Just over two years after the release of their last album, veteran thrash metal titans Overkill are already deep in the creative process for their next record. In a new interview, bassist and main songwriter D.D. Verni confirmed that nine or ten new songs have been demoed for a planned 2026 release, which will be the first to feature the band’s new drummer, Jeramie Kling.
Speaking with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, Verni provided the first major update on the follow-up to 2023’s acclaimed album, Scorched, and detailed the band’s consistent songwriting method.
“We are demoing stuff right now,” Verni said. “We probably have maybe nine or 10 songs kind of scratched out that I gave to Blitz [Overkill singer Bobby Ellsworth] a little while ago. Usually the process is I’ll demo everything up musically [and] then I’ll give it to Blitz. He’ll spend some time with it and kind of do his thing with them. Then we get everybody together, kind of that. So I gave it to Blitz maybe not too long ago.”
When asked about a potential release date, he was definitive. “I would think next year, for sure,” he stated. “Just when will it be — spring? Will it be fall? Somewhere in there. But [in] ’26 [there] will definitely be a new Overkill record.”
The upcoming album will be a significant one for the band, as it will mark the studio debut of their new drummer, Jeramie Kling. The powerhouse drummer, known for his work with Venom Inc. and The Absence, joined the legendary thrash outfit in August 2024, replacing Jason Bittner, who had played on the band’s previous two albums.
