01 Dec 2016

 Overthrust, a five-men metal band originating from Ghanzi is set to be another one of Botswana’s musical export.

Overthrust is rated the finest in Africa and has been crowned best 2015 group in African Metal Award category for their album Desecrated Deeds to Decease.

Although formed in 2008, Overthrust recorded their single album, Freedom in the dark in April 2011.

Desecrated Deeds to Decease, the group’s debut album with nine tracks was only released seven years later in May 2015.

The group’s exploits has caught the attention of international media thanks to the annual Winter Metal Mania Festival that takes place in Ghanzi.

Overthrust, plays old school death metal style of rock music which is characterised by extreme heavy instrumentals, drum blast beats, heavily distorted guitar riffs and deep growling vocals.

Theirs is a kind of music that usually talks about horrific scenes, death, negative things that people do in life and things beyond human understandings such as myth and ghosts.

They talk about things that people are afraid to talk about.

“This music is like an action movie that is mainly meant for extreme entertainment. It is a genre that talks about African culture and believes, believes like respect for Ancestors, Witchcraft and many others,” said lead vocalist, Tshomarelo Mosaka known in music circles as Vulture Thrust.

Vulture Thrust said he was exposed to Rock and Roll music at an early age by his uncle who had a penchant for the genre.

“We listened to rock music and could play it with an acoustic guitar and as we grew up local rock bands like Nosey Road, Metal Horizon and Wrust became our inspiration and later international bands like Iron Maiden and many others,” he said.

Overthrust has has represented Botswana at Metal for Africa in Cape Town, South Africa in 2013 as well as Gorofestival African Cross Countries in 2015.

For the first time this year, the group was invited to represent Botswana and Africa in Germany and Switzerland and played in five festivals on their maiden Europe tour.

The band is made up of Mosaka, lead vocalist and bass, Shalton Monnawadikgang aka Spencer Thrust, guitars, Tshepho Kaisara aka Dawg Thrust, Lepololang Malepe aka Godfather and Gakeitse Botlhalentwa aka Suicide.ENDS