleazy metalpunk or something appropriate to listen to while doing whip-its in your parents' basement.
