Second assault for 200 Stab Wounds.
After an EP and an album that obviously caught the eye of Metal Blades Records, the band comprising Steve Buhl (guitar/vocals, ex-Subtype Zero), Ezra Cook (bass, ex-Homewrecker), Owen Pooley (drums, Assault, ex-Subtype Zero) and Raymond Macdonald (guitar, Kombat, ex-Frozen Soul) release Manual Manic Procedures, their second album.
Opening with the angst-ridden introductory sample of Hands of Eternity, it’s clear that violence isn’t far away, and when it does strike, it’s with a thick sound quickly overlaid with raw howls. The composition sometimes employs a catchy groove or bloody harmonics that are also found on the crushing but short Gross Abuse, where thick Old School roots are put to good use to create an overpowering sound, which segues perfectly into Manual Manic Procedures, which continues in its jerky heavy approach. The wild blast also contributes to the track’s atmosphere, adding the necessary eruptions of energy unlike the opening moments of Release the Stench, which remain in a stifling slowness but eventually revert to rage. There’s a brief moment of respite on Led to the Chamber / Liquified, where the ominous ambience eventually turns into an epic march to a noisy final followed by Flesh from Within, which returns to the path of fury with abrasive riffs launched at full speed. We have a touch of gentleness at the end, even infesting Defiled Gestation, the next track, which then unfurls a unifying groove that’s sure to please live performances. Ride the Flatline is shorter, but just as effective and catchy, with its many accelerations and vindictive Hardcore influences, which give way a little too quickly to Parricide to close the album not only with brutality, but also with a more polished touch, as the solos testify.
200 Stab Wounds‘ reputation is well earned. Although a little short, Manual Manic Procedures is a solid Death Metal projectile launched at full speed, and knows exactly where to hit to hurt.
90/100