It’s all Billy Milano’s doing… First, he dabbled in crossover with Scott Ian’s S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death), then in 1986 came the attitude of “If you’re doing S.O.D., then I’ll do M.O.D., brother,” and here we are. He brings along Ken, Tim, and Keith, throws punches at the government’s flawed policies, boldly shouts out “A.I.D.S.” just like Ratos De Porão always did, and turns both his music and lyrics into a sharp, satirical weapon—mocking everything and everyone in his path. Milano doesn't give the impression that he's dealing with anything serious here, but “U.S.A. For M.O.D.” is undoubtedly a classy album that builds a bridge between Punk and Metal. Love Anthrax? Then here’s M.O.D. for you—this album sounds heavily inspired by Anthrax. Or better yet, you could call this album the second part of S.O.D.’s “Speak English Or Die”—go right ahead.
The band skillfully blends the speed and irreverence of Punk with the raw power of Thrash Metal, delivering a delicious crossover thrash masterpiece. Besides Anthrax and S.O.D., the influence of bands like Agnostic Front and D.R.I. is also clearly felt in their music.
They’ve written extremely irreverent, insensitive, and fun lyrics—so much so that even if you don’t read them, you’ll still get the vibe from the music, especially the vocals. Add in some fun sound effects on top of the party-like atmosphere of the lyrics and music, and you’ve got a complete package. One important distinction is that while S.O.D. relied more on Punk/Thrash riffs, M.O.D. goes almost entirely with Thrash-style riffs. The album is packed with killer guitar riffs, fantastic bass intros, and Keith absolutely slays on drums—these guys are beasts. Even Scott Ian contributes with acoustic guitar and backing vocals.
Tracklist
1- Aren’t You Hungry
2- Get a Real Job
3- I Executioner
4- Don’t Feed the Bears
5- Ballad of Dio
6- Bubble Butt
7- Bushwackateas
8- Thrash or Be Thrashed
9- Let Me Out
10- Dead Men / Walking Glass
11- Spandex Enormity
12- Imported Society
13- Five Boros
14- Parents
15- Man of Your Dreams
16- Dark Knight
17- Jim Gordon
18- Short but Sweet
19- A.I.D.S.
20- Ruptured Nuptuals
21- Ode to Harry
22- Hate Tank
23- Confusion
The album includes 23 tracks, yet it doesn’t even hit the 40-minute mark—some songs are just 15-20 seconds long. “Aren’t You Hungry,” already known from S.O.D., is likely one of Milano’s most personal works—maybe the most personal. The sarcastic, oddball lyrics deliver lines like “Let them die, I’ll still breathe their air.” That’s pure Milano—completely indifferent. :) The bass intro on “Get a Real Job” is brilliant, leading into a ferocious Thrash track about a society enslaved by work, living only to keep working. “I Executioner” swings between slow and fast tempos, striking right at the heart of the crossover sound.
“Don’t Feed the Bears” channels Anthrax vibes and dives into a bizarre world of bears—it even ends with a bear growl sound effect. “Bubble Butt,” just 44 seconds long, takes a jab at big-bottomed women in a completely unserious tone. “Bushwackateas” delivers lines like “Is that your hair or a Tina Turner wig? You should be ashamed of yourself.” Tracks like “Thrash Or Be Thrashed,” “Hate Tank,” and “A.I.D.S.” are pure Thrash Metal destruction. “A.I.D.S.” stands out with sarcastic vocal stylings—even mimicking a woman’s voice at one point—and Milano’s irreverent delivery peaks when he breaks into laughter mid-song. “Let Me Out” is another thrash grenade—catchy riffs, aggressive vocals, pounding drums, and an intro that starts with a classy bassline. It’s a high-adrenaline track dealing with themes of suicide and hatred toward one’s own family. It’s clear that Billy Milano has consumed plenty of books and movies about troubled youth.
In “Man of Your Dreams,” the guitar work is truly appealing, especially in the intro. It features great Thrash riffs, classic Anthrax-style vocals, and lyrics centered around Freddy Krueger. As you may know, S.O.D. also had a track called “Freddy Krueger”—clearly, these guys watched way too much A Nightmare on Elm Street. Looks like Billy decided to recruit Freddy for his own band. :) “Jim Gordon,” as the name suggests, is about the American blues-rock drummer imprisoned for murdering his mother. The song features crushing Thrash riffs that leave an impact. “Imported Society” is another furious piece, with its anger directed at an intriguing subject—an “imported” society. It’s a blunt message aimed at the growing Hispanic and Jewish populations in the U.S., and the track doesn’t hesitate to drag Hindus and Ethiopians into the mix too.
“Spandex Enormity” is one of the album’s crown jewels—and its longest song. It opens slowly with heavy guitars and drums, then suddenly bursts into insane speed with a bass spark—everything races forward, from guitars to drums to vocals, blending into each other. It’s in moments like these that the band resembles other crossover acts like D.R.I. “Parents” is a major wow moment—killer guitar intro, transitioning from Thrash to Crossover and suddenly to Punk. As the title implies, it’s another troubled youth anthem, channeling teen rebellion against parents. Toward the end, you’ll hear screaming effects from the background, closing the track with a solo.
Defiance against everything, rejection of all norms, criticisms of society’s “truths”—and the result is U.S.A. For M.O.D. If you’re into Anthrax, S.O.D., or D.R.I., you’ll find something from each of them in this album. With its lyrics and musical foundation, this is a pure Punk/Thrash album. As for Billy Milano—no words can fully capture him. But with his wildly entertaining and brain-bending lyrics, this madman has created one of the most unique masterpieces in Heavy Metal history.