Back in the streets of Pasadena, Texas, where everything is probably grand, rich but evidently sometimes blistering with filth and nuclear, muzzy, green lubricants. That is reality for you people, street life isn't that easy and it has never been, you don't have to live it to see it or embrace it. It is tough as hell. But returning the Metal to the street is a virtue. For one time enough with all the complex bullshit and just slam it hard without question, believe in yourself to create havoc when you wish to bash someone's cavity in. There is a lot of sick stuff out there lurking, waiting to be recognized and feared from, but with a slight dribble of an undone mind, putting the pedal to the Metal, everything can happen. Before I will explode, I checked out the debut endeavor of newly streets Metalheads / Punks on the block named PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION, led by the notorious Hardcore Metallic maniac, Kurt Brecht of the well-known Crossover / Thrash Metal madmen, D.R.I. The old late 80s American vibe of S.O.D., M.O.D., D.R.I., but also rather new features of MUNICIPAL WASTE and GAMA BOMB fused to merits of Death Metal jamming, all hinged together in the band's self-titled acid bash via Minus Head Records.

The mixed world of Metal and Punk, where both slacked moshpit enthusiastic can bash each other's' skulls to the sounds of fast paced speed chase along with humping to the mid tempo convergences with words to the wise. What I especially like about this type of so called Crossover between the heavy and mean towards the duplicitous and green, is how an act can laugh at the whole world, making nonsense, leaving the music to just be there, sometimes empty of content just leading the listener to various of areas to keep his head unchecked. Of course that being semi Punkheads also assert a few blue collar social issues, but PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION have been doing it mostly for laughs and having fun. The material is jumpy, undemanding, high octane energetic, not sloppy performance wise at all I might add, pretty crude playing but highly accurate (well most of the lineup is comprised of Death Metal techies). There were a few solo hints along several Bluesy melodies. Yeah it ended after forty minutes of play, but I didn't care, it ended just right. I enjoyed the humors remarks every now and then, made me laugh more than a few times. The opening "100 Beers with a Zombie" is a work of art for this fusion, well carried tracks of cool vocals laying down alcoholic boated trauma to the head along great riffing. "Murder the Bearded Lady Killer", features MUNICIPAL WASTE's screamer, Tony Foresta, screeching endless as if being attacked by a wild grisly. Musically, it sounded like an old DEATH track but without growls, morbid riffing and tight rhythms. "All of a Sudden Dead", come join the necrophilia infested armies of dead chick lovers, a joke mainly, but well played tune.

PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION had me baffled a bit with the rating, but in the end this is an aching, especially to the neck, headbanging experience of 80s oriented Crossover Thrash with a few modern hinters without extra wits. You have to give these guys a chance, humorous dudes gone wild and nothing will stop them.