Manitoba Metalfest Day 3 - Show Review (Kruelty, 200 Stab Wounds, Full of Hell, Dying Fetus)

Tyrants Demise started the last night of Manitoba Metalfest 2024 off with a brutal assault of melodic death metal. Highlights including vocalist Keith's strong stage presence and the cover of Pantera's "Fucking Hostile" to close out their set.

Kruelty have been making waves in the Japanese hardcore and metal world since they started releasing music in 2018 and especially when their debut record "A DYING TRUTH" came out in 2020. Kruelty first came to Winnipeg last year supporting Sanguisugabogg, Gates to Hell and Vomit Forth, and it was great to see them back and playing a great setlist to a packed house. Kruelty would go on to play an aftershow with a longer setlist, taking place at The Handsome Daughter.

Cleveland's 200 Stab Wounds responded with an onslaught of brutal, old-school-style death metal. Touring in support of their upcoming new release, "Manual Manic Procedure", which releases in June, they performed a stacked setlist which included "Masters of Morbidity" and material from their debut album, "Slave to the Scalpel". 200 Stab Wounds are a band to watch in the modern metal scene, and this excellent performance showed them prove that.

Full of Hell came back to winnipeg for the first time since 2017 and performed a 45 minute set of noisy, grindcore and powerviolence inspired extreme metal that did not let up for one minute. Being one of the most well known bands to do this sound, they spontaneously go from ambient soundscapes to harsh, vicious walls of noise in a matter of seconds. Full of Hell is currently touring of their album "Coagulated Bliss", which came out at the end of April.

Lastly, Dying Fetus is a band that I was never super familiar with, admittedly - at least compared to the other bands on the bill. I was pleasantly surprised by the technical ability and consistency as well as the effort and stage presence that these 3 guys put on. Dying Fetus played a good mix of new and old material, including really early stuff from their 90s era.

Ninjacats Productions and the staff of The Park Theatre put on an unforgettable weekend of brutal, heavy metal and hardcore, all 3 days sold out in record time, and proved Manitoba is still a great place for heavy bands to play. Here's to many more fests and great lineups in Winnipeg. I also want to give a quick shoutout to the amazing sponsors and supporters of the festival: our friends at Sookram's Brewing; CKUW 95.9; Intergalactic Sauces; Eye and Ear Control Records and Rotting Reign.