REVIEW: Meatwound - Macho

Tampa quartet Meatwound have just released their fourth album Macho, and have tried to switch things up by experimenting with electronic elements within their otherwise sludge metal sound. Macho is a mixed bag overall; for all its interesting riffs and drumlines there are some teething problems with the programming elements, and some pacing issues that raise an eyebrow from a band into their eleventh year together. 

Album opener 'Compressed Hell' starts strong with some of the better programming elements present in the project, though somewhat jump-scares the listener with the first 16 bars of Daniel Wallace’s vocals in a raspy register that doesn’t suit his natural vocals too well. This is followed by lead single 'Mount Vermin' - a clear choice for a single release, with its dreamy drumlines and scratchy yet smooth melodies. Its 3:41 runtime is filled beautifully with the multiple solos bleeding into easily headbang-able breakdowns, making 'Mount Vermin' an easy standout of the project overall. 

It is followed by the first of the worst, as far as track names go, present on Macho - 'Obese Variants'. The number itself is a solid offering, and yet another example of Dimitri Stoyanov refusing to miss in his drumwork, hopping into a double bass/double tom combo for the basic drumline that is a joy to tune into; as 'Obese Variants' fades into 'Labor' and Stoyanov changes his tune to a floor led double bass workout it feels as if his technical skill is rising above the rest of Meatwound with ease. 

The midsection of this album is somewhat half-baked, with some of the best of the project layered on top of some of the worst. Frank Stallone is the first time that the electronic element is fully utilised as a device, but the hard split between it being used alone and the traditional instruments alone indicate that more time should’ve been spent working out how to integrate this element into the Meatwound sound. Overall, the track feels like filler - even if its final minute does have some of that electro-chaotic noise that scratches the itch in the brain. 

Both of the next two tracks - 'Pigs, Tu' and 'Europa' - are some of the best. The former is a wildly chaotic metal track, fast-paced and always driving the listener forward with both its intense vocals and intentionally messy breakdowns that build adrenaline and disperse it expertly. The pre-breakdown with the hi-hat and Mariano Iglesas’ bass is the perfect breather within 'Pigs, Tu’s chaos, almost overstaying its welcome but dropping wonderfully into the track’s final chorus. Follow up 'Europa' is short and sweet at 2:23, also starting strong with an almost dancey soundscape that is refreshing in a project filled with serious sludge. Ari Barros’ guitar stands out here with its cyclical melodies and the funky element it adds to the track overall. 

Unfortunately, the half-baked suggestions comes from lowlight 'Barking Dogs as a Plot Device'. First of all, the name is at best an attempt to call out to or make fun of Knocked Loose’s 'Counting Worms', but making no r5eal sense as a standalone name. The track itself seems to have wanted to incorporate some hardstyle into their hardcore, but the end result is a muffled piece of static that gives the listener a headache even through a speaker - let alone the headphones we use to review. The track does not go anywhere, staying at one tempo vocally and one note sonically; 1:55 has never felt so long. Following with ambient track 'Chunk' was kind of Meatwound, though.

Album closer 'Exodus MF' does bring the project back in some regards: it’s a power metal track filled with swelling builds and a flare-filled guitar solo, layered beautifully with the drumming behind it. The only real critique of this track is its 5:47 track length didn’t feel massively necessary - the extra verse didn’t add much to the track’s quality, and a guitar fade out is nothing the listener won’t have heard before, but it's still a standout of Macho and gets the listener swaying.  

Overall, Macho is a passable piece of sludge metal - those head first into the genre would likely find tracks they enjoy from this latest Meatwound offering, but the project is rough around the edges in a way that a band as far into their tenure as Meatwound perhaps should be over. Though the experimentation they have tried is laudable, its execution leaves much to be desired - they would have benefitted from some assistance or waiting another cycle to perfect the sound before its inclusion in an LP project. This all said, single 'Mount Vermin' and 'Pigs, Tu' are great tracks; even though this album is hard to recommend in its entirety, those curious should check those two out.

Score: 5/10

Macho was released on May 9th 2025.

Words: Julia Brunton

Photos: Meatwound