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Municipal Waste | ‘The Fatal Feast: Waste In Space’
Free from the clutches of Earache and in the arms of Nuclear Blast, the Waste head to space (yes, I sat up all night thinking of that one).
Often derided as a joke band because of the ‘party till you puke’ numbers that made up ‘The Art of Partying’ (and previous songs like ‘The Thrashing of the Christ’ which didn’t help matters), closer listens to each album reveal a band who are actually more in keeping with the likes of DRI than Acid Reign.
Not only does this influence manifest in the riffs (which are much more punkier than you remember) but in Tony Foresta lyrics (check out ‘Divine Blasphemer’ and ‘Upside Down Church’). And live, they destroy.
Ryan Waste has stated that he believes this new album is much better because ‘Massive Aggression’ was made while leaving Earache, due to them being “…over toured, over worked and pissed off.”
Considering that Earache really pushed that ‘THRASH IS KING’ fad a while ago, seeing them get behind Evile must make the Waste lads even more pissed off. Nonetheless, Nuclear Blast is a suitable home for them at the moment.
And it’s given them the confidence to add one or two extra flavours to the album.
Initial impressions are a bit shocking (“is that a keyboard?! On a Municipal Waste album?!?!”), but by utilizing Steve Moore from Zombi, ‘Waste in Space’ makes you sit up and wonder if you’ve put the right record on.
That is a good thing. After a minute, ‘Reposession’ starts, and when that riff kicks in, you know you’re in for a sore neck. Feel the anger as Foresta sings ‘It’s called reposession/Stealing your life.’
‘The Fatal Fest’ will satisfy the ones who enjoy the goofy songs, but doesn’t do much to get rid of the ‘joke band’ tag that they’ve complained about (can you guess what ‘Covered in Sick/The Barfer’ is about)?
Lads, more songs like ‘Reposession’ will do the job. ‘The Fatal Fest’ also features John Connelly (Nuclear Assault for our younger readers) whose voice is not what it used to be but, as he only sings a few lines, there’s not much in the way of embarrassment.
Biggest problem with the album is that there are too many numbers on here, which dilute the overall impact and there’s a little thought in the back of your head which is that the Waste are a band that are popular, but not one that people feel passionate about.
This album isn’t going to change that. Yet there are moments which demonstrate that they have the chops musically (Ryan Waste’s playing on this album is excellent). And you can’t help but feel a little disappointed by this.
To sum up. this is a record made by a band who know all too well that they won’t have the same impact as they did five years ago. They’re just relieved to still be going. But if they really want to say ‘fuck you’ to Dig Pearson, they need to make an album that captures the insanity of their live shows.
And less of the ‘party till you puke’ songs. Do you want to be Acid Reign?
3.1 / 5 – Christopher Owens ::: 12/05/12
May 13th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
Fuck you, Acid Reign were ok.
May 14th, 2012 at 12:56 am
i have to say that songs about drinking until youre sick maketh not the joke band. hazardous mutation is one of the best thrash albums i’ve heard, for a long time it was played at every party, every weekend, everywhere, the riffs are unbeleivable and the lyrics had a humour to them that was a releif from the normal evil darkness nonsense. shark attack, trapped in a k-hole, abusement park… If anything bands who are constantly writing about dark topics, satanism and how magnificently bad news they, themselves are end up more of a joke than bands who take themselves with a pinch of salt and can write a song about getting fucked up with their mates.but thats just my opinion. will have to check this out.
May 14th, 2012 at 3:48 am
Acid Reign were not a joke band. If you listen to their albums, lyrically they are serious, and musically they kick a lot of other ‘serious’ thrash bands’ ass. They just had fun at their gigs, interviews etc. Look up any interview with H from the band and you will understand. I don’t see the craic Acid Reign were up to as any different from the bassist of DRI changing masks every other song.
May 14th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
All that stuff about evile getting a push and MW not is pure conjecture.MW being twice as big as evile. Also you should probably listen to acid reign instead of picking some old thrash bands name out of a hat.
May 14th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
I hate the phrase, ‘joke band.’
May 14th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
acid reign were shite. wise up
May 14th, 2012 at 10:43 pm
Acid reign were not shite,wise up.
May 15th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Have never heard them, and after that review never will
May 15th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I just watched that video and wished I hadn’t, pure drivil, where are these tossers from?
May 15th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Now I understand, Nordie fuck tards
May 16th, 2012 at 12:26 am
Why would you not hear them after the review? And who/ what is a nordie?
May 16th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Foresta should quit this band and concentrate on No Friends.Way better band.
May 20th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
dont know what that clown from primordial is on about acid reign were excellent this coming from a guy whos best vocal performance was om a marduk song
June 15th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
no, Acid Reign were not a ‘joke band’.
they would have been a great band with a more aggressive singer too, someone like Mille maybe.
they had a couple of joke songs, wore some daft clothes and did some silly covers as did many thrash bands of that time.Thier songs were mostly serious social stuff. Unlike say Lawnmower Deth.