Overkill: NEW Shirt Updates

Normally I would not write about the same pieces twice, more less two times in a row; but Overkill has just let much more info out about both their new Grayline and Reaper, in the form of two Instagram posts on March 11th, 2023. I wanted to document both here.

The Grayline

There isn't much to say but I wanted to document the picture as it is our first post that is a good look at the new material, which is a slightly revised color from the original samples sent to Travis McKinney and Cossette Neely.

In the caption, it is apparent Rudy is highly confident in this material and its performance:

"The NEW Overkill Strength Gray-Line Bench Shirt is finally here!!! After a longer hiatus than anticipated we are back making gear. This is our new gray-line bench shirt but should have named it “The Game Changer”. I never thought I would say this but I’m gonna. This shirt is easier to use than anything we’ve ever had and possibly anything on the market. It also has more pop than anything we’ve ever had. A perfect combination for anyone who struggles with poly bench shirts. Coupled with the Overkill Strength quality of build and fabric design to last a life-time. This is not a shirt that will fall apart or lose performance after a couple of months of use."

The Reaper

There's a lot of pictures that tell us a lot about this shirt. It is the first band shirt of its kind.

Closed (velcro) back and a scooped neck is nothing groundbreaking. What is, though; is the implementation of a second material. 

The sleeves, while tight and tapered, are lined inside and out with poly. This tells us that there will be more support, and while Rudy has told me privately that this design will allow one to tuck like a poly, this also leads me to believe it will add more support and allow the shirt to hold at the top better than the current market offerings.

I also have obtained pricing information privately and can confirm it is cheaper than any other band shirt, ply for ply and overall. Inserts are cheaper as well. While still more expensive than poly offerings, as far as band shirts go, this looks like the shirt to be in at time of writing. 

Like above, here is what Rudy had to say on Instagram:

"Had many requests to see our all-new Overkill Reaper Unlimited Band Bench Shirt. This is an extreme bench shirt and not for the faint of heart. We build combinations from a 1-ply to 4-ply. With the patent-pending sleeve lock design you won't need many more plies than this and if you can handle more then we have inserts to go with it. With our sleeve lock design, your groove will be the same as a traditional poly bench shirt. No flaring your arms way out, isolating and loading your pecs risking injury. This is advanced as band shirts get, with the quality Overkill Strength always brings."

Only time will tell how this performs- but as of now it looks promising!