As most of you know by now, despite coming of age in the heart of the thrash revival, I never cared for Municipal Waste. No, it’s not because I was allergic to fun even at a young age, but rather everything Waste did Wehrmacht and a slew of crossover bands before them did better. Nevertheless, I stood alone in this conviction, as Waste continues to thrash around the country to this day. Well into their third decade, their high speed odes to pizza, beer, and thrashing resonate with headbangers of all ages.
Along the way has arisen a string of Municipal Waste spinoffs, the best of the bunch (or at least up until the formation of Morbikon) being Bat. Initially consisting of Waste guitarists Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos alongside ’80s D.R.I. drummer Felix Griffin, Bat flew into heavy underground in 2013, dropping a string of demos and singles before unleashing their debut full length strike, Wings of Chains (2016). Upon its release, I was hesitant. “Come on Joe! It’s Waste gone Motörhead!” Right, like how Cannabis Corpse is Waste gone death metal and Iron Reagan is Waste gone hardcore. That being said, I gave Wings a fair shot and it quickly became a favorite of that year, receiving regular rotation through my freshman year of college in late 2017.
Fast forward 8 long years and a new drummer later (Exit Felix, enter Chris Charge), Bat have returned to rage once again, this time with their anything BUT a sophomore slump, Under the Crooked Claw. Similar to its predecessor, Claw keeps it simple and straightforward, enthusiastically fusing raw speed, filthy punk, and unbridled traditionalism to create a collection of 13 flat out bangers. Is it anything you haven’t heard before? No. Yet as I’ve said time and time again, there’s a defiant charm to those early Motörhead and Venom albums that manages to resonate as strongly today as they did 40-45 years ago. It’s no wonder so many new metal and punk bands follow those cues to craft a failsafe affair, Bat being no exception.
Under one of Bat’s wings is a bevy of rotten high speed blitzes like “Vampyre Lore”, “Battered”, and “Marauders of Doom”. In a parallel universe, all of these could’ve potentially been Waste songs. Lucky for us, they’re framed in a manner that convinces the listener they could’ve been recorded in the early ’80s when the NWOBHM and street punk were butting their ugly heads, subsequently birthing thrash in ’83. Speaking of street punk, there is an undeniable UK82 throughout this entire album, especially on the likes of “Rite for Exorcism”, “Warshock”, “Revenge of the Wolf”, and “Electric Warning”. From the rampant d-beats to the undisputed attitude (I had to sandwich at least one Slayer reference in here), I can almost see my long black hair metamorphosing into a red mohawk before my very eyes.
Although Claw doesn’t immediately *ahem* claw me the way Wings did in terms of memorability, I’d be lying if I said it was any less potent, powerful, or punky. Amidst Waste’s seemingly endless touring itinerary, it’s nothing short of incredible that good ol’ Ryan and Nick were able to write and record this bad boy in the first place. If it’s another 8 years before the mighty Bat spreads its studded wings over the metal and punk underground again, consider me content. This “Streetbanger” proudly gives two middle fingers up in approval!
7 out of 10
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Speed Metal
For fans of: Motörhead, Venom, Midnight