Municipal Waste // The Fatal Feast (Waste in Space)
Rating: 3.0/5.0 – Fast and furious
Label: Nuclear Blast [EU | US]
Websites: facethewaste.com | facebook.com/MunicipalWaste
Release Dates: EU: 2012.04.13 | US: 04.10.2012
Alright, short album, short review. Let’s do this…
Municipal Waste holds the odd distinction of being one of the first bands to kick off what’s now known as ‘re-thrash.’ Back in 2003, when everyone was in their bedrooms listening to Killswitch Engage and cutting themselves, Waste ‘Em All was a breath of fresh air, and the Waste’s DRI-meets-Jeff-Spicoli approach won them a considerable following. The band then proceeded to spend the next ten years or so bringing the metal fury to a new generation of kids who were too young for Nuclear Assault or Suicidal Tendencies (and probably wouldn’t have given a fuck anyway).
The band’s new album, The Fatal Feast, continues their tradition of fast, furious and often hilarious party-thrash anthems. In true metal fashion, vocalist Tony Foresta rants against the band’s usual foes: right-wing Christians (“Jesus Freaks”), the government (“Death Tax”), and anyone who dares to curb the band’s drinking habits (“The Barfer,” “You’re Cut Off”, “12 Step Program”, etc.) Oh, and zombies too.
Longtime fans will notice that Fatal Feast is remarkably similar to previous Municipal Waste albums, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Reinventing the wheel is sometimes uncalled for, especially for a band where the whole point is that they’re basically a tribute to an earlier era of music. For what it’s worth, Fatal Feast seems to lean more towards straight thrash than the band did before; the most noticeable ‘crossover’ elements would be the short song lengths (most under 3 minutes) and the occasional stomping breakdown. The band’s playing has gradually tightened up over the years (except for Dave Witte who has always been the motherfucking man), and the production has come a long way since Hazardous Mutation. One thing that hasn’t changed is the band’s commitment to awesome cover art. Look at this thing. Gorgeous.
My one complaint about Fatal Feast is one that also applies to all their other albums: it doesn’t quite capture the good time of seeing them live. I mean, there’s really no way that something like literal crowd surfing could translate to an audio medium, but still. I feel kind of weird putting Municipal Waste up there with Thin Lizzy and Motorhead in the “you have to see them live” category, but there you have it.
Honestly, there’s almost no point in telling you about this record, especially since you could listen to it yourself in about the time it took you to read this review. If you’ve liked Municipal Waste in the past, Fatal Feast will not disappoint. If you didn’t like them before, this album isn’t going to change your mind. And if you’ve never heard the band before, Fatal Feast is as good a place to start as any, I guess.
Now go see these motherfuckers on tour!
