(Andy Synn sinks his teeth into the new album from 200 Stab Wounds, out now)
I’m sure we’re all familiar with the concept of “meat and potatoes” Death Metal.
You know the type – it’s not flashy or fancy, but it’s filling, flavourful, and satisfies your cravings (at least for a while).
Well, what if I told you that the new album from Cleveland crushers 200 Stab Wounds pretty much dispenses with the potatoes entirely and instead aims to load your plate with nothing but raw Death Metal meat?
Now, to be clear, what we’ve got here isn’t exactly a piece of prime cut steak… no, it’s more like a greasy fast-food burger, one still hot from the grill and dripping with flavour (well, I hope that’s just flavour).
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing – in fact, sometimes that’s exactly what you want (especially after a few drinks) and with succulent slabs of grisly (but not gristly) riffage like the torturous title-track and the gut-churning “Release the Stench” Manual Manic Procedures is more than happy to give it to you.
That being said, it’s not exactly like we’re lacking in bands doing their best to offer an authentically “Old School” Death Metal experience these days, so 200 Stab Wounds definitely have their work cut out for them if they want to make their franchise more of a Burger King than a Burger Queen.
Thankfully they’ve made a few subtle additions to their recipe and/or repertoire which should help them stand out – at least a little – from their cheaper, store-brand peers, most notably the inclusion of some deliciously dark melody during the likes of “Hands of Eternity” and spiteful second-half highlight “Flesh from Within”, as well as an increasingly beefy (and bass-heavy) Hardcore influence that just serves to add even more weight and thickness to their sound.
I’ll grant you that things sometimes get a little messy (aforementioned opener “Hands of Eternity”, for example, has a lot of great ingredients, but they’re not always combined in the most effective fashion) and certain tracks/parts could perhaps have done with a little bit more time on/under the grill, but the band smartly saves their best cuts for last, with the three-piece combo of “Defiled Gestation” (probably the best track on the album), urgent, Hardcore-tinged haymaker “Ride the Flatline” (my personal favourite), and massive, malevolent closer “Parricide” leaving behind a rich, meaty aftertaste that’s almost worth the price of the entire meal.
So here’s the thing, while I don’t necessarily love this album, I still think there’s a lot to like here and I could definitely see myself coming back to this one when I’m in the right sort of mood.
After all, something doesn’t have to be good for you in order for you to enjoy it (hell, the tastiest things are often the ones which are bad for you), and chances are this is exactly the sort of moreish, all-meat, no filler, Death Metal that’s going to end up filling a lot of hungry bellies this year.
Just… promise me you’ll try and have a salad occasionally as well, ok?