Overdrive - Swords And Axes (CD)

OVERDRIVE are one of the most revered names among Sweden’s original wave of heavy metal at the dawn of the ‘80s. The band indeed formed in 1980 from two local bands, Paradize (recorded one 7") and Ocean (recorded two 7"'s and an album). In 1981, the self-financed MLP Reflexions was released, which is now quite a collector’s item. The band also recorded the non-LP tracks "Tonight" and "Damnation Angel" for the local compilation Rockslaget (SOS 1982). OVERDRIVE was soon contacted by Planet Records, and in 1983, they signed a deal.

In 1983, OVERDRIVE’s debut album, Metal Attack, was released and made a great impact on the Swedish and wider European metal scenes. A year later, the follow-up Swords And Axes was released, which was even more well-received than the debut. Gigs and festivals were performed together with bands like Mercyful Fate, Pretty Maids, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Hanoi Rocks, and EF Band among many others. After some lineup shuffles in 1985, the original incarnation of OVERDRIVE came to a close.