Being both rawer and thrashier than its predecessors, Under the Influence was by many regarded as a step back for the band. They pretty much let go of their "atmospheric" influences, and this felt somewhat rushed back then. I don't really understand all the criticism though. This is still a solid slab of entertaining, fierce and catchy thrash metal.

The simple but somewhat confusing Shred kicks off the thrashfest. The riffs are simple and catchy, however, the rhythmic approach is slightly bewildering, skipping beats, and unleashing hurricanes of chaotic guitar-solos and speedy sections. Bobby Blitz' vocals are raspier and rougher around the edges here, but still very clear on the higher notes. Bobby Gustaffson's soloing is as sloppy as ever, however, they add a schizophrenic almost evil feeling to the music overall. Newcomer Sid Falck does a good job on the drums, and is more precise and powerful than Rat Skates. On the other hand, his playing is pretty safe, and there are not many exciting and thrilling fills here. Never Say Never carries on with simple riffs, but is slighly catchier and more exciting. This one does also contain some of the chaotic and almost misplaced fills and interludes. However, if your attention is fading, this sure grabs a firm hold of it, and creates an exciting mood. You never know what to expect. The catchiest and one of the best songs of the album Hello From the Gutter is up next, and Overkill take a more humourous and energetic approach both lyrically and music-wise. A downright fun and exciting track. Mad Gone World is almost as noticeable, and is a startling, thrashy chaos from beginning to end. The chorus sounds a bit dis-jointed and it took me some time to "get".

There is really not much more to say, other than that the last four songs are a bit longer and more consistent than the previous five. The dark almost doomy Drunken Wisdom, the melodic End of the Line, angry Head First and the finisher Overkill III (Under the Influence) shows signs of a band going in the right direction, and later creating a true thrash metal classic. This is a fairly underrated album, and was never appraciated for what it really is. A really entertaining thrash metal record.