Louisville crossover thrash crew Belushi Speed Ball have released a music video for “That’s A Mighty Fine Wayne Gretzky,” the third track on their latest album, Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The ’80s. The clip is a loving tribute to Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the cult Adult Swim cartoon, and trades the usual live footage for a cast of anthropomorphic characters running riot over the band’s breakneck riffing.
Get Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The ’80s on Bandcamp.
“We proudly present our disasterpiece of a music video for ‘That’s a Mighty Fine Wayne Gretzky.’ A straight Aqua Teen Hunger Force reference, channeling our entire Adult Swim childhood into one random chaotic adventure. Pure nonsense for the enjoyment of all thrash and anthropomorphic food fans!”
Vinny Castellano, vocals
The video was directed and edited by Castellano himself, with additional artwork from bassist Justin McClure and special effects by Vlad K. The title lifts a line straight from the show, and the animation mimics its cheap, deliberately surreal look, which is exactly the point.
Thrash as a Punchline, Played Like It Matters
Belushi Speed Ball started in Kentucky in 2013 as a studio project among friends with a soft spot for cliché crossover thrash. Live shows followed quickly, and the band built its following on interactive theatrics and a habit of doing releases and merch the hard way. They have put out entire albums in N64 and Furby formats, played out of a Mad Max style moving van and started a 300-person Terminator themed Nerf gun fight. They also have a reputation for trashing venues and then cleaning them up meticulously after every themed show.
Their influences run from Toxic Holocaust and Anthrax to Gwar and Municipal Waste. The band even turned a fan’s mean comment into the song “Ripping off Municipal Waste,” which Leo Magazine voted one of its top 20 songs of 2022. The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano called them one of the funniest things he had heard that year, and MetalSucks described them as “a freakshow of blistering thrash dedicated to laughing its ass off at blistering thrash.”
Toxic Waste Was Everywhere In The ’80s packs 12 tracks of crossover thrash, irreverent storytelling and pop culture satire, with nods to everything from South Park (“I’m Not Your Buddy, Guy”) to Captain Planet.
- I Ought Not Know
- How Tough Am I?
- That’s a Mighty Fine Wayne Gretzky
- What’s Funnier Than 24?
- All Pete’s Exes
- Kellaway’s Wife
- D.E.N.N.I.S. System
- It’s a Green Day (You Know… Still Like Stocks)
- Terminator Lava Factory
- I’m Not Your Buddy, Guy
- Belushi Speed Ball
- Captain Planet Still Can’t Stop Us
Belushi Speed Ball Live in November
The band takes its live show to the Northeast next month for three dates:
- November 5: Morgantown, WV, 123 Pleasant St.
- November 6: Harrisburg, PA, Capital City Music Hall
- November 7: Rochester, NY, Bug Jar
Our Take
Comedy thrash only works when the band can actually play, and Belushi Speed Ball can. The riffs are tight and the tempos relentless, so the jokes land on top of real songs instead of replacing them. A homemade Adult Swim fever dream is the right vehicle for this one, and anyone who grew up on Municipal Waste records and late night cartoons will get it within ten seconds.
Lineup: Vinny Castellano (vocals), Brian Desper (additional vocals), Jamison Land, Derrek Tipton and Nathan Roger (guitars), Justin McClure (bass), Ben Cotton (drums).
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