Drummer Jason Bittner has introduced his departure from Overkill after a seven-and-a-half-year stint with the veteran thrash band.
Bittner shared the information through a press release, revealing that the break up was amicable and that he’ll now deal with drumming for a reunited Shadows Fall and the brand new supergroup Class 7.
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Bittner’s assertion [via Metal Injection] reads as follows:
“On August 1, 2024, I performed the Vagos Metallic Fest in Portugal, and it was the final present I’ll play within the band Overkill. For some time now I’ve been juggling a number of totally different bands together with Overkill, and I knew in some unspecified time in the future one thing must give since I merely can’t be three locations without delay. Over the course of this final yr, my schedule has reached that breaking level.
Right now Shadows Fall is working in direction of completion of our new materials that may take us again out on the highway someday in 2025, in addition to our fall reveals we now have booked for the remainder of this yr celebrating 20 years of The Conflict Inside.
Compounded on prime of that is my new band, Metallic Blade recording artists Class 7 whose album simply hit the cabinets final month and can begin touring quickly by way of 2025. All of this provides as much as one thing having to ‘take a break’, in order of immediately I now not play drums in Overkill so I can focus solely on the bands that I’m a full member/proprietor of.
Now don’t fear – they at the moment have one other nice drummer already studying the fabric, and he will probably be able to do battle for the upcoming excursions. I wish to thank EVERYONE within the Overkill prolonged household for 7 1/2 years of guffaws, killer reveals, and enjoyable across the globe.
All our crew members all through my run, our brokers Dolores Lokas and Mike Monterulo, my tech Animal for all the time having my again (Shake and Bake), in addition to all of our crew previous and current, the SKULLKRUSHERS (a lot love Jurgen), and all of the followers who supported my tenure within the band, I really like you all, thanks, and can miss you on the European and King Diamond excursions… however I’ll see you on the market with Shadows Fall and Class 7.”
Bittner had been a gentle presence behind the package for Overkill since becoming a member of the New Jersey thrash vets in 2017, embarking on quite a few excursions and acting on their two most up-to-date albums, 2019’s The Wings of Conflict and 2023’s Scorched. Lately, Bittner turned one of many busiest drummers in heavy steel, along with his longtime band Shadows Fall returning after a six-year hiatus and the formation of the John Bush-fronted thrash undertaking Class 7.
As for Overkill, the band seems to be already working with a brand new drummer — per Bittner’s assertion — for his or her upcoming Fall 2024 North American tour supporting King Diamond (get tickets right here).