Paralysis – Life Sentence

With the “You Can’t Win” EP released last year, New Jersey thrash band Paralysis made quite an impact. The band managed to catch a lot of attention due to the quality of guests they attracted on that release (Gerre, Josh Christian, Bobby Gustafson). Just over a year later, they have another release, this time showing the band trying to stand solely on their own merits. “Life Sentence” does exactly that, as it is a succinct 30-minute effort where the band unleashes many of their best songs.

Though there were some stellar lead guitarists on the last EP, this album really isn’t in need of guest shredding because Paralysis features more than enough impressive fretwork on their own. One of the best examples is the sweeping intro to the solo on “Your Will”, which leads to a solo that is just a little more technical-sounding than your average thrash band. The guitars in general have a lot more bite to them on this release than on “You Can’t Win”, making even some of the tamer riffs sound vicious.

Paralysis is at their best when following a simplistic thrash formula. In general, their better moments are fast, utilize gang vocals (“Life Sentence” and “All Your Lies” having the best examples), and feature catchy, simplistic choruses. If there is one easy criticism of “Life Sentence”, it’s that there are far too many mid-paced moments on the record. They’re still absolutely crushing and no doubt mosh-inducing, but when contrasted with the more aggressive moments, it is clear which sound is superior. 

Aside from this, there isn’t too much to criticize on “Life Sentence”. Paralysis is adept at writing solid thrash tunes, which may not reinvent the wheel, but they’ll certainly get the pit going. Their vocalist straddles the line between death metal and thrash metal, with a slight emphasis on the former. This again makes Paralysis fairly consistent with much of the thrash scene today. As a result, “Life Sentence” is a safe record, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. If you’re a fan of thrash metal, it’s worth hearing as there are a couple of truly great tunes, but this is a very different beast from some of the more forward-thinking thrash that seems to be universally praised.

Be sure to check out and like Paralysis on Facebook!

Highlights

"Your Will"

"Life Sentence"

"All Your Lies"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott

Municipal Waste – Slime and Punishment

It’s been a lengthy wait since the last Municipal Waste record, due to seemingly everyone in the band getting involved in some other projects (Cannabis Corpse, Iron Reagan, BAT), but fortunately, the modern crossover gods are back with “Slime and Punishment”, their 6^th full-length. Reverting to the brevity of their older albums, this record runs a mere 29 minutes, and delivers 14 punishing tracks of excellently played, memorable crossover thrash.

The big difference between this record and the previous ones is the addition of second guitarist Nick Poulos. Unsurprisingly, however, there isn’t too much of an impact on the music itself. Municipal Waste’s style of thrash lends itself to chunky rhythm guitars, with few opportunities for having a second shredder to make a difference. There are a couple of pleasant surprises in the form of quick harmonized leads, but they often last just a few seconds before the band reverts to their typical sound. The bass also does seem slightly further into the forefront than it used to be, with a couple of key spotlights later on the record.

Aside from this, “Slime and Punishment” is exactly what you’d expect from Municipal Waste at this point. Each of these songs is short and to the point, and features the stellar riffs of Ryan Waste underneath Tony Foresta’s incessant yelling. Lyrics are pushed out almost non-stop, with the gang-vocal choruses being the only easy parts to discern. But it is these choruses that make so many of these tracks memorable. Sing along anthems like “Breathe Grease”, “Poison The Preacher”, “Slime and Punishment” and “Think Fast” are all highlighted by the fact that they were clearly made to be played live. 

There isn’t anything to fault “Slime and Punishment” for. It doesn’t necessarily have the absolute best tracks that Municipal Waste has ever written, but it is one of their most consistent releases. The only “crossover-mandatory comedy moment” is on “Parole Violators”, but even that doesn’t really distract from the song too much, as it is fairly brief. No time is wasted with slow moments or pointless interludes, as Municipal Waste really goes for it at all times on this album. The band really does everything right here, and that makes “Slime and Punishment” one of Municipal Waste’s best records.

Be sure to check out and like Municipal Waste on Facebook!

Highlights

"Breathe Grease"

"Poison The Preacher"

"Slime and Punishment"

"Think Fast"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott