David Booth - Hellbender Blues Munincipal Waste rips up London Music Hall on Feb. 21, 2024.
London Music Hall played host to veteran crossover thrash band, Municipal Waste, supported by Ghoul, Necrot, and Dead Heat on Wednesday, February 21. The doors were at 6, which makes sense given it’s a four-band bill. I love going to old school metal shows. There was no mistaking this for anything but a crossover thrash metal show. Immediately upon entering the venue, I consulted the metal show checklist. More denim and leather than the Calgary Stampede? Check. A circle of guys in black leather jackets headbanging in a circle? Check. People scoping out the mosh pit and stretching like a Doberman just off the couch ready to chase the mailman? Check. Plus the bonus points for a random shout of “Fucking Slayer” and hollers of agreement despite Slayer not being present on the bill. We officially have a metal show.
The first band on the bill is Dead Heat, a five-piece band from Oxnard, California, who put on a good performance with some solid crossover and hardcore chops. They also had their tour moustaches in full display and in all their glory. Chris Ramos, the vocalist for Dead Heat sounded great, even better than his moustache, and that’s a tough act to follow. Dead heat definitely sets the night off right.
Necrot, a three-piece death metal band from Oakland, were impressive. The music was brutal and well played. The band was tight and can stand on its own based just on the strength of their songs. With that said, the thing that distinguished Necrot was their live performance. This is a band that needs to be seen live to truly appreciate them. The band’s live performance had a very classic metal feel, and paired with the brutal music, were one of the better examples I’ve seen of OSDM.
Ghoul, also an Oakland band, was the next on stage. You know the show is going to be good when they increased the security in front of the stage by 50% and all the guards were wearing ponchos. All members arrived on stage wearing bloody balaclavas, which is less of a bold fashion choice than one would think given that they’re in Canada in February. Ghoul has been overheating on stage in ski masks for the better part of 20 years, and they have not missed a beat. This is a band with guts. I literally mean guts. I saw them on stage. The music was great, the show was entertaining, and they were kind enough to volunteer to give blood. Litres of blood sprayed liberally over the audience by characters that would regularly show up on stage with an extra pint or two of blood to give. Ghoul puts on a bloody, good show.
Municipal Waste is a band I have never seen live, but always wanted to. They did not disappoint. I am admittedly a bit of a soft touch here, because any band that does a song on a tribute album for C.O.C. is worth a listen. Municipal waste has been around for over 20 years, and they know how to do it right. This year is the 21st anniversary of their debut album, Waste ‘Em All, and they’re celebrating with a North American tour finishing with their hometown show in Richmond VA. Years ago, the band was labelled “party thrash”, which is an odd description but quite fitting after seeing their show. As much as the music is heavy and the pit is wild, their show is great beyond the limited scope of the genre. They put on a show that’s just fun to watch. These guys have a great time and take the whole audience to the party with them. The singer, Tony Foresta, sounded fantastic and was having a great time on stage. The band played well, were fun to watch, and put on a set that turned the mosh pit into a glorious and terrifying place.
The opportunity to see this band is not one to Waste.
All photos by David Booth, Hellbender Blues.
Municipal Waste
Ghoul
Necrot
Dead Heat
