So what happens when a band’s riotous reputation catches up with them? Precautionary measures are taken and they - of course - get banished, only this time, it’s into space! When the greedy ship captain hordes the food rations, the crew kicks into survival mode, commit mutiny, and devour their captain skewing the story into a horrific yet fantastic cannibalistic voyage into space that cult movies are made of.
The Fatal Feast, the fifth studio album by Richmond, Virginia’s speed metal punks MUNICIPAL WASTE, not only ponders the type of moral dilemma faced in the title track but also tackles earthly issues that consistently plague humanity (“Covered In Sick/The Barfer,” “Repossession,” “Standards And Practices,” “12 Step Program,” “Crushing Chest Wound”). These 37 minutes of new music consolidate the best of everything the band’s got to offer: their utmost respect for headbang-inducing riffs, their trademarked aggression, their tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and their talent for extracting meaning out of the absurd.
Rising from the squalor of a cursed punk house for their live debut at a New Year’s Eve keg party welcoming in 2001, founding members Ryan Waste and Tony Foresta quickly embraced a DYI ethic to spread the word about their band and graduated to booking shows out-of-state and even in Mexico. After a self-titled EP and the Waste ‘Em All debut album in 2003, bassist Phil “LandPhil” Hall and former Melt Banana drummer Dave Witte were ushered into the fold. This line-up went on to record three full-length albums for Earache Records (2005’s Hazardous Mutation, 2007’s The Art Of Partying, and 2009’s Massive Aggressive), earning such accolades throughout their career as “MUNICIPAL WASTE do it so well that any track could squeeze comfortably between D.R.I. and Gang Green on a mix tape” from Spin Magazine, “No band sound more authentic,” from Alternative Press, “A gold standard” from Decibel magazine, and “Undeniably the best at what they do,” from Outburn magazine. Visually, the band also delivered, as evidenced by the success of the devil-may-care and often outrageous attitude of their videos which have all become fan-chanted anthems at their live shows. The fact is, no one could argue against MUNICIPAL WASTE’s reputation as the ultimate feel-good party band.
Dedicated to keeping the spirit of the 1980’s cross-over scene alive, it was with their uncontrollable mirth and succinct songs that lead MUNICIPAL WASTE to reap the rewards of their hard work. By the time they signed with new label Nuclear Blast in 2011, they had proven themselves as die-hard road warriors who could tour & perform with bands outside their genre such as Suicidal Tendencies, The Casualties, 7 Seconds, Circle Jerks, Sick Of It All, GWAR, Lamb Of God, Children Of Bodom, and At The Gates and win over their crowds. Here they are 11 years later and their rabid fan base – which includes fans of metal, punk, and hardcore - continues to expand.
With artwork by Justin Osbourn of Slasher Design, 2012’s The Fatal Feast is the first MUNICIPAL WASTE album to feature contributions from invited guests. Steve Moore of Zombi penned the intro to the title track and the spacey “Waste In Space,” John Connelly of Nuclear Assault’s vocals grace the album’s title track, and former singer Tim Barry of Richmond punk legends Avail jumps in on “Standards And Practices.”
Aptly hailed as “an interstellar thrashterpiece” by Decibel magazine, MUNICIPAL WASTE’s The Fatal Feast debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Not bad for a band from Virginia, eh? Space may be a noiseless vacuum for amateurs who don’t travel with their own P.A. system, but seasoned veterans of extreme situations MUNICIPAL WASTE always know better than to leave home without it!
