Overt Enemy - Insurrection

Overt Enemy – Insurrection
Release Date: 26th September 2025
Label: Self Released
Order/Stream
Genre: Groove Metal, Thrash Metal.
FFO: Pantera, Slayer, Sepultura, Killer Be Killed, Incite, Bark.
Review By: Mark Young

It seems that it has been a fairly torturous path in getting Insurrection over the line for Overt Enemy. Like a lot of bands, the pandemic put the brakes on them moving forward, and then adding into the mix the major surgery and rehabilitation of one of the members, well it’s a surprise they got here at all. But there are positives in everything and suffering through all of this has brought them to the place where they are now, which is an album that is the aural equivalent of a juicy, well-built steak that turns up with all of the trimmings.

Insurrection is an album that goes hard from Resinated and doesn’t back off until the last embers of Even Murder are put out. In terms of content, it looks inwardly in places, using the personal hardships as inspiration whilst squeezing in a mini concept in three songs that concern alien invasions.

Getting into it with Resinated, it’s apparent that soft touches will not be offered here. This is the scene setter, laying out a heavy if one dimensional build whilst the vocals are barked over it when they pull the rug from underneath you and launch into a frantic Thrash-down complete with wailing leads before returning back to its original state. It’s quite refreshing that they have enough confidence in their material to kick off in this way. It’s on No One Left To Die that the Thrash/groove/death comes calling. At the base is just a need to kick your ass, using all the riff-based weapons at their disposal as they burn from this into The Truth, which is just savage. Sharing the vocals with Leo Ortiz is Laura Ortiz who adds a level of nastiness (in the nicest way Laura) that provides a level of grit as it speeds along, and you can’t argue with their sentiment that it’s all about the riff. If you were worried that it was going to be an album of just skull crushing jams, well for the most part you would be right, but on Bleed Like I Do they change it up so it has more of a middle eastern tinge to it with some ace backing from Laura again. Possibly they got bored with the restrained approach, so set fire to that and go full hardcore. It’s seamless in its delivery as is the start of Psychotic Episode, which comes in with an incredibly simple but brutally effective build.

It’s on the whammy bar abuse of Eradication that they really go for it. The vocals switch, and the drums are dropping all the bombs you need. It’s full tilt, forward facing and is royal. The break that runs into the final third as the throat ripping screams are stretched out are just quality with Fire in the Skies bringing further mayhem and there is just the barest hint of Slayer in there, possibly the phrasing but certainly in the intent. Insurrection brings this trio to a close, keeping that foot firmly pressed to the deck. What they haven’t forgotten to bring in amongst this mini concept is the need for riffs, which they have for days.

Even Murder is the last act and is what I class as a ‘good time’ finisher that takes on the mantle of making sure it wraps things up to a proper climax. Like the rest of the album, it doesn’t do niceties and just keeps that hardened intent in place.

For me, this is a very solid piece of work that delivers a heavy blast of energy that knows what it’s job is. Is it groundbreaking? No, but what they do is write heavy music that engages and keeps you onboard. There is some good stuff on here, delivered very well from a place of the hardest intent.