Random Records with Steve O

Municipal Waste Family Tree

2017 was a busy year for the dudes in Municipal Waste. Not only did it bring the Waste’s latest record, Slime and Punishment, their first in five years, but the side projects were active too. Vocalist Tony Foresta and bassist Land Phil (Hall)’s other crossover behemoth, Iron Reagan, released their third LP in Crossover Ministry, while Hall’s project combining love of weed and Cannibal Corpse, the brilliantly named Cannabis Corpse, unleashed their latest smoke-filled ode, Left Hand Pass. And drummer Dave Witte was a part of River Black’s self-titled debut; essentially a Burnt By The Sun reunion record. So it was a busy year for the Municipal Waste extended family.

Let’s start with the Waste. Slime and Punishment, a brilliant title in its own right, is Municipal Waste’s sixth LP, and you should know what to expect by now. Crossover thrash at a rapid pace, solid riffs, an occasional flashy lead, with Foresta barking humorous lyrics (i.e. “Shrednecks”). None of the fourteen tracks here break the three-minute mark, but compared to Hazardous Mutation or Waste ‘Em All, this record feels slow. Slow being relative, as you’ll never get this confused with a band like Mournful Congregation. Not that the pace is a bad thing though, as it gives the riffs crafted by Ryan Waste and new guitarist Nick Puolos (formerly of Cannabis Corpse) more room to breathe and to shine. Classic crossover riffs are packed into every song here, of which the title track and “Amateur Sketch” are great examples. Particular standouts are found in the more punk-vibe “Dingy Situations,” the rapid-fire attacks of “Enjoy the Night” and “Excessive Celebration,” and the riff-filled “Low Tolerance”. Good to know that after all these years Municipal Waste can still fuck you up.

Listen to Slime and Punishment here.

Iron Reagan is essentially a super group, with members playing or having played in Mammoth Grinder, Darkest Hour, Smoke Or Fire, ANS, amongst others. Iron Reagan drink from the same brew as Municipal Waste, blazing fast crossover with feet firmly planted in thrash and punk—hell, the record is titled Crossover Ministry. With Foresta’s familiar bark and humor, Iron Reagan have kinda felt like Municipal Waste, especially considering their three full lengths came out during the Waste’s sabbatical. The speed and the humor are there; five of the eighteen songs here clock in under a minute long, including the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “No Sell” and “Parents of Tomorrow.” Along with the humor of tracks like “Fuck the Neighbors” and “Dogsnotgods,” there is a fair bit of social commentary here. Opener “A Dying World” discusses toxic fallout, “Megachurch” calls out the greedy hypocrisy of evangelical megachurches, while “More War” tackles war profiteering. Mixing the serious with the hilarious is a good recipe and crossover is a great avenue to do so. Iron Reagan absolutely excel and Crossover Ministry is a killer record.

Listen to Crossover Ministry here.

On a totally different vibe, musically at least, the humor is still there, is Hall’s Cannabis Corpse. Left Hand Pass is the group’s fifth full length and sees them expanding beyond blatant Cannibal Corpse references in their song titles. References now allude to Entombed (the title track and “Chronic Breed”), Bolt Thrower (“The 420th Crusade” and “In Battle There Is No Pot”), Suffocation (“Effigy of the Forgetful”), and Nile (“Papyrus Containing the Spell to Protect Its Possessor Against Attacks from He who Is in the Bong Water”). Yes, every song is about weed in some way, and yes, they are hilarious (even if you are straight edge). But musically, these odes to the giants of death metal is straight up classic, early 90s death metal. With solid solos (see “In Dank Purity”) and classic death metal riffs, Hall delivers vocals here, with competent death growls and grunts that would fit on any of those records Roadrunner released in the early 90s. In a year that saw tons of the old guard release great record, Left Hand Pass fits right in with their idols.

Listen to Left Hand Pass here.

And finally we have River Black, who released their self-titled debut. Essentially a Burnt By The Sun reunion (3/5 of their last lineup are present here), River Black is one of Witte’s many projects; it’s actually a little surprising there aren’t more records to talk about that he played on. River Black has a mid-2000s metalcore vibe, but there’s also a sludge vibe here. Vocals are understandable, shouted at a mid-register, occasionally coming across deeper and angrier. The songs amble more at a middling tempo, especially compared to the records discussed above, (though the more up-tempo “Shipwreck” is fantastic, while “Boat” is another standout) but, as with everything else here, there’s some solid riffs (i.e. “Honor” or “Low”). This is probably the dirtiest record here, and the production brings out that grimy quality expertly. I never got into Burnt By The Sun when I was younger, but if you did, and you were bummed when they called it quits seven years ago, this is the record you’ve been looking for.

Listen to River Black here.