Fan-filmed video footage has surfaced documenting OVERKILL's June 4 performance at MYSTIC FESTIVAL 2026 in Gdańsk, Poland, captured by the YouTube channel MrTime2Travel. The New Jersey thrash metal institution delivered the set as a four-piece, underscoring a period of significant lineup flux for the band.
The current touring lineup features founding vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY) on bass, Jeramie Kling on drums and Dave Linsk on guitar. Longtime guitarist Derek Tailer is absent from the current run, with no public explanation given for his absence.
Notably, founding bassist and chief songwriter D.D. Verni is also sitting out live dates while he recovers from serious injuries. "I had rotator cuff and a bicep tear — on both shoulders," Verni explained in April 2026, stressing that he remains a full member of the band. In his place, Olde Wolbers — best known for his lengthy tenure in FEAR FACTORY — has stepped in for the festival appearances.
Despite the disruptions, OVERKILL's creative engine keeps running. Verni confirmed he is hard at work on the band's next studio album, with roughly nine to ten songs already demoed. The record is expected to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027, with a supporting tour potentially following in 2027. According to Verni, the music is "pretty much done," pending Ellsworth's vocal arrangements and final production.
Kling, who replaced drummer Jason Bittner in August 2024, is a founding member of THE ABSENCE and has also played with VENOM INC. and NECROMANCING THE STONE, bringing serious extreme-metal pedigree to the kit.
Formed in 1980, OVERKILL remain one of thrash metal's most prolific and durable acts, having released classics such as The Years Of Decay, Horrorscope and Ironbound. More than four decades into their career — and through every lineup change — the band continues to tour aggressively and write new material, cementing their reputation as one of the genre's hardest-working road warriors.