Municipal Waste - Fatal Feast (Nuclear Blast Records).

Municipal Waste return again with another slice of neo-thrash, infused with the aggression and humour we have come to expect. Whilst not breaking any boundaries with this album, Municipal have found their niche and exploit the hell out of it!

Opening up with a phasey sci-fi intro, Wasted in Space the album then rips into Repossession. The familiar sounds of thundering drums, ripping guitars, pounding bass and roaring vocals gets you charged for a one person Wall of Death (not sure how that works actually!).

The mix of punk and thrash has always been a strong hold of MW, their speed and riffs are a fine counterpoint. Unholy Abductor kicks off, and rockets into a hyper thrash, windmill enticing 1 minute 20 duration.

The vocals of Tony Foresta always remind me of a young Tom Araya, not a terrible comparison. His strength and phrasing always stirs the inner 16 year old in me to sing along. Ryan Waste is a master class-man of riffs, check out his work on Covered In Sick. His solo ability is also great, bringing to mind the classic masters of the thrash genre. Authority Complex has a neat little solo that fits nicely into the song.

The Bass work of Land Phil has always been a stand out of twangy goodness; his bottom end thunder is always prevalent in the mix. On The Fatal Feast he storms away rounding out the sound and laying a solid basis for all the songs on this album.

The drumming, handled by the Jedi Master, David Witte is both stripped back and flamboyant when required. His extensive experience in multiple bands (Human Remains, East West Blast Fest and Burnt By the Sun) gives him the ability to time keep with great effect.

As previously mentioned, Municipal are great at counterpoint song writing (fast, slow, mid pace, repeat), and David lays down the beats to compliment this approach. Check out Residential Disaster as a prime indication of what I am talking about.

With the rise of neo-thrash over the last few years, Municipal Waste are more uniquely placed to stand out in the crowd. And whilst this album has all the familiar traits, it does manage to hold your attention.

For fans of The 'Waste, I recommend it, for the mildly interested, give it a try….you might be surprised.