MUNICIPAL WASTE — Hazardous Mutation (review)

MUNICIPAL WASTE — Hazardous Mutation album cover Album · 2005 · Crossover Thrash Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Hazardous Mutation" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US crossover thrash metal act Municipal Waste. The album was released through Earache Records in August 2005. While "Waste 'em All (2003)" did make a few minor waves, "Hazardous Mutation" is the band´s breakthrough album. Of course not in a mainstream breakthrough sense, but they were after the release of "Hazardous Mutation" widely regarded as one of the most prolific acts on the US crossover thrash metal scene.

And it´s obvious why that is, when listening to the album. These guys write catchy and nicely aggressive crossover thrash metal tunes and deliver them with great skill and conviction. The tracks are predominantly delivered in a frantic pace, but the band occassionally and successfully take the pace down to a mid-paced groove like they do on "Guilty of Being Tight", which provides the album with some variation. Because variation isn´t the first word that springs to mind when listening to "Hazardous Mutation", which is an album where it takes several listens before you are able to tell the tracks apart and remember them all (in other words it´s a pretty one-dimensional/formulaic listen). Compared to "Waste 'em All (2003)", the scale on "Hazardous Mutation" has tipped a bit more towards thrash metal than the more hardcore sounding debut. The lyrics again deal with B-horror movie themes and partying.

The album is well produced, featuring a raw and powerful sound, designed to make your head bang while you guzzle down another lager. And that´s about it...the 15 track, 26:10 minutes long "Hazardous Mutation" is an album composed by a band who just wanna have fun, drink beer, and play their asses off to an enthusiastic audience. For that purpose "Hazardous Mutation" is more or less a perfect album. As mentioned a bit more variation could have made the album even better, but that´s a minor issue. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
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Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review for a good album, I prefer the two albums that bookend it though.

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