MUNICIPAL WASTE's RYAN WASTE: 'We Pretty Much Have A' New 'Record Written'

In a new interview with U.K.'s Gear4music, guitarist Ryan Waste of Richmond, Virginia metallers MUNICIPAL WASTE spoke about the band's plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We're working on a [new] record, yeah. We pretty much have a record written. So we'll tie that up for a release next year. Going to South America with TESTAMENT and IMMOLATION at the end of the year... South America's been overdue. We haven't done that in a long time. And then we got some shows in between that with CIRCLE JERKS in the U.S. So we play with punk bands and metal bands always, and all friends, too, so it'll be a good time."

Regarding the MUNICIPAL WASTE songwriting process, Ryan said: 'All of us contribute. We'll get in a room. Usually someone will bring an idea to the practice room, like one riff to three riffs. I mean, that's a song right there, and you just work on transitions together with Dave [Witte, MUNICIPAL WASTE drummer], connecting the dots more or less, and we all sit in a room and bang it out. I mean, we've done it like that for years, man. In the studio, it's the same thing. We all get in there. We all play together. No click track. We play with the drums, just like rehearsal. That's how we do it."

Asked how the new MUNICIPAL WASTE music compares stylistically to the "Tango & Thrash" EP, which came out in 2024, Ryan said: "Well, 'Tango & Thrash' is from 2002. That's not a new album. And people are confused by that. So that was a little short EP we did with our drummer, who's deceased, that we released before [MUNICIPAL WASTE's debut album, 2003's] 'Waste 'Em All'. So those songs we wrote in, like, five minutes and shot it out. And it's funny, I have to correct people on that because that was a reissue. It was never available digitally. It's a tribute to Kurt Russell that was a B-side of a seven-inch split with this band BAD ACID TRIP, and no one really knew about it in the greater scheme. So we were, like, 'Let's reissue that in the pandemic and just have something just to keep it going.' And we wanted it out there for more people to hear, but it's just a fun tribute to Kurt Russell. I mean, it's pretty ridiculous when you think about it."

As for whether the next MUNICIPAL WASTE album will sound more like "Electrified Brain", which came out in 2022, Ryan said: "I think it takes it up a notch even, yeah. So more dynamics, more stuff that you wouldn't expect from us, yeah, but always straightforward, WASTE-style formula."

Since 2001, MUNICIPAL WASTE has uncompromisingly stuck to its guns as hard-partying and even harder-hitting torchbearers of 21st century thrash metal. The Richmond, Virginia quintet — Tony Foresta (vocals),Ryan Waste (guitar),Philip "Landphil" Hall (bass),Dave Witte (drums) and Nick Poulos (guitar) — has transformed from a cult favorite into metal mainstays for a generation. Along the way, Decibel touted "The Art Of Partying" in its coveted "Hall Of Fame" and asserted it "revved up interest in thrash and inspired a fresh wave of youthful new bands." Metal Hammer christened "The Art Of Partying" one of "The 50 Greatest Thrash Metal Albums Ever", while Loudwire pegged "The Art Of Partying" as "The Best Thrash Album Of 2007" and "Hazardous Mutation" as "The Best Thrash Album Of 2005". The guys have sold out countless shows on multiple continents and piled up tens of millions of streams in the process. 2017's "Slime And Punishment" bowed in the Top 3 of the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and "The Last Rager" EP only accelerated their momentum in 2019.

Recorded during the pandemic in Philadelphia with producer Arthur Rizk (POWER TRIP, CODE ORANGE),the sessions for "Electrified Brain" marked the first time the members of MUNICIPAL WASTE reunited in person after a year. Together, they achieved "a thicker and heavier sound."