Band:	Body Count
Album:	Manslaughter
Style:	Crossover thrash metal
Release date:	June 10, 2014
A review by:	ScreamingSteelUS

01. Talk S**t, Get Shot
02. Pray For Death
03. 99 Problems BC
04. Back To Rehab
05. Manslaughter
06. Get A Job
07. Institutionalized 2014
08. Pop Bubble [feat. Jamey Jasta]
09. Enter The Dark Side
10. Bitch In The Pit
11. Black Voodoo Sex
12. I Wanna Be A Gangsta
13. I Will Always Love You
14. 99 Problems BC [rock mix]

Let's get one thing straight - this is not a nu metal album. Body Count isn't Limp Bizkit or Korn. This isn't a bunch of suburban ponces spouting nasally high school poetry over drop-A chugging. This is more like the legendary Anthrax/Public Enemy collaboration: real attitude, real power, and a real legend spitting venom over heavy riffs.

Ice-T is angry. He has something to say; he didn't just resurrect this band out of boredom. Intertwining his socially-conscious rage with almost comical violence, Ice-T shouts his rants over mid-paced hardcore tracks and frenetic crossover thrash influenced by D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Rollins Band, and even some modern hardcore acts. Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta provides guest vocals on "Pop Bubble" to underscore Body Count's revitalization. While Black Sabbath still leave their mark, particularly on the gloomy but meaningful "I Will Always Love You," the majority of bluesy, old school giants that complemented the band's thrashier tendencies have fallen by the wayside in favor of newer, heavier influences.

With a few hardcore-style breakdowns, gang vocals, lightning-fast solos, and memorable riffs, Body Count have pulled out all the stops and made a record to bring their classic sound into the 21st century. Murder 4 Hire was a decent record, but it could occasionally sound passionless or mired in itself. Manslaughter is a true Body Count album, the likes of which we haven't seen in nearly 20 years; it strips away all pretensions, atmospherics, and anything more complicated than it should be, returning to the band's roots. Songs like "Back To Rehab," "Get A Job," and the title track bring back the aggression and attitude that made Body Count and Born Dead such powerful albums.

"99 Problems BC" is a heavier re-hash of Ice's 1993 song "99 Problems" (from which Jay-Z took the hook for his hit of the same name); while fans of Ice-T's rap material might appreciate this new take, most fans from the metal side could safely avoid it. Body Count treat us to another semi-cover, in the form of "Institutionalized 2014" - the Suicidal Tendencies classic, updated hilariously for the modern era. "Black Voodoo Sex," meanwhile, continues the story of "Voodoo" from their self-titled debut.

Metal fans who approach this album should recognize that, while Ice-T is Ice-T and brings with him a certain hip-hop mentality, Body Count is more of a hardcore punk/crossover thrash band than anything else. Manslaughter is a violent, heavy-hitting metal album that takes some detours through different approaches, but overall makes Body Count's return a triumphant one.