Anatomia BRA: Overdose VII
And unfortunately we are reaching the final destination of our Overdose series. Albeit...?
The final album continues the musical journey, entering more into hostile territories. One could claim that "Scars" is a logical expansion of the style's development over years. On one hand, it's closer to then-popular Biohazard, Pantera, Machine Head, on the other, it features rich Brazilian folklore. And experiments.
"My Rage" features scatting vocal technique reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, "Manipulated Reality" (my personal fave) has exotic melodies fused with highly energetic riffs and even faster chorus. Titular track, as well as "Just Another Day" use the familiar "street drumming" element. "Out of Control" has electronic intro. As you can see, the band adequately tries to diversify their influences and eagerly grabs new forms of expression.
The guitar and bass use some great call-and-response effect, as can be heard in "How to Pray". We also have a slower jam with "Last Words", good for some making out with a girl (well, until a brick-heavy riff waltzes in). Beside "Manipulated Reality", I also appreciate a lot "Who's Guilty" and "School", just so you know what to check out. And let's not forget about the solos. I always want to stress out that the solos are always the highlight, and they can be really creative with various influences, sometimes unexpected. There are riffs galore, and their heaviness makes me feel as if "Scars" was the most extreme album in band's discography.
From what I remember, back then Overdose had a tour in USA as a support for King Diamond, which resulted in wider exposure. The album itself had a very good distribution, as it was quite easy to get the plate. Heck, even today if you look through some obscure shops worldwide, you might find a copy (which I recommend doing). Also, during the years '98-99 Jairo Guedez (The Mist, Sepultura) performed with the group, alas nothing new came out of it. Since then, Overdose mainly performed as a live band, without any new releases..
And that would have been the end of the story, if not for...
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ADDENDUM / POST SCRIPTUM
In 2024 came a light in the tunnel, and a new single "Século XXI", and it's quite a literal blast. The line-up is refreshed, which brought some new life into the music. Stylistically, it follows the footsteps of "Scars" (albeit even heavier than before), which shows how honest, natural and gradual was the evolution of the band. At the same time, Overdose wouldn't be themselves, if they didn't indulge themselves in adding some extra flavor and little bits for connoisseurs to digest. The eclectic character of the group is impressive, as rarely you can hear such a mix of '70s/'80s with modernity.
I do hope that I will have a reason to write another chapter of this veteran and outstanding band.
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