LIVE REVIEW: Municipal Waste @ Club Academy, Manchester

Rarely do you see a touring lineup as stacked as the one that MUNICIPAL WASTE have assembled on this their latest tour. SKELETAL REMAINS, ENFORCER, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, and MUNICIPAL WASTE join forces to lay waste to venues all across Europe in what is sure to be a contender for one of the best shows of 2019 – and certainly the most intense. On their long-awaited return to Manchester, MUNICIPAL WASTE were surely going to seize the opportunity with both hands and put on a show that is not to be missed.

First up were Californian death metallers SKELETAL REMAINS proving that behind the facade of the Golden State still lies a scene brimming with morbid brutality. Opening with Devouring Mortality, the band shot right out of the gates kicking off their full-throttle assault with impressive and abundant finesse. With complex riffs, blast beats, and excellent solo work flying at a million miles an hour, SKELETAL REMAINS powered through their six-song set, traversing material their previous three albums in excellent style. For those who like death metal, this band should be a staple of your music collection and their live show further hits home this fact. SKELETAL REMAINS played one of those rare sets that leave you wanting more: if you could request an encore of an opening act, they more than earned one.

Rating: 8/10

In a stark departure from the opening act, shifting the mood from death metal to old-school heavy metal was ENFORCER. For those who don’t know who they are, the band play a brand of music that feels straight out of a time capsule from the mid-80s, complete with skimpy stage clothes and an abundance of leather. For those witnessing the band live for the first time, it can be hard to distinguish whether the band are serious or some kind of STEEL PANTHER-esque satire; but rest assured, the former appears to be the case.

Despite the release of their fifth studio album Zenith earlier in the year, only Die For The Devil from their newest LP was included in the band’s set, with the main focus instead being on material from their previous three albums. Pulling mainly from their more widely known material, ENFORCER played an eclectic mix of tracks that even on your first listen it’s hard not to enjoy. Their set was packed to the brim with boundless energy that proved infectious and got the crowd energised from the get-go.

All the hallmarks and cliches of the golden age of heavy metal are lovingly crammed into each track, giving even the band’s newest material an air of nostalgic familiarity. Over the course of their high-energy set, the band transported the packed room back to the legendary days of yore, while at the same time putting their own modernised stamp on the night’s proceedings. While the band’s music may not be in vogue, ENFORCER are all-in on what they do and damn do they do it well.

Rating: 8/10

The penultimate act of the night came in the form of legendary thrash metal trio TOXIC HOLOCAUST. 2019 has been a good year for fans of the band as this year has seen the band release their first album in six years, Primal Future: 2019, and embark on this tour with fellow thrash legends MUNICIPAL WASTE. As soon as the band took to the stage, the atmosphere in the room erupted into an unadulterated frenzy which was further exacerbated by their opening track Nuke the Cross.

As early as the band’s second song Death Brings Death, the room was descending into utter chaos. Wall-to-wall circle pits and a myriad of crowd surfers were pushing the intimate venue to its absolute limits and visibly loving every moment. The set was packed with fan favourite tracks from across their large discography, although admittedly omitting all the material from their latest release Primal Future: 2019. From start to finish, the band had their foot firmly planted on the accelerator, with the packed house giving it as good as they were getting throughout. Tracks like Gravelord and War is Hell solicited huge cheers and subsequent free-for-all’s from the rabid Manchester crowd, welcoming the band back to the city with open arms.

The super-tight modern thrash that TOXIC HOLOCAUST play is taken to a completely new level in a live setting. The sheer amount of frantic energy contained within the band’s music combined with that of a packed room gives the band’s music a whole new meaning and a sort of vibrant catharsis. The band were absolutely on top of their game throughout, and from a band of their status, you’d expect nothing less. Bringing an end to their set with Bitch from 2011’s Conjure and Command, the band confidently closed the book on an incredibly impressive performance.

Rating: 8/10

Welcomed back with open arms on their long-awaited return to Manchester were headliners MUNICIPAL WASTE, providing the perfect way to cut loose on a wintry Friday night. Kicking their set off with Unleash the Bastards and Mind Eraser from 2005’s Hazardous Mutation, it was clear from the start that the band’s set was going to be comprised of some of their best and most popular material spanning their whole career.

Due to the fact that there were three acts preceding them, when the band hit the stage there was only one hour until the show’s curfew. Despite this and given the short, frantic nature of the band’s music, the band managed to play a set packed to the brim with more than 17 of their best-loved tracks from Waste ‘Em All to Slime and Punishment and everything in-between. Despite the intensity of the three bands prior, the packed house reacted to the bands set with a renewed energy and fervour that only an act like MUNICIPAL WASTE can solicit. Tracks like You’re Cut Off saw the entire room react by passionately shouting the titular lyric back to the stage all while participating in a venue-wide circle pit that persisted from beginning to end. Fan favourites like Sadistic Magician and Breathe Grease bookending the tracks Wrong Answer and Under the Waste Command should give you some insight into the kind of unyielding intensity the band’s set had throughout.

Describing a set as full-throttle is no more apt than when used to describe MUNICIPAL WASTE‘s live show. From the sheer intensity of their source material to taking it to the next level by mashing up tracks like The Thrashin’ of the Christ and Poison the Preacher or Beer Pressure and Thrashing is my Business… And Business is Good, nobody does intense, unrelenting aggression quite like MUNICIPAL WASTE.

Ending with the party themed tracks Bangover, Born to Party and The Art of Partying, the band brought an end to a set that can only be described as a quintessential MUNICIPAL WASTE live show. Every aspect of the show was done to sheer perfection and would easily be any fan’s dream live show. The intimacy of the basement venue provided the perfect setting to witness the band play live; there were no invisible barriers separating the band and the crowd, they were one entity moving and expressing themselves as one. Whether you’re a fan of the band or just want a show to go and let-loose at, you’ll find nothing quite like a MUNICIPAL WASTE show.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: