Municipal Waste - The Last Rager (2019)^{Release ID: 24948}

Time for my next attempt at finding the appeal of crossover thrash. I find a couple genres like crossover thrash and grindcore easier to digest in small amounts like EPs. When those genres are focused on small abrasive songs, they work best when the tracks are the same amount as in a typical album of most other genres while keeping the track lengths, and sometimes even lower than that. That's why I barely had any trouble with the Corrosion of Conformity album I reviewed.

And now for this EP by modern crossover thrashers Municipal Waste! The Last Rager was released between the band's 6th and 7th albums. I was hoping to feel the hype thrash fans had over this release, but the first half turned out be a disappointment for me...

"Wave of Death" shows what I mean by playing the EXACT SAME RIFF in two minutes, spiced up only slightly by gang vocals including the title occasionally being shouted and a guitar that's just too abruptly short. Other than those two aspects, that song sounds more like one of those riff loop tracks than anything. Next up, "Car-Nivore (Street Meat)" has what fans of the band would expect, relentless yells and stampeding riffs. They're not totally bad, but I wished they could've interested more.

"Rum for Your Life" is far better! Here we have some wonderful riffing played fast with a bit of groove. There's great taste in the bass, drums, and vocals as well to remind fans of the band's earlier material and me of the heavier thrash bands I've encountered. The best song here! What's also great is the title finale. The first minute might remind some of the "O.D." crossover thrash bands (fans of the genre know what they are), and the raging combo continues on with great guitars. It actually sounds really unique here, almost as if the band were from 35 years prior to the EP and brought their sound to life in these modern times.

All in all, the first half of the EP comes out as disappointing, yet the second half clearly shows a better side of crossover thrash. This EP was a nice thing to keep Municipal Waste fans' spirits up while waiting in that 5-year gap between albums. A little more variety wouldn't hurt though....

Favorites: "Rum for Your Life", "The Last Rager"