“Crossover Ministry” is the very appropriately
titled third album from American thrashers Iron Reagan. Given that the band
features Municipal Waste’s singer (and their bassist on guitars), it’s no
surprise that Iron Reagan has a similar sound. In this band, however, it feels
like the music leans more towards crossover, whereas the Waste is a bit heavier
on more traditional thrash elements (particularly on later releases).
Nonetheless, “Crossover Ministry” is going to appeal to anyone with an appreciation
for short songs, vocals that are absurdly fast and consist entirely of
shouting, and music that is trying to make a statement in its lyrics. The band
is often at their best when they write their simplest work. Songs like “More
War” and “Dogsnotgods” have brilliantly catchy choruses that are great for
shouting along to. Even the 14-second “No Sell” manages to stand out because of
its clear focus.
The weakness of “Crossover Ministry” is
that it doesn’t really have any pit-inducing riffs. The guitar work is
certainly adequate for thrash, but this album shows the importance of Ryan Waste
to Municipal Waste, because the quality of the riffs is really the major
difference between the two bands. This record still thrashes with sufficient
conviction throughout, but isn’t quite an upper-tier release. On “Megachurch”,
things go totally off the rail when some weird nasally vocals are used for
parts of the song, but that is the only time on the album where the band really
steps outside of their comfort zone. The album as a whole is an enjoyable
listen, but unlikely to be one worth repeating for years.
Highlights
"You Never Learn"
"More War"
"Dogsnotgods"
Final Rating
3.7/5 or 74%.
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