M.O.D.

An enduring crossover thrash outfit from New York City, M.O.D. (Methods of Destruction) came together in 1986 under vocalist Billy Milano, who had already fronted the landmark hardcore punk group S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death). Milano, the sole continuous presence in the band and a polarizing figure, gained attention for his politically incorrect lyrics; he once wrote an open letter clarifying that he sought to expose prejudice by adopting the bigot’s viewpoint in the first person, thereby provoking strong negative responses to those attitudes. The group’s first album, U.S.A. for M.O.D., appeared in 1987 on Megaforce and was produced by Scott Ian, Milano’s S.O.D. colleague and Anthrax guitarist. The Surfin M.O.D. EP followed in 1988, leading to the second studio album, Gross Misconduct, the next year. With Rhythm of Fear in 1992, Milano’s songwriting began shifting toward greater seriousness, a direction that continued through Devolution, Loved by Thousands, Hated by Millions, and Dictated Aggression, releases that blended this heavier tone with remnants of the earlier irreverent humor. In 1997 Milano paused the band to revive S.O.D., but he resumed M.O.D. activity in 2001 and delivered the sixth album, The Rebel You Love to Hate, on Nuclear Blast Records two years later. After moving to Austin, Texas, in 2007, the group issued Red White & Screwed, which proved to be its final release for almost ten years. Milano reassembled the lineup in 2013 to mark the 25th anniversary, and the eighth studio album, Busted, Broke, & American, surfaced on Megaforce in 2017.