Municipal Waste

Municipal Waste is a crossover band from Richmond, Virginia who has captivated audiences from all different scenes. Whether you’re into punk, metal, hardcore or any of the diluted sub genres concocted in the past decade, you probably have a vein that’s been pinched by Municipal Waste. “The Fatal Feast” is the 5th Full length release for Municipal Waste but it is also their label debut for Nuclear Blast Records. They are known for their raw sound and classic recording style that keeps them true to the golden years of thrash.

Starting with a spacey intro truly representative of the album artwork and kicking into full gear with “Repossession”, this album starts out with a quick kick to the head. The never-ending circle pit of beer, vomit and partying keeps going until track 6 “Covered In Sick” where they return to a more sing-a-long oriented writing but you’re let down when you realize how similar the last minute of it is to the beginning of track 7, “You’re Cut Off”. However, this is one of the few let downs to the whole album. Guitar solos on “Authority Complex” and the title track show a different style of writing that blends well with what we’ve come to expect from them. Although not the best album musically, it is certainly the most lyrically proficient album with a little more real talk than past releases. Tim Barry (Ex-Avail) makes a guest vocal appearance on “Standards And Practices” which contributes to this being the standout track on the album. Musically brilliant with very critiquing lyrics and a driving rhythm section that can only be described as nauseating. This is not to say that the humor that has been such a big part of the band’s success is gone, it’s just been placed a little more strategically amongst the more serious songs.

The album as a whole sounds right at home with any thrash classic but lacks the anthemic singles that have been a part of their past releases. Fans of Municipal Waste will chalk this up to be another classic album and it’s rightfully deserved. Minus a couple of blips on the record, this is another great release by the new kings of thrash. I recommend that any fan of Exodus or Nuclear Assault be picking this up as soon as possible if it wasn’t already pre-ordered upon announcement.

7.9 / 10 — Keenan Harrison