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Overkill Thrash the Polish Stage at Mystic Festival Amid Line-up Shift
A fan‑filmed clip posted by MrTime2Travel on YouTube captures Overkill’s full set on June 4, 2026 at the Mystic Festival in Gdańsk, Poland. Filmed inside the historic Stocznia Gdańska venue, the footage shows the band’s four‑piece lineup—vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, guitarist Dave Linsk, drummer Jeramie Kling, and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers—spinning through a set that weaves early classics, tracks from the 2023 release Scorched, and a handful of live‑only songs.
The show is notable for the absence of long‑time guitarist Derek Tailer, who has not joined the band on tour since the spring 2024 Thrash Of The Titans run alongside Testament and Destruction. While Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni are the only original members still in the line‑up, Verni has been sidelined by a series of shoulder injuries that have kept him off the stage since early 2024.
Verni’s recovery saga was detailed in an April 2024 interview with The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!. He explained, “I had the surgery once, I did all the PT. They told me I was good. I went out on the road, and I completely ripped it off again… I have rotator cuff and a bicep tear on both shoulders. It’s old‑guys’ stuff. If I blow it off again, it could be shoulder replacement, and I’m trying to avoid that.” He added that he remains a full‑time member and has finished most of the new material for the next album, slated for release in early 2027.
Christian Olde Wolbers, formerly of Fear Factory, has stepped in for Verni on several tours. He first took over bass duties in the fall of 2024 when Overkill supported King Diamond in North America, and again during September’s European shows when the band recruited ex‑Kreator bassist Christian “Speesy” Giesler for a brief stint. In April 2024, during the Latin American leg of the Scorched tour, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson performed with the band while Verni recovered.
The current drummer, Jeramie Kling, joined Overkill in August 2024 after the departure of former drummer Jason Bittner. Kling’s debut performance came at the Posada Rock festival in Romania on August 30, 2024. Prior to Overkill, he played with Venom Inc., Fore, Ribspreader, Goregäng, and Necromancing the Stone, and he brings experience as a recording and live‑sound engineer.
Mystic Festival, Poland’s largest metal festival, ran from June 3 to 6, 2026 and featured over 90 acts across five stages. Overkill’s roughly 45‑minute set included highlights from Scorched, earlier albums, and a few never‑before‑released live pieces, showcasing the band’s enduring energy.
Ellsworth has spoken publicly about the songwriting process for the forthcoming album. On March 11, 2026, he appeared on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk and said, “We’re always working on new music. It’s pretty much done musically. I have to add a few melody lines and a few harmonies and lyrics here and there. We’re looking at a 2027 tour and maybe a late‑2026 release.” These remarks align with Verni’s statements that the material is largely finished and that recording will take place over the next six months.
The band’s most recent studio effort, Scorched, dropped in April 2023 through Nuclear Blast and was followed by a North American tour with Testament and Destruction, and a European tour in 2024 that saw the band perform in cities such as Câmpulung Muscel, Romania, and Guadalajara, Mexico.
With the current line‑up, Overkill continues to tour and record while managing Verni’s recovery. The band’s official channels have not announced any changes to the 2027 release schedule, but fans can expect new material to drop in early 2027, followed by a supporting tour.
In short, Overkill’s 2026 Mystic Festival performance underscored the band’s resilience amid a temporary bass‑line shift, highlighted the ongoing work on a new album, and reaffirmed its commitment to touring despite the physical setbacks of its founding members.
The show is notable for the absence of long‑time guitarist Derek Tailer, who has not joined the band on tour since the spring 2024 Thrash Of The Titans run alongside Testament and Destruction. While Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni are the only original members still in the line‑up, Verni has been sidelined by a series of shoulder injuries that have kept him off the stage since early 2024.
Verni’s recovery saga was detailed in an April 2024 interview with The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!. He explained, “I had the surgery once, I did all the PT. They told me I was good. I went out on the road, and I completely ripped it off again… I have rotator cuff and a bicep tear on both shoulders. It’s old‑guys’ stuff. If I blow it off again, it could be shoulder replacement, and I’m trying to avoid that.” He added that he remains a full‑time member and has finished most of the new material for the next album, slated for release in early 2027.
Christian Olde Wolbers, formerly of Fear Factory, has stepped in for Verni on several tours. He first took over bass duties in the fall of 2024 when Overkill supported King Diamond in North America, and again during September’s European shows when the band recruited ex‑Kreator bassist Christian “Speesy” Giesler for a brief stint. In April 2024, during the Latin American leg of the Scorched tour, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson performed with the band while Verni recovered.
The current drummer, Jeramie Kling, joined Overkill in August 2024 after the departure of former drummer Jason Bittner. Kling’s debut performance came at the Posada Rock festival in Romania on August 30, 2024. Prior to Overkill, he played with Venom Inc., Fore, Ribspreader, Goregäng, and Necromancing the Stone, and he brings experience as a recording and live‑sound engineer.
Mystic Festival, Poland’s largest metal festival, ran from June 3 to 6, 2026 and featured over 90 acts across five stages. Overkill’s roughly 45‑minute set included highlights from Scorched, earlier albums, and a few never‑before‑released live pieces, showcasing the band’s enduring energy.
Ellsworth has spoken publicly about the songwriting process for the forthcoming album. On March 11, 2026, he appeared on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk and said, “We’re always working on new music. It’s pretty much done musically. I have to add a few melody lines and a few harmonies and lyrics here and there. We’re looking at a 2027 tour and maybe a late‑2026 release.” These remarks align with Verni’s statements that the material is largely finished and that recording will take place over the next six months.
The band’s most recent studio effort, Scorched, dropped in April 2023 through Nuclear Blast and was followed by a North American tour with Testament and Destruction, and a European tour in 2024 that saw the band perform in cities such as Câmpulung Muscel, Romania, and Guadalajara, Mexico.
With the current line‑up, Overkill continues to tour and record while managing Verni’s recovery. The band’s official channels have not announced any changes to the 2027 release schedule, but fans can expect new material to drop in early 2027, followed by a supporting tour.
In short, Overkill’s 2026 Mystic Festival performance underscored the band’s resilience amid a temporary bass‑line shift, highlighted the ongoing work on a new album, and reaffirmed its commitment to touring despite the physical setbacks of its founding members.
