Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
Maximum Overdrive
Title
Maximum Overdrive
Type
LP/EP
Company
Independent
YOR
2004
Style
Doom/Stoner
7/25/2005 - Review by: Eric Compton
Maximum Overdrive - Maximum Overdrive - 2004 - Self Released

Track Listing
1. Iron Horse
2. Skullbasher
3. See You Again
4. Never Fade Away
5. Loaded Gun
6. Under The Spell
7. Feedin The Devil
8. I Don't Believe
9. Lets Roll
10. Get It Together
11. Holy Universe
These young, talented, underground bands just seem to be popping up everywhere. Wilmington, North Carolina's Maximum Overdrive just rode out of the fog like a steel horse riding the rails, delivering a wallop of a good time here with their debut, a self released album simply called "Maximum Overdrive". As this stoner-hard rock sound seems to build speed and credibility across the US, more and more bands seem to be coming out of the woodwork, delivering that blue collar, working man's metal that has so much promise and potential to be the "next big thing". As the "New Wave Of American Heavy Metal" seems to have hit it's mid-point, bands like Maximum Overdrive, Brand New Sin, and Omegalord drive on with a complete understanding of the "bar band" mentality, really contending early for just who will lead this next genre, just simply going to the roots of all that is metal, completely absorbing everything Sabbath into a vicious, street ready machine that is built on speed, good times, and of course the very best in heavy metal.

This debut is fantastic, offering up a wide variety of sounds through eleven heavy numbers, each of which seems to have the potential to hit radio anyday now. Unfortunately, this sound hasn't quite caught up with Clear Channel or MTV, but given another year or so this may be a completely different story. For now we have bands like Maximum Overdrive, a group of hard working metal militia who have really taken all the great things from past legends like Sabbath, KISS, Terrible Ted, and even Foghat and rolled it into one tight-knit pace, almost like combining faster Ozzy with the likes of a Kik Tracee or even Tesla. The band just has that electric energy about them, shredding some furious leads at times or simply laying down a thick, massive doom riff.

Each cut here carries on a different path, whether it is the bone breaking doom power on "Feedin The Devil" and "Skullbasher", or the hard rock attitude of cuts like "Iron Horse" and "Loaded Gun". The band can play some faster power metal numbers as well, evident on strong closer "Holy Universe". Vocalist Ronnie Lamanna, who also plays guitar, is the perfect vocalist for this material, never quite as over the top as David Lee Roth or Sammy, but still managing to keep that party vibe to his pipes. The whole band really has that certain niche that just makes music fun again, something that seems to be missing in today's water.


--EC 06.08.05
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    N/A :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Maximum Overdrive
2004
Independent
Eric Compton7/25/2005
-

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
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