Releasedate U.S.: October 9, 2007 | Releasedate Europe: November 30, 2007 | Total reviews: 10
Last updated: January 4, 2008

M.O.D. - Red, White And Screwed [Index Entertainment] Review: Justin Donnelly for Blistering.com

Although it’s been claimed countless times before in the past, it seems that the release of their extended E.P. Rise Of The Infidels back in August 2007 finally marks the last word on the legendary crossover/thrash act S.O.D. But while one group is laid to rest, another is seemingly reborn, as vocalist Billy Milano has once again resurrected his long running M.O.D. project for the follow up to their 2003 release, The Rebel You Love To Hate. It would seem that Milano’s relocation from his native New York to Austin (Texas) has inspired him once again, with M.O.D.’s eighth album Red, White And Screwed showing a maturity in Milano that has until now remained shadowed by his political incorrectness and stabs at all manners of musical genres. From the moment “Balls On Bread” is unleashed, it’s clear that this is a far cry from M.O.D.’s last release. The incredibly proficient machine backing Milano (Who plays bass on the album, and is joined by ex-Skinlab/Lääz Rockit guitarist Scott Lee Sargeant and Anthem drummer Derek ‘Lennon’ Lopez) certainly know their way around the old school hardcore/crossover/thrash roots sound, which is the perfect vehicle for Milano’s biting lyrical attacks on controversial topics and his barking half yell/half talking monotone vocal delivery. “Alphabet City Stomp” (a song in which Milano name checks those dearly departed from the scene since his bouncing days at CBGB’s), the fast paced “Red, White And Screwed” and the scathing “Dance Around With Snakes” show that Milano has lost none of hardcore roots or his bite in the lyrical sense. But for all the seriousness of the former tracks, Milano isn’t afraid to throw in the odd less than serious track. Tracks such as “The Big It,” where Milano gives the finger to those who care to have a go at him, “Suicide Bomb Pop,” “Jose Can You See?,” “G.L.E.T. (Greatest Lies Ever Told)”, where the band take the piss out of Metallica and King Diamond, and the politically motivated “Bullshit Politics” are filled with enough sarcasm to bring a huge grin to your face. As for the rest of the album, Milano remains surprisingly serious for the most part. Tracks such as “Hardcore Harry” (a stab at those from the old school calling for unity), “Speaking Truth To Power” and “We Are Nothing” are full of Milano’s trademark sarcasm, but based around some fairly serious topics. For most, M.O.D. was simply Milano’s own personal extension of S.O.D, and given some of their releases in the past, it’s a fair assessment. But based on the strength of M.O.D.’s latest effort, it’s clear that Milano wants his group to be remembered as something more than a parody act. Red, White And Screwed is a serious and mature effort from Milano, with the added bonus being it also seriously rocks as well. www.billymilano.com

M.O.D. - Red, White and Screwed [Index Entertainment, 2007] Review: Jeremy Ulrey for  www.chroniclesofchaos.com (7.5 out of 10)

Wow. Didn't see this one coming. Billy Milano's been listening to his Hatebreed. A lot. Sure, he still pens songs with titles like "Balls on Bread" and "Hardcore Harry", but _Red, White and Screwed_ sounds so much like the Hatesters that I have to give up enough points for execution as I take away for complete lack of originality. Apparently Milano's relocation to Austin, Texas has lit a fire under his ass for the more serious strain of hardcore, the man supposedly having "washed his hands" of 2003's kitschy non-classic _The Rebel You Love to Hate_. I don't have a set of lyrics, and even though this is a decent enough listen, yeah, I can't quite be bothered to parse out the lyrics, but overall I'd say this is the most enjoyable Billy Milano release since _Speak English or Die_. Not sure how seriously I take his being serious though; good lord, check out the spoken word shit on his Myspace page. This dude is actually starting to take shit seriously, and not just in a satirical way either. On "The Great Experiment" (Myspace) Billy actually states "I consider myself to be a moral and just person" as he goes on in some sort of old-school Dennis Miller rant style. Perhaps Billy feels Seth Putnam has outpaced him in terms of his old tongue-in-cheek bullshit, perhaps otherwise, but when he makes the point ("Every Dog Has Its Day", Myspace) that Whoopie Goldberg defending Michael Vick's fighting dogs as being part of "Southern culture" is the equivalent of saying that slavery was simply an inherent aspect of Southern culture, well hell, there's something actually sizzling in that brain pan after all. But as for _Red, White and Screwed_, even when Milano gets all tongue in cheek he's making puns like "The Big It"; quite a far cry from "Bubble Butt" and "Party Animal". "Hardcore Harry", which ten years ago would have been some kind of porn send up, is here an indictment of those punk scenesters who are there simply to cash in through merchandising and ripping off the bands in whatever underhanded manner possible (though he does take another hilarious stab at King Diamond on "G.L.E.T. [Greatest Lie Ever Told]"). Truthfully, there's nothing particularly deep here, but due to the man's past I'm inclined to give him a pass on the merits of reformation, and musically this is all pretty fucking listenable, even if that's the first time I've ever said that about an M.O.D. record. One of the year's biggest surprises. Contact: http://www.billymilano.com

M.O.D. - Red White & Screwed (7/10) - USA - 2007 [Index Entertainment] Review: www.metal-observer.com

Genre: Crossover Label: Index Entertainment Playing time: 48:47 Band homepage: M.O.D. Tracklist: Balls On Bread Alphabet City Stomp We Are Nothing Red White And Screwed Dance Around With Snakes The Big It Hardcory Harry I Gotta Get Away Speaking Truth To Power Jose Can You See Suicide Bomb Pop Bullshit Politics G.L.E.T. (Greatest Lie Ever Told) Goddess Devil Ask me anything about M.O.D. and the only tidbit of information I’d be able to give you is that this is the band formed by Billy Milano after he left S.O.D. Hell, this band has existed, in various incarnations, for over 20 years now and THAT’S all I know about them… It’s not that they fell off my radar – they were never on it. Anyway, here we go with their latest offering of Crossover-Thrash-whatever called “Red White And Screwed” and guess what, it ain’t half bad! I’m quite fond of S.O.D.’s “Speak English Or Die!” – quite possibly the definitive Crossover album – and this new album of M.O.D. is very much in the same vein, with stripped-down Hardcore beatdowns meshing perfectly with pissed-off yet always fun Thrash from back in the day. The great thing is that this album actually features at least one cool riff in every song and enough tempo changes to keep listeners of more dynamic forms of music interested. Yes, they still sound pissed-off but instead of just churning out 20-something tracks of simplistic Hardcore rantings they concentrated on injecting enough melody into the overall product so that many of these songs can stand on their own with consummate ease. “Balls On Bread”, despite its horrible title, perfectly sums up the sound of the album, with a traditional Hardcore assault soon segueing into a crushing Thrash section near the end, with big man Milano topping it all off with his usual bark. “Alphabet City Stomp” follows in the same vein with Milano reminiscing about the ‘good ol’ days’ while the riffs keep on raging in the background. These type of songs are the same kind of stuff that made S.O.D. such an enjoyable band – always pissed off but with tongue firmly in cheek. They throw in a few surprises here and there though – just listen to the very melo Death-like riff of the title track or the bluesy swagger of “Bullshit Politics”. The best track would have to be G.L.E.T. (Greatest Lie Ever Told), where the band throw in everything but the kitchen sink – it starts off kinda early American folk-y before speeding up with the obligatory Thrash break, with a deranged King Diamond-like vocal assault topping it all off. Strange shit but it works! They even do a bizarre BRUJERIA impression on “Jose Can You See”… Save for the few missteps (“Hardcory Harry”, “I Gotta Get Away”, “Speaking Truth To Power”) this is a refreshing listen all the way through. It’s all very well balanced and the guitar sound is suitably crunchy, which makes the all-out Thrash parts so much more deadly. A minor complaint would have to be Milano’s vocals which, although solid, tend top come off as a tad lifeless in parts. But for the most part this proved to be a great listen, and together with the somewhat underappreciated new PRO-PAIN album this is some of the finest old-school Crossover to be found this year. One word review: fun.

M.O.D. - Red, White And Screwed [Index Entertainment] Review: Chad Bowar for heavymetal.about.com

It's been four years since the last M.O.D. album, and frontman Billy Milano has regrouped with a new lineup that includes guitarist Scott Sargeant (Laaz Rockit, Skinlab) and drummer Derek "Lennon" Lopez. After their last album was a bit disappointing, Red, White And Screwed finds M.O.D. sounding better than ever. Milano and company deliver angry crossover thrash that's raw and sleazy, and also really catchy. The lyrics are sometimes personal and sometimes political. Milano isn't afraid to delve into controversial topics, and his views on immigration in "Jose Can You See" is certain to draw criticism. And although there are still some humorous lyrics, the tone of this album is far more serious than some of M.O.D.'s previous albums. Agree or disagree with their views, at least Milano and M.O.D. take a stand, which in this era of focus groups, polls and politicians afraid to express a position on an issue, is refreshing. M.O.D. has embraced their roots for Red, White And Screwed, and it was definitely the right direction to go

M.O.D. - Red, White And Screwed [Index Entertainment] Review: Jim Testa of Jersey Beat

In both S.O.D. (fronting the moonlighting Anthrax) and M.O.D., Billy Milano has always been the king of hardcore/metal crossover, as well as one of the most hilariously politically-incorrect blowhards in the history of punk. Milano grew up in Jersey, came of age as part of the early NYC/HC scene, helped guide NY and NJ hardcore for years with a studio in Hoboken, and is now based in Texas, where he put together this lineup of M.O.D. You won't hear a catchier metal or HC release this year, as Milano's new boys fuse rapidfire drums with bludgeoning riffs and singalong melodies. Even better, Milano's backed off from the overtly comedic shtick of the last few M.O.D. releases; he's still fomenting rabid right-wing political opinions (as on the anti-immigration rant "Jose Can You See,") and he can still be funny when it's called for, but he's no longer playing the buffoon. Tracks like "Bullshit Politics," "Hardcore Harry," and "Suicide Bomb Pop" all take on current political issues with Milano's characteristic no-bullshit venom, while "Alphabet City Stomp" serves up a nostalgic summary of his glory days at A7 and CBGB. This is one of the most powerful CD's I've heard in a long time, a much-needed return to hardcore basics without any of the distractions of today's math-rock, prog-metal, and screamo pretenders. Welcome back, M.O.D. As Ben Grimm would say, it's clobberin' time! - Jim Testa www.billymilano.com

Method of Destruction -- RED, WHITE AND SCREWED [Index Entertainment] Review: theonetruedeadangel.blogspot.com

Billy Milano has been provoking extreme reactions in pretty much anybody within earshot for over twenty years, but give the man his due -- in an industry built on ass-kissing, insincerity, and careerist moves, he's never been shy about freely sharing his (usually blunt) opinion, even when it meant essentially shooting himself in the foot. He first rose to national prominence when he took some time off from his bass gig in the Psychos to record the legendary Stormtroopers of Death album SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE in 1985 with various members of Anthrax, and while SOD didn't last long (mostly, one suspects, because the guys in Anthrax have never been real good at keeping their shit together for more than five minutes), this one has been around since 1987, when they released their first album, U.S.A FOR M.O.D. Back after a four-year absence, he's assembled one of the strongest lineups yet -- himself on vocals and bass, Derek Lopez on drums, and not-so-secret weapon Scott Sargeant (ex-Laaz Rockit, Skinlab) on guitar. The basic attack is the same as ever -- the band plows through high-octane numbers that are equal amounts hardcore and crazed thrash metal while Billy rages about whatever's on his mind. I frankly can't tell what he's yelling about 90% of the time (although with titles like "Red White and Screwed," "Hardcore Harry," "Bullshit Politics," and "We Are Nothing," I can probably guess), but you don't need to know what he's saying to get the sense that he really means it, whatever it is, and their cruel but amusing skewering of King Diamond on "GLET (Greatest Lie Ever Told)" is both hilarious and surprisingly effective in evoking that special brand of metal madness the former Mercyful Fate singer always brings to the horror-metal table. This is a remarkably consistent album, too, especially for one with so many songs (fourteen including the bonus track "Goddess / Devil"), and while it's exhilarating to hear the band peel out at high velocity on track after track, the best moments are when they slow down enough for Sargeant's highly harmonic and distortion-soaked guitar to make it exactly clear just where hardcore and metal converge. MOD fans and hardcore devotees in general will find much to appreciate here. M.O.D. Index Entertainment

CD Review: M.O.D. - Red, White and Screwed [2007 Index Entertainment] Review: Ray Van Horn, Jr.

The first thing that's going to come as a bit of a surprise is to tell you that Billy Milano's new M.O.D. album is quite a bit more--dare I say it--serious than previous outings under the moniker. Obviously there's no more bubble butts, spandex enormities, Capt. Crunch or anally-inflicted death sentences to speak of on Red, White and Screwed. One might say that Billy Milano just follows along to what's happening in the scene, gauging by the thrash-heavy silliness that was Surfin' M.O.D. One can also accuse Milano of being a callous instigator using the Rebel You Love to Hate album, but this time around, he's doing neither; or shall we say, he's toned down his act a little. No lie, Billy Milano is playing a straight hand on Red, White and Screwed, and it's one of the most appealing hardcore albums you're going to hear this year. Maybe Milano decided it was time to show the hardcore contingency how things were done, old-school style, because Red, White and Screwed chugs along on full throttle with far more discipline than anyone could ever expect from M.O.D. Had Milano released this album back in the day, we'd be talking amongst ourselves saying "Hardcore used to be cool when you had Agnostic Front, Rites of Spring, Fear and M.O.D." Of course, we don't really need to brush M.O.D. back into the past. In fact, it's better we don't, and just embrace what Milano has chosen to offer up, which is a nostalgic waning for the old days when he lived in New York instead of his current residence in Texas. Red, White and Screwed is mostly a love letter to Milano's old running pals on the streets, and while he's also riding on a new S.O.D. EP (Rise of the Infidels), it's evident he's through with trying to shock jock his way by appealing to the lower common denominator. You can hear it just on the chorus to "Speaking Truth to Power" where he and his current backup band (Scott Sargeant, Derek Lopez and Dawson Clawson) plead "There's gotta be a better way..." Okay, so maybe Milano can't resist himself and his sarcastic ways with an S.O.D. nod in the opening bars of "Alphabet City Stomp" or his nationalist diatribing on "Jose Can You See?" (you live in Texas now, bro, get used to it) but for the most part, Milano's tirades on songs like "Bullshit Politics," "Hardcore Harry" and "Suicide Bomb Pop" are properly fueled and he rages like a bulldog, showing today's breed of howling pied pipers how it's done, complete with perfect flow and pantemeter. Okay, we can't let his hilarious King Diamond impersonation on "G.L.E.T. (Greatest Lie Ever Told)" go without notice, much less his scathing commentary against satanic metal. Can it be this review was more serious than you were expecting? So is the scorching Red, White and Screwed, rest assured. Better yet, this album is M.O.D.'s finest hour, John Wayne love or not, even though MDC had a better opinion of The Duke. Still, Billy Milano, who mentioned in an upcoming Metal Minute interview that he's at peace with himself, is never afraid to tell it like it is; he's just found a classier vehicle to do it with. Get some. Rating: ****

M.O.D. - Red, White And Screwed [Index Entertainment] Reviewed by : David Perri Rating : 7.0

Let’s be straight-up here: M.O.D. seriously embarrassed itself on its last effort, 2003’s The Rebel You Love To Hate. That record showed the group to be so hilariously out-of-touch and over-the-top that even those who like humour in their metal (not me) thought the album was beyond lame. Anyway, M.O.D. returns with Red, White And Screwed, a record that sees the band for the most part dropping the shtick and returning to its hardcore roots, a move that we’re all eminently thankful for. And you know what? M.O.D. is better off for it, ‘cos Billy Milano’s history is steeped in all sorts of cool crossover. Red, White And Screwed doesn’t re-invent anything, but as a hardcore release it’s solid stuff, with speed colliding head-on with muscle riffs to give off a sort of Hatebreed meets Gorilla Biscuits vibe, all the while dabbling in ‘80s crossover. This is definitely Milano’s best work in a long time, and it’s a welcome return after The Rebel You Love To Hate’s off-putting imprint - good on Milano for the persistence.

M.O.D. - "Red, White And Screwed" CD CD Review: Jeff Lowe

Billy Milano is back with a bang - this is the greatest thing he has done since "USA For M.O.D." The record is in the same vein as the S.O.D. album "Bigger Than The Devil" with its pounding metal/hardcore music and Billy's lightening fast vocal delivery, but is way better IMHO. Although his humor is still very much in evidence on songs like "Balls On Bread", this record has a political them running through it from the title track, to "Bullshit Politics", "Suicide Bomb Pop" and the politically incorrect but hilarious "Jose Can You See?" Due to Billy's history with S.O.D. I am sure some people will not even bother listening to this, which is a real shame as this is an excellent record. Long live M.O.D.

Artist: Method Of Destruction | Title: "Red, White & Screwed" | Label: Index Entertainment Reviewed By: Ken Pierce (copyright 2007) for PiercingMetal.com Rating: 3/5

If you are a fan of the Thrash/Hardcore scene then you already know the name of Billy Milano and are aware of his many accomplishments as singer for legendary crossover band S.O.D. (Stormtroopers Of Death) and his main band of the last couple of decades M.O.D. whose acronym stands for Method Of Destruction. As far as M.O.D. goes it’s been about four years since the singer released an album with them and the new release finds him with a couple of new members along with music that raises the level of acerbic wit that he is most known for. The singer is second to none when it comes to the blending of social commentary with a wry sarcastic twist and we first heard this with S.O.D. most vividly during the “Ballad Of Jimi Hendrix” where the beginning chords of “Purple Haze” would begin only to be interjected by the only words in the song - “You’re Dead”. After achieving fame under that group’s tour he created M.O.D. and released some of the most politically incorrect tunes on “U.S.A. for M.O.D.” such as “Spandex Enormity” (a lament about obese women wearing spandex pants) and the supremely unacceptable by today’s standard’s “A.I.D.S.” (with a real meaning I will spare the readers from seeing – just look it up). Needless to say once you heard what Milano had to say about anything you either loved him or hated him but could never easily forget him. He continued onto this to make fun of white suburban rap fans with “Wigga” and now on “Red, White & Screwed” he shows that he has not mellowed with age whatsoever. The album follows in typical Milano fashion and is a blistering concoction of Hardcore speed mixed with Thrash Metal elements that will send you into the pit if you are a fan of the stuff. The Old School gets a nod during “Alphabet City Stomp” as he offers homage to the NYHC scene of days past and then he touches upon Immigration problems with “Jose Can You See”. “Suicide Bomb Pop” and “Bullshit Politics” shows that Milano is certainly not taking any political factions side but maintains his own view on world events and its leadership. Throughout all of these statements you will find the underlying satirical essence to be very prevalent still and if anything all the more volatile. “G.L.E.T.” or “Greatest Lie Ever Told” comes off as more of a Metal tune and finds Milano doing a King Diamond spoof which is pretty much dead on. I guess the real King Diamond was too busy to help him out on this one. Joining Milano in the group are Scott Sargeant (guitar), Derek “Lennon” Lopez (drums), and Dawson Clawson (bass). If you enjoyed the contributions that were made to music by S.O.D. and M.O.D. and still find yourself leaning a little more to the Hardcore edge even among the Gothic Operatic Sopranic Symphonics of today, then Billy Milano and his crew have just what the doctor ordered all wrapped up in a mosh-worthy steel toed boot to the head.