Band:	Municipal Waste
Album:	Hazardous Mutation
Style:	Crossover thrash metal
Release date:	August 21, 2005
Guest review by:	Auntie Sahar

Disc I
01. Intro/Deathripper
02. Unleash The Bastards
03. The Thing
04. Blood Drive
05. Accelerated Vision
06. Guilty Of Being Tight
07. Set To Destruct
08. Hazardous Mutation
09. Nailed Casket
10. Abusement Park
11. Black Ice
12. Mind Eraser
13. Terror Shark
14. The Thrashin' Of The Christ
15. Bangover

Disc II [DVD: Live In Richmond 2006]
01. Intro
02. Deathripper
03. Drunk As Shit
04. Mind Eraser
05. Unleash The Bastards
06. The Thrashin' Of The Christ
07. Sweet Attack
08. Mutants Of War
09. Blood Drive
10. Accelerated Vision
11. New Song
12. Terror Shark
13. Toxic Revolution
14. Substitute Creature
15. Waste 'Em All
16. Bangover

As quite the fan of this so called "New Age Thrash" or "Thrash Revival" movement, I must say that Municipal Waste is one of my favourite bands among it. They remind me something of DRI, albeit with their own unique style, and I think are a perfect example of how metal and punk can go perfectly together without resulting in some evil-core scene band.

First off, the music itself. I've never been too big a fan of short songs (which listening to a crossover thrash band, you're bound to end up with), but somehow with this album, the songs manage to keep you hooked. No lines are repeated over and over and somehow Municipal Waste manages to keep me interested and hooked for every 2 minute song on the album. The quality of sound is excellent, the guitar tone is quite nice and crunchy, a tone reminding me something of classic Exodus. The only real problem I have with the music is that there are no guitar solos. I can dig that if it's part of the band's style, but ordinarily it's how one would measure how potent a band's guitarists are... so for now, aside from riffage, that question will remain a mystery on this album.

Next up, the lyrics. The lyrics for Hazardous Mutation are great and fit perfectly into typical thrash lyrics about horror kinda stuff, war, or just metal itself. Every time I hear the lyrics to "Bangover", for example, I feel the need to headbang quite violently: "Aches when I turn/When I look up/It feels like my neck's been hit by a truck/Ears are still ringing, brain's far from sober/What can I do to stop this bangover?/I rocked too hard and now I'm suffering." Thus, they have served their purpose.

Pros are good production, lyrics and song structures while the weak points would be short songs (depending on whether you like that or not) and the absence of guitar solos. Standout tracks are "Bangover," "Unleash the Bastards," "Terror Shark" and "The Thrashin Of the Christ."
All in all, a very decent album among the thrash revival bands, and a worthwhile addition to any thrash fan's collection.