OVERDRIVE - SWEDEN

Metal Attack – 1983 – Planet
Swords And Axes – 1984 – Planet
Let The Metal Do The Talking – 2008 – Lion
Angelmaker – 2011 – Lion
The Battle Of Rock – 2018 - Hellion

Overdrive image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Blue Marlin, Flash, Paradize, Overheat, Crosseyed Mary, AC/DC Jam, Cooler Than Icecream>>Pelle Thurresson>>Overheat, Crosseyed Mary, AC/DC Jam, Cooler Than Icecream – Unchained, Portrait>>PER KARLSSON LENGSTEDT>>Portrait

Guitar
Sgt Pepper’s One And Only Lonely Hearts Club, Blue Marlin, Flash, TNT, Paradize, Overheat, Locomotive Breath, Cooler Than Icecream>>JANNE STARK>>Overheat, Locomotive Breath, Cooler Than Icecream – Ocean, Locomotive Breath>>KJELL JACOBSSON>>Locomotive Breath

Bass
Paradize, Parasite>>Kenth Ericsson>>Interaction, Parasite

Drum
Ocean, Crosseyed Mary>>KENTA SVENSSON>>Crosseyed Mary




History & Biography
In a way the story of Overdrive is a typical one for a Swedish heavy metal act. The band is founded in the south of Sweden, flounders, and breaks up, reforms and of course the members have no loyalty and play in multiple other acts.
Overdrive was founded in 1980 by members of Paradize and Ocean and issued a demo. At the same time an Overdrive cruised around the UK playing NWOBHM. The band also liked to play cover versions. The demo tape is followed by a 45 EP called Reflexions. Another demo is released in 1981. Something called Planet Records issued the band’s debut. Later on the band would have to sue Planet for its royalties. Swords And Axes was engineered by Peter in De Betou who is the son of Mats Olsson the owner of Planet Records. The gang opened for EF band, Mercyful Fate and others. The band prepared material for an album called Motorized Maniaxe, but split up in 1985. A couple of members move over to Overheat between 1985 and 1992. Back To Basics is a 1993 demo while more tracks are recorded in 1997. These latter tracks appear on Mission Of Destruction – Live sampler of 2001. The act came back again in 2003 and played at Rockslaget festival. Resurrected is the name of the 2006 demo. This demo is just a self-cover disc with Per on vocals. Lion Music signed the band and issued Let The Metal Do The Talking. The Angelmaker’s Daughter is odds and ends left over from The Angelmaker album and added a couple of tracks from the earlier CD as well. Thuresson rejoined in 2012, but was on bass now as he had in 1992 to 1994. He had originally left in 1985. The band had ceased activity in 2011 and only returned a year later with Ericsson being exited. Ericsson had also briefly left prior to the disbandment in 1985 and replaced by Zoltan Djember. Zoltan used to be in Ocean. The Battle Of Rock was a recording, which stemmed from Rockslaget festival (‘rock battle’) from 1982. Johnny Granström joined on bass in 2019, but Stark reported the act’s demise. Johnny used to be in Ocean. The band’s 2020 appearance at Sweden Rock festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Thurresson and Stark were schoolmates. Stark is the author of several books on Swedish music, a publicist, a former DJ and also a journalist.


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Overdrive