W.F.O.

Studio album by Overkill

Released

July 15, 1994

Recorded

April–May 1994

Studio

Ambient Recording Co., Stamford, Connecticut

Genre

Thrash metal

Length

57:38

Overkill chronology

I Hear Black
(1993)

W.F.O.
(1994)

Wrecking Your Neck
(1995)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rock Hard	9.0/10

W.F.O. (Wide Fucking Open) is the seventh full-length album by thrash metal band Overkill, released in July 15, 1994 on Atlantic Records. The album contains "hidden songs" on tracks 97 and 98, featuring the band warming up in the studio, playing "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath, "The Ripper" by Judas Priest and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix. The instrumental song "R.I.P. (Undone)" was written as a tribute to Criss Oliva, co-founder of the band Savatage, who died nine months before the release of the album.

W.F.O. is the last Overkill album released by Atlantic Records, who released their previous five albums, and their last album with guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant. W.F.O. and I Hear Black were re-released on Wounded Bird Records in 2005.

AllMusic's Jason Anderson gave the album a positive review, awarding it four stars out of five and stating, "W.F.O. probably represents the formal beginnings of a '90s commercial swoon for the thrash metal band." Anderson then added, "By the time of this 1994 release, the group's popularity might have been waning a little due to rock fashion trends leaning heavily away from thrash or anything that reminded listeners of the '80s. That's not to say that W.F.O. isn't a fine recording. It is probably one of the band's best, and last, thrash juggernauts."

W.F.O. reached number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in 1994, making it Overkill's third-highest chart position (after I Hear Black and Ironbound, which peaked at number three and number four respectively). Unlike many of their previous albums, it did not chart on the Billboard 200.

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