We’ve all heard the expression “less is more”. Sage advice, or complete nonsense? Depends on the context, really, but either way, it certainly seems to be shared by a good portion of the modern metal landscape, seeing as a lot of the most popular and successful extreme metal acts nowadays are either OSDM revival bands or bands that play death metal through the lens of hardcore. There is definitely a market for fast and technical music, to be sure, but there is also a clear and pervasive hunger for bands who specialize in getting down, dirty, and ugly. I’m talking almost exclusively chugging riffs that never leave the first five frets, guitar solos with so much whammy bar that the headstock is in danger of falling off, fuzzy and heavily distorted bass lines, and blast beats being a rare phenomenon that only peek their head out for a moment or two to enhance one small section of a song rather than being par for the course.
Boring, you say? Bullshit, says I, for where there is simplicity there is also an abundance of room for nuance, and a smart band will recognize this and take full advantage of it. 200 Stab Wounds are just such a band, and their latest offering and Metal Blade debut Manual Manic Procedures is an absolute clinic on how to make a little go a very, very long way.
These Clevelanders are actually pretty new on the scene, having only released their first EP right as COVID was beginning to really hit its stride, but it’s plain to see that they are also old souls with a crystal clear vision of exactly what they want to accomplish. Their star has risen very quickly in that short amount of time, and that is because they just understand how to write really fucking good riffs, plain and simple. Everything they do is catchy, beefy as hell, and ultimately designed to be experienced in a raucous live setting. These guys embody everything we love about the peak ’90s death metal mentality, keeping the spirit alive and well in an era where so many have foolishly written it off as a faded relic from a bygone era.
After a brief and ominous intro, the opening track “Hands of Eternity” starts things off with an unexpected dash of melody, though not enough to dilute any of its effectiveness. Quite the contrary, actually; it’s still delightfully heavy, but it does give the song an extra added dimension which makes everything feel well-rounded and complete. It demonstrates growth and maturity as songwriters, which is essential to the longevity of any band who don’t want to find themselves pigeonholed. That being said, these guys still know exactly what we’re here for, and that’s to have our asses handed to us on a silver platter by never-ending streams of pummeling chunky riffage, and they do not disappoint. By the two-minute mark, all pretense has been dropped and the signature deluge of infectious palm muted grooves that we’ve come to know and love from them is in full effect.
From there, the hits just keep on coming. “Gross Abuse” and the title track both remind me a lot of NYDM legends Dehumanized when they were in their prime, but with even more flair. I do have one small issue with these two songs, though; both of them are way too short for my taste, ending very abruptly right in the middle of what sounds like a transitory riff that’s about to lead into something else, so they both kind of end up blue balling you back-to-back. I feel like these two tracks could easily have been morphed together into one epic five-minute slam anthem which would have made for a much more complete and satisfying experience, but then again, they do say that the mark of a great piece of entertainment is that it leaves you wanting more. It’s a very minor complaint, and thankfully it’s nowhere near enough to dampen the overall experience, I just thought it was a weird choice that kind of throws off the pacing.
Fortunately, something quite unexpected happened later on which more than balanced out those trivial misgivings, and that is the surprisingly well written and flawlessly executed interlude “Led to the Chamber / Liquified”. I’ve mentioned before that I find a lot of extended intros and interludes to be more of a time waster than anything else, and how that sort of thing should really just be saved for the beginning of a live show to create a sense of anticipation, but finally, finally somebody got it right. It starts off much like any other horror movie synth interlude, but the presence of the drums subtly keeping count in the background hints at something more lurking just beneath the surface, and then right around the halfway point- well I’ll be damned, it’s an actual song, riffs and all! Much like the first song, it’s got a little bit of melody to it and some top-notch shredding, but then it very quickly descends into a garbled mess of static distortion as it all falls apart in dramatic fashion. Not only is it very entertaining to listen to, but it actually feels like a genuine turning point, and that’s because it is. Other bands need to take note, because this is how you do an interlude the right way.
As enjoyable as the first half of this album is, I found the second half to be much more cohesive and firmly structured. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing “bad” about any of it, and there’s plenty to love in the beginning, but the music definitely finds itself after the interlude and eventually ends on a very strong note. “Flesh From Within” is a nonstop procession of all kinds of grooves, switching frequently and effortlessly between hardcore and old school thrash. “Defiled Gestation” plays around with lots of stop-go rhythms and quick interstitial bursts of melody, so much so that you probably won’t even register that the vocals don’t kick in until well past the two-minute mark. There really is that much going on, and the kicker is that none of it is terribly complicated, it’s just spaced out perfectly and executed very stylishly.
Now, remember in the beginning when I mentioned death metal bands playing through the lens of hardcore? Well, the penultimate track “Ride the Flatline”, which features a frenetic and furious guest vocal performance from Jami Morgan of Code Orange, is a prime example of these two entities coming together to create something magical. It’s refreshing to see, quite frankly, since this sort of thing would have been all but unimaginable 20 years ago when long-hairs and crowd killers were at each other’s throats constantly. Attending a mixed genre show used to guarantee that you would either witness or be part of a violent confrontation at some point in the evening, but nowadays the two sides seem to have found enough common ground and mutual respect for one another that the majority of this pointless beef seems to have been squashed, or at the very least isolated and quarantined. It’s a sign of the times, and a very encouraging one, if you ask me.
The final song “Parricide” pulls an excellent fake-out in the beginning, with the very first riff sounding highly reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse’s “Sentenced to Burn”, but then it immediately pivots back into the familiar slew of d-beats and thrashy riffs that the band are known for. It’s an excellent subversion of expectations, devilishly catchy and fun to listen to, and a great way to close out this bruiser of an album.
After listening to an album like this, it’s easy to see how these guys have garnered such a loyal following in such a relatively short time. They’ve got the magic touch, no two ways about it. Between their mastery of the power of the riff, their over-the-top, slightly tongue-in-cheek but still creative gore aesthetic, their broad appeal to both the metal and hardcore crowds, and their vigorous work ethic which sees them constantly on the road or in the studio, 200 Stab Wounds have positioned themselves as genuine legends-in-waiting, the next big thing in real, raw American death metal. If they can keep this up, then the sky’s the limit. Be sure to check them out on their upcoming North American tour, as I’m sure these new tunes sound absolutely massive live. I know I’ll be there, and I’m very much looking forward to it.
Manual Manic Procedures is available now via Metal Blade Records, order your copy here
By: www.metalsucks.net
