ALBUM REVIEW: Slave To The Scalpel – 200 Stab Wounds

Death metal has seen more than its fair share of hype bands this year; meteoric rises followed by debut albums that fizzle out after a month or two, with very few finding output that sticks around any longer. Cleveland, Ohio’s 200 STAB WOUNDS are the latest in that line, churning out delightfully old-school, gore-spattered death metal that takes more than a little influence from B-movie horror. Not only was their debut EP Festering Piles Of Decomposition well-received, but it let fans know exactly what they were in for from its title alone. With that in mind, their first full-length Slave To The Scalpel does precisely nothing to deviate from the gory template the band have already laid down. 

A fascination with all things quite literally gutsy is par for the course with death metal at this point and 200 STAB WOUNDS aren’t here to reinvent the torture wheel. What they do, however, is lay down disgusting death metal with enough of a hardcore bounce to keep things varied. The album is chock-full of references to cannibalism and all sorts of depraved, violent acts – the opening track, Skin Milk, is about just that and its opening moment is a sample from some kind of demented surgical lecture that transitions abruptly into a skull-crushing riff.

From there, the band don’t see fit to let up at all. Follow up track Tow Rope Around The Throat is another example of an abrupt change, moving from the ending groove of Skin Milk into a pulverising opener. Phallic Filth has that classic horror synth ambience backdropped by disturbing samples before its meat cleaver of a riff and a searing solo cut through like a saw through bone, while Drilling Your Head uses it scarcely two minute run time to do exactly that. 

Slave To The Scalpel’s strength lies not in these transitions but in how well they all hang together; despite only being their debut full-length outing, 200 STAB WOUNDS demonstrate a skill at splicing together riffs, beatdowns and groove into something obscenely compelling. They’re adept at serving up a cornucopia of nastiness that can change at the drop of a hat. The pulverising groove of Itty Bitty Pieces even has pinch harmonics that’ll stick in the head for days. Songs shift effortlessly between hardcore beatdowns and full-bore skull smashing, such as on the aforementioned Itty Bitty Pieces or Paths To Carnage. 

The important question, though, is whether 200 STAB WOUNDS have the memorability or longevity to stick in people’s minds more than two or three weeks after the release. Time will tell, but thanks to their sickening lyrics and subject matter, their bilious vocal assault, the incredible amount of riffs at their disposal, and even the drum work that turns on a dime to drive the many twists and turns of the rusty hatchet, Slave To The Scalpel is a ridiculous, fun and engaging album from beginning to end.

Rating: 7/10

Slave To The Scalpel is set for release on November 12th via Maggot Stomp Records.

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