D.D. Verni

D.D. Verni
Verni with Overkill in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Carlo Verni
Also known as	D.D. Blaze
Born	(1961-04-12) April 12, 1961 New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal, heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Bass, vocals
Years active	1979–present
Member of	Overkill, The Bronx Casket Co.

Carlo "D.D." Verni (born April 12, 1961) is an American musician, best known as a founding member, bassist and songwriter of the thrash metal band Overkill. He and vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth are the only two original members who have remained with the band throughout its entire history. In addition to his work with Overkill, Verni has recorded four albums with his side project the Bronx Casket Co. and released several solo projects. He is also the composer of The Bronx Casket Co.... A New Musical.

Career

Pre-Overkill bands

In 1976, Verni met Rat Skates, who had been learning to play drums since age 15, at New Providence High School. They shared the same musical interests in hard rock bands like Kiss, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Starz, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow, and were then introduced to punk music such as The Damned, The Ramones, The Vibrators, and Generation X. The three formed a punk group known as The Lubricunts in 1979. The group disbanded in 1980, and Verni, along with bandmate Skates, posted an advertisement for a vocalist and guitarist to join the band. Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth answered the ad, and brought guitarist Rob Pisarek.

Overkill

After rejecting several names, the band finally settled on "Overkill". Their early covers included punk songs by The Ramones and The Dead Boys. By late 1980, the band had recruited dual guitarists, and the setlist was made up of songs by bands such as Motörhead ("Overkill", half of the Ace of Spades album), Judas Priest ("Tyrant" was their closer), and Riot. Along with the new influx of heavy metal covers, the band still played a smattering of punk covers, with extra distortion, intensity, and speed marking Overkill as one of the first thrash bands.

Verni with Overkill at Jalometalli Metal Music Festival 2008

At this point, the band started writing original songs, including "Grave Robbers" (later renamed "Raise The Dead"), "Overkill", and "Unleash the Beast (Within)". More songs followed, including "Death Rider" (1981) and "Rotten to the Core" (1982). Overkill had experienced a number of member changes by the time of their first demo Power in Black (1983), which featured the "classic" lineup of Verni, vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, drummer Rat Skates and guitarist Bobby Gustafson. The band became a staple at New York and New Jersey clubs, such as L'Amours, and Verni gave Ellsworth the nickname "Blitz" due to his over-the-top lifestyle. There have been numerous more lineup changes since the departures of Skates and Gustafson (in 1987 and 1990 respectively), and Verni and Ellsworth are the only remaining original members left in Overkill. Verni has also been the sole songwriter for the band's music since Horrorscope (1991).

Overkill released their first album Feel the Fire in 1985, and along with their contemporaries (including Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax), they helped define a new genre of music, known as "thrash metal". Overkill have released 20 full-length albums as well as two live albums and EPs, and several DVDs. They have done thousands of shows for millions of fans and toured extensively. They have appeared in many major music publications and have sold millions of records worldwide. Verni's signature bass sound is regarded as one of the most definable in heavy metal. He usually plays bass with a pick as opposed to with his fingers.

Work outside of Overkill

Verni released his first solo album, Barricade, on October 12, 2018. He also released a debut album under the name D.D. Verni & The Cadillac Band, Let's Rattle, on September 17, 2021.

Verni released his second solo album, Dreadful Company, on July 26, 2024. It sees Verni move into a punk rock direction.

Discography

Verni in 2008

Solo

• 2018: Barricade
• 2024: Dreadful Company

Overkill

Title	Type	Label	Year
Power in Black	Demo	Blood Metal Music	1983
Overkill	EP	Azra / Metal Storm	1985
Feel the Fire	Studio album	Megaforce	1985
Taking Over	Studio album	Megaforce / Atlantic	1987
!!!Fuck You!!!	EP	Megaforce / Caroline	1987
Under the Influence	Studio album	Megaforce	1988
The Years of Decay	Studio album	Megaforce / Atlantic	1989
Horrorscope	Studio Album	Megaforce / Atlantic	1991
I Hear Black	Studio album	Atlantic	1993
W.F.O.	Studio album	Atlantic	1994
Wrecking Your Neck	Live album	CMC International	1995
The Killing Kind	Studio album	CMC International	1996
!!!Fuck You!!! and Then Some	EP	Megaforce	1996
From the Underground and Below	Studio album	CMC International	1997
Necroshine	Studio album	CMC International	1999
Coverkill	Covers album	CMC International	1999
Bloodletting	Studio album	Metal-Is	2000
Wrecking Everything	Live album	Spitfire Records	2002
Killbox 13	Studio album	Spitfire Records	2003
ReliXIV	Studio album	Spitfire Records	2005
Immortalis	Studio album	Bodog Music	2007
Ironbound	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2010
The Electric Age	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2012
White Devil Armory	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2014
Historikill: 1995–2007	Box set	Nuclear Blast	2015
Grinding Wheel	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2017
The Wings of War	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2019
Scorched	Studio album	Nuclear Blast	2023

External links

• Media related to D.D. Verni at Wikimedia Commons