Album Review: "Centuries of Spilled Blood" by Manic

Centuries of Spilled Blood is the 2^nd full length album by San Diego California thrash metal band Manic and I discovered this by wanting to see if they had released any new material since their 2021 debut album Injection of Self. Upon listening to this album initially if you get the feeling that this may end up being one of the best thrash metal albums ever you may end up being proven right. Guitarist and vocalist Michael Rice sounds like Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Howard Smith of the band Acid Reign but that is actually a good thing. He has that aggressive sort of hardcore vocal style and he may also provide fans with some good vocals if they happen to miss Megadeth’s music. If you were expecting a thrash metal album with nothing but straight ahead fast riffs with no letup in the intensity, then you will be disappointed. The album is one of those thrash metal albums that alternates between mid-tempo and fast sections which is actually a big advantage because it gives these guys more musical creativity instead of just having an album full of just fast riffs and little else. For the purposes of this album review, we will analyze each song one by one.

1. Message Within Gold – This first track is an instrumental introduction of sorts but it is beautifully constructed. The song has a classical sort of feel to it while also having that late 1980s Fates Warning sort of influence in it. If there ever was a terrific way of starting a modern 2023 thrash metal album, this would have been one of the ways to do it.
2. Never Ending Slaughter – This is the first official thrash style song on this album after a beautiful introduction. It has some melodic vocals in it too. Lyrically this song isn’t anything original though.
3. IL COLOSEO – This song is lyrically is about what happened to the slaves during the Roman Empire era.
4. Sacrificial Ruins – This song is mostly a mid-tempo thrash metal song with the chorus repeating itself. There is a section of the song that really speeds up as the guitar solo kicks in and this section sounds something like a more modern Exodus type of song so these guys may have also been influenced by the Bay Area thrash metal scene as well.
5. The Conqueror – This one begins in such a way that it really sounds like Exodus of the 2000s. Lyrically the song is about a person that doesn’t want to escape the world but he wants to conquer it. There may be some historical significance to the lyrics.
6. Die by Fire – This song begins with a riffing style similar to Megadeth and Slayer as it builds up lyrically into a song that is about what happens during warfare.
7. Under the Crow – This song continues the thrash metal and groove metal approach as lyrically once again it is influenced by the Bay Area thrash metal scene similar to Testament. There is a middle section that is sort of influenced by the song “Trial by Fire.” But then the song dramatically shifts to a more mid-tempo groove.
8. For Us – In this song Michael Rice really sounds like Howard Smith of Acid Reign. Lyrically this song is once again about what happens when a population becomes enslaved.
9. Robotic Citizens – This song is lyrically about the possibility about human beings being replaced by robots. Is there a reference to artificial intelligence here?

10. Coexist – This song is one of the fastest ones on this album even though early on it shifts to a more groove based song, I see a slight Pantera influence in this section.

11. Runt - This last song could be considered a power ballad. The song starts out with a brilliant guitar part similar to the band Metal Church.

With their second studio album, Manic is a band that shows that they can pick up the musical slack as these older metal bands eventually depart from the scene.