Overdrive

I play a Stratocaster thru a Peavey Classic 30.
The amp gets a bluesy tone that I really like. But I like to play more than blues. I can't seem to find a good tone for metal songs... Would an overdrive help me achieve this?
I'm going for a Yngwie/Paul Gilbert/John Petrucci sound.
(Basically I'm trying to avoid buying a new amp right now.)