Municipal Waste: Thrash? Don't Mind If We Do

RICHMOND’S MUNICIPAL WASTE is a speed-metal demon. The band is your standard bass/drums/ guitar/singer/occasional wizard quintet, and it’s conquering the world through relentless touring and imaginative, cartoonish, melody-infested tunes such as “Deathripper” and “The Thrashin’ Of the Christ.” On Friday, they group will fill the intimate People’s Media Center at Alfishawy Café with Wasteoids seeking kicks from whiplash thrash.

The band’s singer, Tony Foresta (shown bottom right), explained what it means to be a “crossover” metal band and described some of the victims of the Waste’s success.

» EXPRESS: Municipal Waste is often called “crossover.” What’s that?
» FORESTA: It’s when punk kids start playin’ metal. That was what the deal was. [We] were punk kids and we were like, “Why isn’t anybody playing this kind of stuff anymore? It’s awesome.” Back in the ’80s, all those bands were punk bands.

» EXPRESS: You guys mix metal and hardcore: Are you metalcore?
» FORESTA: [Laughs] Well, actually, the term metalcore, it used to be that’s what it meant. Corrosion of Conformity were a metalcore band back then. Now the term’s been bastardized to mean [bad] Ozzfest bands. I don’t think we’re considered metalcore nowadays, but if it were the ’80s, I guess you could call us metalcore.

» EXPRESS: Would you play Ozzfest?
» FORESTA: We’re friends with Hatebreed, so if they were on it we probably would, and now that it’s free we probably would. But Ozzfest is really weird, because they make bands pay to play. Even when it was like $30 to get in, your record label has to pay $100,000, or some crazy amount of money. I’m not big on having to pay to play, but I guess that’s how the industry works.
But doing it for free would be really cool. A traveling festival that’s free — that’s a really good idea. It depends on the circumstances.

» EXPRESS: How come you’re playing a small venue like Alfishawy on Friday instead of a place like the Black Cat?
» FORESTA: Chris [Moore, of Magrudergrind and Venomous Ideas booking] booked it. We trust Chris. Plus, it’ll probably be smaller and more intimate and crazier — which is a lot more fun for us. Lately we’ve been playing a lot of bigger rooms. It’s cooler to play smaller rooms, get in everyone’s face.

» EXPRESS: Do you worry that you won’t be able to play smaller shows much longer because of your success?
» FORESTA: We try to play smaller venues, but sometimes it just isn’t good for the venues. You know, we’ve closed down a couple places. We actually closed down one of the best venues on the West Coast — and that sucks. We closed down [storied punk venue] Burnt Ramen last summer. People give us a hard time ’cause we’re playing these bigger venues, but it’s like, “We can’t play a house show, because you’re going to get your house closed down and nobody’s going to be able to play there.” If it’s really on the down low, we’ll play it. If it’s something involving our friends, if it’s people we know we can trust, then we’ll do it.

» EXPRESS: Can you elaborate on what it means to have a venue closed down?
» FORESTA: Alright, so we played Burnt Ramen and too many people showed up and there were like 100 people outside trying to get into the venue. By the time I got outside, and this is no exaggeration, there were 20 police officers lined up in the street in riot position. In that instance, it was overcapacity. That’s what normally happens. Sometimes it’ll be underage drinking.

» EXPRESS: Do you draw more of a punk crowd or a metal crowd?
» FORESTA: Lately it’s been more metal, just ’cause we’re playing bigger shows and they’re more expensive. It depends on what bands we’re playing with. Usually it’s pretty mixed and we’re into that. We’d rather play to all kinds of people. The last two tours, with Gwar and Destruction, have been more metal tours.

» EXPRESS: Did you really play over 200 shows in a year?
» FORESTA: Yeah, last year. It was rough.

» EXPRESS: How’d you survive?
» FORESTA: [Laughs] It’s crazy. We played Iceland and Puerto Rico in the same month. We were all over the place. And I think this year’s gonna be even crazier.

» EXPRESS: I have to end by asking you who is better, Metallica or Megadeth?
» FORESTA: I like old Metallica. I hate Megadeth. My bandmates like Megadeth. I’m just in my “I hate Megadeth” phase.

» EXPRESS: Why don’t you like Megadeth?
» FORESTA: Just annoys me. I think when I watched that Metallica documentary and I saw Dave Mustaine crying it really bummed me out. But that’s not why: The music’s kind of annoying me, too.

&raquo People’s Media Center at Alfishawy Café, 4132 Georgia Ave. NW; with I Object!, Sick Fix, The Tangled Lines and Police & Thieves, 7:30 p.m., $7; 202-722-0150.

Photos courtesy of Earache Records/Municipal Waste
Foreseta solo shot by Glenn Burkhart