Interviews: Overthrust
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1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? You planned it, or it came out just like that?
I, Tshomarelo Mosaka aka Vulture Thrust, the band leader, was the one who actually came up with the name. Overthrust was not really a name that was carefully planned. It came naturally during the early days of the band. I wanted something powerful, aggressive, and physical that could represent the kind of music we were creating. “Overthrust” sounded like something heavy pushing through everything in its way. It eventually became the identity of the band and has stayed with us ever since. We had a list of names from each member of the band, and most of the names were already used by other brands, so the name Overthrust came out very unique and interesting.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
I chose death metal music because it was the music that naturally expressed what I felt inside. The aggression, heaviness, darkness, and energy of extreme metal gave me a way to release anger, frustration, and other emotions. For me, Overthrust is “Anger Management Music.” It is not about promoting violence; it is about releasing negative energy through music.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
Some of us knew each other, while others came together through the music. Over the years, Overthrust has gone through different line-ups, but the spirit of the band has remained. What brought us together was our passion for extreme metal and our desire to create something different from what people expected to hear coming from Botswana. The earlier line up with our ex-guitarist Spencer Thrust we didnt know we were related untill after 3 years after the band was started, in one of our rehearsal i was expecting a visit from my uncle from the city and i gave him direction to our rehearsal room and when he came in the first person he saw was Spencer and he was suprised and asked him if he was also staying in Ghanzi and if he knew me and how were related, both of us had no idea that we were cousins. The late drummer Suicide Torment was related to our Band Assistant Manager - Godfather (former rhythm guitarist), and our current drummer Beast Thrust is the uncle of late Suicide Torment, and he is the first one to teach Suicide the drums.
4. Each band member's favourite band?
Our tastes are quite diverse, but the common ground is extreme metal and old-school metal. Personally, I have always been heavily influenced by bands such as Morbid Angel, Deicide, Broken Hope, Cannibal Corpse, Mortician, Immolation, Obituary, Slayer, Sodom, Sepultura, Metallica, Motorhead, Judas Priest and Possessed. Different members have their own favourites, but Overthrust's sound comes from combining those influences with our own African identity. Our drummer Beast is more into Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Broken Hope and Obituary. Our guitarist Zehst Thrust is into - Suffocation, Merciless, Demigod, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Darkthrone.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
Life inspires me. Anger, frustration, social problems, religion, hypocrisy, death, human behaviour, personal experiences, and the things happening around us all become material for songwriting.
6. Where was your last gig?
Our most recent performances have been part of the Overthrust live journey, including our shows in Botswana and our international activities. The recent one was our annual Overthrust Winter Metal Mania Fest in Gaborone, Maun and Ghanzi - Botswana, and our most recent international shows were a tour in July 2025 in the Czech Republic, playing Obscene Extreme Festival and also some shows in the UK.
7. Where would you like to act?
If you mean where I would like Overthrust to perform, there are many places. I would love to see Overthrust perform at Brutal Assault and Maryland DeathFest in the USA and play more shows in the USA. We will also be happy to perform in Asia, especially Indonesia and Thailand. We have already had the opportunity to play in Europe, including Wacken Open Air, and I would love to return to that level of international stage while bringing the Botswana flag with us.
8. Whom would you like to feature with?
There are many artists I would love to work with, especially musicians who have helped shape extreme metal. Someone like Mike Browning would be a dream collaboration because of his importance to old-school death metal and the influence of Morbid Angel and Nocturnus on me. I would like to feature Sakis of Rotting Christ, Morbid Angel, Broken Hope, Suffocation, Mortician, and Deicide.
I would also love collaborations with African metal musicians because I believe African metal has a powerful story to tell the world. I have already featured in Van666 Guitarist/Vocalist of Architecture of Aggression from South Africa, in his solo project: THE TYRANNY OF FAITH, where I played bass. I would also love to do it with Eternal Katastrophy from Angola and Arkan from Togo and Hilliker from South Africa.
9. Whom not?
I don't really have a blacklist. Music is about collaboration, and sometimes the most unexpected combination can produce something interesting. But I would not collaborate with someone simply because they are famous. There has to be a genuine connection with the music and the spirit behind it.
10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?
Of course. Anyone who says they have never felt nervous before going on stage is probably lying, ha...ha...ha...well that's what I think. The key is to turn that nervous energy into performance energy. For beginners, prepare well, know your songs, rehearse your stage movements, and don't concentrate too much on what the audience might think. Once you get on stage, be yourself and attack the performance. The audience is not your enemy. They came because they want to experience your music.
11. What bands have inspired you the most?
The biggest influences on Overthrust and me include Morbid Angel, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Broken Hope, Vader, Obituary, Metallica, Slayer, Sodom, Motorhead and Sepultura.
12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?
Over the years I have been asked for many strange things ha..ha..ha..But one of the funniest things about being in Overthrust is that fans sometimes want things you would never expect, from personal items and autographs to wanting to take photographs with us in the most unusual situations. I think being a metal musician in Botswana already makes us unusual enough ha..ha..ha..One of the weirdest things a fan ever asked me for was to give them my stage clothes after a show. As a metal musician, you get all kinds of requests from fans and sometimes you just have to laugh and appreciate how passionate they are. But honestly, those crazy moments are part of what makes being in Overthrust so memorable.
13. What do you think of your fans?
Our fans are everything. Without them, Overthrust would just be a group of people making noise in a room. Our fans have supported us through difficult times, travelled to shows, bought our music and merchandise, shared our music and helped carry the Overthrust name beyond Botswana. We have fans across Africa and around the world, and that means a lot to us. I always say that Overthrust belongs to the people who believe in the music. WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH, ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND WE DON'T USUALLY REFER TO THEM AS FANS; WE ADDRESS THEM AS OUR METAL FAMILY, METAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OR OUR SUPPORTERS.
14. What do you think of our site?
I appreciate platforms that give underground and extreme metal bands a voice. Websites like yours are important because many great bands don't have huge record companies or massive marketing budgets behind them. For Overthrust especially, independent metal media helps connect us with the international metal community. Keep supporting underground music and giving bands a place to tell their stories. Thank you so much for the interview.
15. Something to add?
Yes. I would like people to understand that African metal is real, alive, and growing. Botswana may be a small country, but we have been carrying the metal flag for many years. Overthrust started from a place where many people probably never expected extreme metal to come from. We have travelled, played internationally, faced challenges, and continued pushing forward. Our message is simple - don't wait for somebody to give you permission to create; instead, build your own path.
And now to every metalhead around the world - support underground music, support Overthrust, support your local bands and keep the spirit of metal alive. WE LOVE YOU ALL, ALWAYS WILL!!!!!!!!
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