Overkill "!!!Fuck You!!!" CD

The title track was originally recorded by Canadian punk band The Subhumans, not the British band of the same name. DOA also recorded a version of "Fuck You" when The Subhumans' vocalist Brian Goble joined them on bass. However, the very first version was recorded in 1978 by The Stiffs, a band featuring two future members of The Subhumans.

Live tracks recorded in 115 degree heat at the Phantasy Theatre, Cleveland, OH, June 3, 1987.

Overkill's tasteful "!!!Fuck You!!!" EP goes down in metal history as a true icon, the most infamous part being the title and the album art. A middle finger smack dab right in the middle of the artwork? Now that's pretty rebellious. This EP features the song "Fuck You" by The Subhumans covered by Overkill; but let's face it, the song has become far more notorious in Overkill's history than it has with The Subhumans, similar to "Am I Evil?" By Metallica. The EP also features a few live tracks as well.
The instruments play rough and fast, in classic Overkill style. The guitars are rather hollow sounding, but really shake up the speakers. The drums really pump along with the album, and Bobby Ellsworth really kills the vocals, with his extreme vocal range. The live tracks have absolutely outstanding production, you'd think it was a studio track if it wasn't for the cheering and Ellsworth repetitive comments on the heat (is it really that hot in there?). The instrumentation on the live tracks do stay true to the studio track of "Fuck You", and play very similarly. The live track "Rotten To The Core" is a perfect example of the quality heard on the live tracks, the sound is very full and rich, it really feels like your there in that audience cheering along. This track in particular also features a bridge of a children's song, sounding similar to "You Are My Sunshine", (might not be that, not sure) It's a very creative fill, and sure made me smile when I heard it.
Let's talk some more about its release. Because of the "offensive" cover, the record was placed inside a white sleeve paper with the bands name and a little note saying "The record THEY tried to ban", topped off with a tiny parental advisory logo on the CD versions. It was a clever way to get people to buy the record without even seeing the cover or hearing the title. These releases go for a lot of coin nowadays, and you'd be lucky to see an OG press with the white sleeve in person...
In conclusion, this EP really was a stepping stone in their career, showing off their rebellious and fearless attitude. The production is amazing, the instruments are brilliant, but of course the main track is a cover songs and the rest of the tracks are simply live songs, which brings it down a few points on my ranking. The EP could be considered a sort of message from metal heads around the globe, stating a simple message to the folks who don't appreciate their lifestyle: "We don't care what you say, Fuck You!"

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