Rat Skates

Let it not be said that Rat Skates isn’t a keen businessman. Capitalising on thrash metal’s recent revival, the original Overkill drummer releases an hour-long documentary about his life and times as one of the genre’s founding members. And while the affected "candidness” of the footage presented here is often goofy and borderline embarrassing, the overall point behind Born In The Basement hits home: D.I.Y. ethics and relentless drive eventually do prevail. Working up from his early punk days in the Lubricunts through to his departure from Overkill, Skates is sincere and honest about the conviction, business sense and passion that pushed Overkill to success. As Skates himself points out after recounting the multiple trials and tribulations of bringing Overkill — and thrash metal — to the forefront of the late ’80s and early ’90s, "Where there’s a will, there’s… the way that I figured out.” Regardless of the music, Born In The Basement is a necessity for any career-minded musician.