Solos courtesy of Michael Romeo (no wonder the new Symphony X record took too long!), Overkill bassist DD Verni's "solo" output returns with album #4 (debut for his main band's label), albeit their first since '06. Verni's on vocals, with Jack Frost (Seven Witches) handling the rest of the guitars, including live dates.

The dozen originals (and a pair of covers) marry the best punky multi-media staccato stomp of Rob Zombie and a slight nod to the infectious modern edge of something like Sixx AM for a psycho-strip club soundtrack: Goose-bumps & grinds! See 'Bonesaw', 'Let Me Be Your Nightmare' or 'NYC (Devil's Playground)'. 'Sally' adds some haunting female accompaniment and sexual moaning, as does the tongue in cheek 'I Never Loved You Anyway' (girl: "Oh yeah, I could be a lover!" boy: "You're just a sick fuck, that's all you'll ever be"). A brooding and vocally modulated "Holy Mother" takes a stab (literally) at religion, with hints of keyboards. I've known DD for years (we even golfed together one afternoon while the Kill was waiting to perform in Cleveland), yet I'd be hard pressed to identify him as the singer. Big bottom end thump on 'I Am No One', while 'Memphis Scarecrow' has a countrified lap steel twang (beginning and ending with a crackling old vinyl of Elvis' 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'). After the King, Queen's 'Death On Two Legs' is a surprise, especially since it's pretty true to the original. Speaking of covers, the disc concludes with a version of Sid Vicious' take on the Sinatra classic, 'My Way'.

Definitely a stylistic step outside the considerable shadow cast by 25+ years in Overkill. I can envision this being on the convertible stereo speeding to the shore this summer (reviewing it with more than a foot of snow still on the ground might give it an extra 1/2 point in the grading).