Review: Municipal Waste – Massive Aggressive (2009)
Ahhhh yes, more thrash. After more than a week of being laid out from strep throat and ear infections galore, I am now psyched to listen to the new Municipal Waste album, Massive Aggressive (is anyone else totally enamored by the delightful titles this band comes up with for their songs and albums? I almost want to giggle with glee everytime I check out the traklisting of a new album). I can’t tell you how hard it is to be a huge fan of metal and NOT be able to listen to your favorites because your ears can’t handle anything more than repeats of the Cosby Show on TV. I digress though, the new Municipal Waste is one album I have been eagerly anticipating for much of the year. The band’s last two albums have received regular rotation on my playlist, and me being a thrash junkie puts them at a higher standard than perhaps some other forms of metal. With that in mind, I hope I don’t turn you off when I say that Massive Aggressive isn’t what I’d exactly been hoping for. Is it good? Yes, but it’s not the monumental follow up to The Art of Partying I had been anticipating.
The popularity of Municipal Waste in the last year or so has really blossomed, especially since the release of their third album, The Art of Partying in 2007. I, along with many people became very aware of this band after seeing their crazy live performances, which in turn made me love their recorded work even more. The Art of Partying would surely be at the top of my last for albums released in the new millenium for sure. Unfortunately however, Massive Aggressive does not live up to the hype and anticipation that has been gained through months of hard touring and promotion. In the end though, what really gained Municipal Waste notoriety most recently, is because of their back catalog of extremely catchy and addictive thrash anthems that really get at the heart of what makes thrash and punk so fun. Massive Aggressive fails at bringing on the anthemic qualities that previous ventures have had. I won’t say this album is bad, because it contains the same energy and full throttle mayhem that every Municipal Waste album contains, but it’s not as memorable as what “Sadistic Magician” and “Unleash the Bastards” really brought to the table. This is an outright Municipal Waste record with no frills, just how fans like it, but with too much filler and not enough memorable riffs and lyrics.
It’s clear that my previous interest in this band has clowded what I have grown to expect from this band, but isn’t that how fans are supposed to react? I may be a critic, but I am first and foremost a fan. However, what I try and refuse to be is a fanboy who praises every release from their favorite band. Municipal Waste has released a good effort here, but it’s not going to go down in the band’s canon has being a standout work. Massive Aggressive is standard crossover fare, but fewer memorable qualities to it that are an absolute requirement for an album chalk full of songs less than 3 minutes a piece. What’s the point of have sudden bursts of energy scattered throughout an album if those little bursts aren’t the absolute most fun you could possibly have in that minute and a half span? If you’re a new fan who has perhaps caught them on a tour, do yourself a favor and pick up The Art of Partying first and work your way back from there, I think you’ll be much more satisfied with the experience.
GOOD
Top Tracks: Wolves of Chernobyl, The Wrath of the Severed Head, Wrong Answer
Similar Artists: Fueled By Fire, Anthrax, D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies
1. Masked By Delirium
2. Mech-Cannibal
3. Divine Blasphemer
4. Massive Aggressive
5. Wolves of Chernobyl
6. Relentless Threat
7. The Wrath of The Severed Head
8. Upside Down Church
9. Shredded Offering
10. Media Skeptic
11. Horny For Blood
12. Wrong Answer
13. Acid Sentence
Tony Foresta – Vocals
Ryan Waste – Guitar, Vocals
Philip “Land Phil” Hall – Bass, Vocals
Dave Witte – Drums
Earache Records
http://www.myspace.com/municipalwaste
Review by CODY
Great blog. I linked it o mine!
Cody, I think your review captures pretty much exactly how I feel about the album. On my first listen a few days ago, I was immensely disappointed with it. Granted, I am listening to a promo copy containing beeps, but the album still sounded incredibly…generic to me. And that is not how I view Municipal Waste at all. I’ve given the record a few more spins, and it has grown on me, however.
I think the main difference between this album and Hazardous/Art of Partying is that the humor of the lyrics has been toned down considerably. That, to put it mildly, is a tragedy. The thing that made me love these guys in the first place is that they’re willing to play bad-ass thrash, but also were able to write hilarious lyrics to songs like “Beer Pressure” and “Terror Shark.” Taking away their sense of humor sadly relegates the Waste to being just another thrash band, and they are so much more than that.
Ironically, I think the riffs and song structures of this album are actually better than their previous efforts, but without the humor found in those other albums, this one sounds incredibly hollow and even a little (dare I say) business-like. Despite it all, I think this is a very solid album, but, like you, I’ve come to expect more from the Waste. Lastly, in addition to your stand-out tracks, I would also throw in Mech-Cannibal and Upside Down Church. I love the spoken word intro from Phantasm II featured on Upside Down, just like on Guilty of Being Tight!
[...] Ahhhh yes, more thrash. After more than a week of being laid out from strep throat and ear infections galore, I am now psyched to listen to the new Municipal Waste album, Massive Aggressive (is anyone else totally enamored by the delightful titles this band comes up with for their songs and albums? I almost want to giggle with glee everytime I check out the traklisting of a new album). I can’t tell you how hard it is to be a huge fan of metal and NOT be able to listen to your favorites because your ears can’t handle anything more than repeats of the Cosby Show on TV. I digress though, the new Municipal Waste is one album I have been eagerly anticipating for much of the year. The band’s last two albums have received regular rotation on my playlist, and me being a thrash junkie puts them at a higher standard than perhaps some other forms of metal. With that in mind, I hope I don’t turn you off when I say that Massive Aggressive isn’t what I’d exactly been hoping for. Is it good? Yes, but it’s not the monumental follow up to The Art of Partying I had been anticipating. (Read the Full Review) [...]
i have to say in some ways i agree with this review and in others i dont. musically this is their best effort but without the humor it does leave this album lacking. Although i do i love the darker side to this album and its alot more agressive than their previous work, the fact that its by municipal waste just leaves you wanting more. shame really
I disagree with the author of the review. I believe Massive Aggressive is the best album Municipal Waste has released. The overall musicianship of the band has increased tremendously since The Art of Partying. The singer is making way more of an effort to both syncopate his lyrics with the rhythm of the song and to sing a lot more as opposed to yelling all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love the yelling, LOVE it, but it is great to know that the singer is becoming a more versatile musician. To me, the singers new toolbox makes the vocals create more of an impact, thus making lyric memorization inevitable after only a few listens. The guitar and bass player have also improved in their abilities although it is not as obvious as the singers improvement. Both of their chops have been great in previous albums, but Massive Aggressive just takes tremelo picking to a whole new level. The most obvious evidence of this BRILLIANT right hand technique is on the song Mech-Cannibal. The bass player is also more daring I think. He is doing a lot more experimentation with the chord structure in this album which i think is just great. Drums. Well, although i love this drummers playing, i think he cut some small corners on this album. His fills are still as powerful and as tech as ever, but on a lot of the beats it sounds like he got lazy with his right foot. I found myself expecting an extra bass hit or two here and there and was disappointed. Especially because he always fulfilled my expectations in this area on The Art of Partying. However, he does continue to provide the band with the rock-solid ungodly-tech drumming that makes Municipal Waste second to none. I do agree that the band has become less humorous but it seems to me that this is just a side-effect of Municipal Waste becoming more serious about their music and themselves as musicians, which i have much respect for. Overall, the new Municipal Waste album way exceeded my expectations. It does perfect justice to The Art of Partying and the brilliantly organized assault of sound which is Municipal Waste.
Dead on reviews. I finally got around to finding the picture disc of “Massive” and giving it a listen and was surprised at the straightforwardness of the album. It certainly is drinking from the trough of middle period DRI and Suicidal Tendencies. The toned-down humor is a disappointment since it always helped The Waste memorable. Maybe it will be like “Hazardous Mutation,” where they will only play the memorable songs [Wolves, Wrong Answer] live.
We should still be happy this band is alive and touring.