I like these boys!  Any band who starts out with a kickbutt guitar effect and a screetch is okay by me. Overloaded fits into the new crowd of rockers just enough to be contemporary while still holding a great 80's retro tinge. Overloaded has been around since August of 2004. They have been doing pretty well so far - their first single Feeling Overloaded attained regular rotation on WRIF 101.1, Detroit's Midnight Metal show. They were also featured on the Scooter Trash International eXtreme Stunt Cycle video Streets Of Chaos 3.
The entire band does an admirable job with their instruments but I was particularly pleased with the guitarist.  He gives us some real guitar solos and lots of raucous, catchy rhythm guitar. The singer has a voice that is reminiscent of Sammy Hagar, with a little of Lizzy Borden in the more aggressive screams.
Overloaded is a great band to rock out to or even to cheer up with. Their music is melodic and more modern than many of the retro bands but their influence is very evident. I can hear Armored Saint, Sammy Hagar and even one more recent band (Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society) in their sound. Overloaded has mastered the heavier edge of 80's Hair Metal feel and injected it with steroids. The music is raw or clear in the right places and full of energy.
My favorite track off of Hail The Kingdom is Sick which surprised me by revealing the moodier side of Overloaded. Sick has excellent atmosphere and guitar-work. This melodic brooder lodges itself in my head like a mental sticky note. On the other side of the spectrum, we have King Of The Landfill. The heaviest song on the album, it is very fast, catchy and I feel would have been my choice for a single if the decision had been in my power. Definitely a good song to raise your fist too. My third favorite track off of Hail The Kingdom is War Of The Worlds, which is an all guns blazing rocker that is exciting to listen to.
I have always felt there was room for the more feel good genres of Metal and feel that Overloaded proves it. This band's sound is as fun as you could want, with a good amount of flash and angst. My head is still dizzy from all the headbanging!