Municipal Waste

The album cover alone carries with it such a feeling of true-blue old school thrash metal that I actually thought for a minute it was a Nuclear Assault CD. Adding to that is the fact that I truly thought Municipal Waste were an old school band resurrected, but indeed this gang of crossover-obsessed pups are entirely of the current day. With this album, the band have managed to wrangle in ex-Discordance Axis drum master Dave Witte, who provides the groove to make your booty move, in particular with his incredible snare work. The band’s spot-on mix of punk, hardcore and metal is such a direct homage to the crossover style of bands such as DRI and Slayer’s punk side that it’s almost a bit much at times. But it sounds so damn good, and it’s over so fast, that there’s no reason not to throw it on again. Unlike some bands who get lost in layers of ironic retro vibe, this is from the heart and that comes through plain and clear on Hazardous Mutation. Recommended for fans of old school crossover and modern day hardcore and metal alike.