More than three months after it was initially scheduled for release, Overkill’s long-awaited box set, The Atlantic Years: 1986–1994, will apparently finally see the light of day this month, on Feb. 18. The six-disc collection was originally scheduled for release Oct. 29 through BMG, but was delayed from there. Officials at the label did not provide comment about what caused the delay. The collection is a welcome release for any Overkill fan. That is due in part to its general presentation, which will be discussed shortly. The set’s packaging at least in the way of its CD presentation is a positive, as the related pricing. The set’s vinyl set is another issue. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this box set. All things considered, they make the collection a mostly positive presentation that any Overkill fan will appreciate.
BMG’s forthcoming Overkill box set, The Atlantic Years: 1986–1994, is a mostly successful presentation. It is an offering that most Overkill fans will appreciate. That is due in large part to its general presentation. As the set’s title indicates, it features all six of the albums that the band released during its time with Atlantic Records. Those albums are: Taking Over (1987), Under The Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993), and W.F.O. (1994). They are the band’s second through seventh albums. The band’s debut album, Feel The Fire was released in 1985 through Megaforce Records, which was started by the late, great John Zazula. The albums featured in this collection represent Overkill’s formative years in one setting. The Years of Decay is especially important because despite a les than stellar charting through Billboard, the fact of the matter is that it has since gone on to be known as a key record for the band because of its influence on the then burgeoning groove metal scene. It was and is considered a work that heavily influenced that sound. On a wider range, the albums also saw a numberof shakeups in the band’s lineup. Considering all the personnel changes that the band saw through the albums, one would have thought it would have had an impact, and not in a good way, on the product, but the albums each received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans alike. To that end, these albums are collectively, a representation of Overkill as a band finding its footing while also establishing itself (and successfully so) within the hard rock and metal communities. Keeping that in mind, having all six albums together in one place will help Overkill fans and more casual thrash fans fully understand and appreciate the importance of this period in Overkill’s life. This is just one of the ways in which this box set succeeds. Its packaging, at least in the form of its CD platform, is a positive to the presentation, too.
The packaging of the albums in their CD platform is important because of its ergonomic design. All six albums are housed inside their own “sleeves” within a larger box. The “sleeves” in question each present the front and rear artwork from the albums’ original releases. Yes, that is just an aesthetic item, but it still will appeal to audiences because it shows BMG’s attempt to really win over audiences. The box in which the records are placed is just large enough to house them, too. Its depth is roughly equal to that of an old school double-CD album case. In other words, the box containing the albums is not overly large, but not tiny, either. That means it will save space in any Overkill fan’s home, whether on a CD rack or elsewhere where they place box sets.
The set’s vinyl box set, by comparison is far larger. It has to be larger, too, in order to be able to house each large, vinyl disc. Those discs take up a lot more space than the CD collection, so again, this makes the CD platform’s packaging all the more appealing. Keeping that in mind along with the importance of the set’s general presentation, the set proves all the more positive a presentation. The set’s pricing, again at least in reference to its CD platform, rounds out its most important items.
The average price point for the set’s CD platform is $51.65. That price, which puts each album’s price at less than $10 (quite the deal in itself), is reached by averaging prices listed through Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers. The CD platform was not listed through Books-A-Million, Walmart, and Best Buy. Rather, they list the set in its vinyl platform. The set’s average price point on vinyl is $165.36. This is a restrictive price point for any Overkill fan. The listing of $199.99 through Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Best Buy are even more restrictive. By comparison, the most expensive of the CD platform’s listings is $54.99 (through Barnes & Noble Booksellers). Meanwhile listings of $49.98 and $49.99 through Amazon and Target respectively are each below the CD platform’s average. They make the albums just under $10 per album, too. So again, in looking at all of these figures, it becomes even clearer why the collection’s CD platform pricing is a positive. The average and separate listings are far more affordable than those of its vinyl platform. When this is considered along with the collection’s general presentation and packaging, all three items make the set overall a success for Overkill and for BMG.
Overkill’s forthcoming box set, The Atlantic Years: 1986–1994, is a mostly positive new offering from the band and from BMG. It is a presentation that any Overkill fan will appreciate. That is proven in part through its general presentation, which features all six albums that the band released in its formative years through Atlantic Records. The packaging for the set’s CD platform is another positive. That is because of the amount of space that it saves on any audience’s CD rack and elsewhere. The set’s pricing rounds out its most important items. That is especially the case when comparing the set’s pricing to that of its vinyl counterpart. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this collection. All things considered, they make The Atlantic Years: 1986–1994 a mostly successful new offering from Overkill and BMG that any Overkill fan will appreciate.
The Atlantic Years: 1986–1994 is scheduled for release Feb. 18 through BMG. More information on Overkill’s new box set is available online now along with all of the band’s latest tour updates, news and more at:
Website: https://www.wreckingcrew.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OverkillWreckingCrew
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverkillBand
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