Belushi Speed Ball Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The 80’s Review
Belushi Speed Ball
Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The 80’s
Self-Released
2026
Earlier in June, Louisville's own Crossover Thrash maniacs, Belushi Speed Ball, unleashed their latest slab of sonic violence, “Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The '80s”. Before diving in, I spent some time digging through the band's Bandcamp catalog and quickly realized these guys aren't newcomers. They've been in the trenches for years, honing their craft and leaving a trail of wreckage behind them. That gave me a pretty good feeling about what was waiting once I hit play.
Even though I'd somehow managed to miss them until now, it only took a few seconds before everything clicked. This is pure Crossover Thrash worship in the best possible way. Think M.O.D., S.O.D., D.R.I., and modern torchbearers like Municipal Waste and Toxic Holocaust thrown into a blender and set to "obliterate." There's even a little GWAR-style insanity woven into the lyrics, giving the songs a healthy dose of humor alongside all the speed and aggression. That's always a winning combination in my book. Thrash is supposed to be dangerous, but it's also supposed to be fun.
Belushi Speed Ball doesn't waste a second pretending to be anything they're not. Their mission is simple: play as fast as humanly possible, level everything in their path, and leave the audience wondering what the hell just happened. Mission accomplished. The riffs fly, the tempos rarely let up, and the energy never dips. It's every bit as filthy, nasty, and relentless as proper Crossover Thrash should be.
You can practically picture these songs being launched from the stage while the pit erupts into absolute chaos. Sweat, flying sneakers, busted lips, spilled beer, and somebody inevitably losing a shoe -that's exactly where this music belongs. These tracks are built to cause bruises, and I have no doubt they'll become live favorites for years to come.
Production-wise, the band got it exactly right. Everything has that raw, vintage analog punch without sacrificing clarity. This isn't squeaky-clean, over-produced Thrash. This is sweaty denim vests, backwards hat bills, beat-up high-top sneakers, and circle pits that make your chiropractor rich. Just the way the Thrash gods intended.
“Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The '80s” is available on cassette and CD, so quit dragging your feet. Head over to the band's Bandcamp page, grab this one, and do yourself a favor by picking up a few of their earlier releases while you're at it. There's enough high-octane mayhem in their catalog to turn a casual listener into a full-blown Thrash fanatic.
Standouts – “I’m Not Your Buddy Guy”, “Belushi Speed Ball”, “I Ought Not Know”, “Terminator Lava Factory” and “Captain Planet Still Can’t Stop Us”.