This outfit was founded in 1979 already, so what a great opportunity to review their live album here on special request. The band started out as RHEAGAN, but when Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, it was the perfect moment to change their name to OVERLORDE. There was yet another OVERLORD in the metal scene at that time, so OVERLORDE became OVERLORD SR. After releasing some demos and a few limited compilation albums, the band released its first full-length in 2015. It's called "Still Standing", which is pretty amazing of course, considering the long band history. One year later, in 2016, they released this live album recorded at the Rock Shop Music Hall in Fayetteville in North Carolina. The twelve songs are worthy of a full hour of solid rock, so I suggest to fasten your seatbelts, put on your finest leather and chains and start banging your head, because now is the moment to do it without looking strange. "Power Metal" is a fine opener, that shows that we're dealing with a great true metal band that is still standing proud with their very powerful sound. This song is really perfect to test your singing skills while raising your fist in the air. "Creeping Through The Night" is another solid rocker with a slightly horror feeling over it. Did you also see that dark hairy thing crawling over the carpet or is it just my imagination? The band presses the pedal to the metal in "Full Speed Ahead" with a really great guitar solo, accompanied by some fast thundering drum beats. The crowd reacts wild on songs like that. They continue with the amazing "Standing On The Edge Of Time", which starts off with a very cool guitar intro. It's another killer track, in which the band proves that they belong to the big names on the true metal stage. Just listen to the thundering drum intro of "Enchantress Of The Night". This is stand proud metal for every true metal head. Also, take a good taste of "Knights Of The Realm", which isn't about just another warrior, but a pounding metal anthem about the knights of the round table, the truest of the truest. Discover the influences of IRON MAIDEN here and I'd also like to add some influences of a legendary band, like JAG PANZER for example. "Shadow Of Darkness" is another wild and furious song with some flashing guitar work. "Executioner" will slay your head off, if you don't watch out. The guitar solo will start to move your head up and down again. The slow banger "Hour Of Soul" belongs to one of my own personal favorites. It may be a bit slower, but it's done with so much emotion, that it will hit you hard. "So Be It" is another raunchy rocker, which keeps a good balance with the previous song. At the end of this performance, we hear a familiar song in "Keeper Of The Flame". It also got on the world famous "Metal Massacre VIII" compilation album. The song has some awesome axe work again, which will easily get on the list of highlights of every devoted metal head. However, the best is saved for last with "Under Fire", which has some fiery guitar work. The band is heading at full force and the last notes will fade into the night, while on stage the air raid is starting to roar. What an evening of heavy metal pleasure this must have been. I'm glad, that the band has managed to capture that on CD. What a great release of a band that is still alive and standing. Prove is given here. OVERLORD SR consists of Zip on drums, Jason Fisher on bass, Craig Dunham on guitar and vocals, Steve V. Sosa Jr. on vocals and George 'Wildman' Koerber on guitar and vocals. For more info, go to http://www.facebook.com/OverlordSR or http://www.overlordsr.com.(8,5/10- Toine van Poorten)
