Cleveland death metal legends-in-waiting 200 STAB WOUNDS have returned with Manual Manic Procedures, set for release on June 28th through Metal Blade Records.
A superlative sophomore effort that follows their tour de force debut, 2021’s Slave To The Scalpel, the new album Manual Manic Procedures is a brutal slab of old-school death metal with a contemporary edge. Not for the faint-hearted, the record may well be the album that puts classic gore-themed ferocity back into the metal community’s collective consciousness.
Slave To The Scalpel saw 200 STAB WOUNDS insinuate themselves into the minds of extreme metal fans, leading to praise from Pitchfork for their “unpretentious brilliance, pitch-black sense of humor” and an “aesthetic [that’s] built around a chugging, groovy riff that stomps down a path of destruction.” Manual Manic Procedures sees the band upping the ante both musically and lyrically.
The album’s artwork — graphically depicting radical surgery on somebody who may or may not be conscious — is an immediate indicator of what this record is all about. No punches pulled, no holds barred, just blood-soaked death metal.
The themes on Manual Manic Procedures run the gamut of classic gore-metal horror subject matter, beloved to the band and their rapidly growing audience. “I’ll feel what kind of vibe the song has, and what topic would fit for that particular song,” vocalist/guitarist Steve Buhl explains. “The last song on the new record, ‘Parricide,’ is about someone going into a nursing home, and just blowing it up. The lyrics are about those type of corporations that don’t really give a fuck about those people. It’s all just a money grab.”
The lead single is Manual Manic Procedures’ opening track, “Hands Of Eternity.” Buhl explains that the song is about being trapped in your own mind, something most of us can relate to. “That song is a good example of where we want to go musically. The heavy riffs are there, but there’s still a lot of good melody. It’s not just crazy fucking blast beats and, ‘riff riff riff.’ It’s more structured, groovy, and melodic, but still heavy. That’s one of my favorites.”
Watch 200 STAB WOUNDS’ video for “Hands Of Eternity,” shot at a sold-out hometown show HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFXpErW4OzI
