CD Review: Cancer Bats – Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones
February 23rd, 2010 Filed under: Made In Canada, Reviews - Music by admin
CD Review – Cancer Bats
Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones
Good Fight Entertainment
The Cancer Bats are gearing up to release their latest offering, ‘Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones’, to the awaiting masses on April 13th, 2010. This latest endeavour, their third studio release, is by far the heaviest display of this talented Toronto band to date.
Call it hardcore punk, southern metal or sludge metal, you would be correct in saying that this album has it all; hard hitting, fast and furious hardcore punk, combined with metal sludge, and a bit of southern metal thrown in for good measure. This album smacks you dead on in the face before you even know what hit you. The production quality is excellent, not too overproduced, raw and bitingly intense.
From the first note of the track ‘Sleep this Way’, you know that this album is going to hit you hard. Liam Cormier’s vocals are gritty and gnarly, sounding as though he might chew you up and spit you out. Scott Middleton’s predictable yet unpretentious guitar riffs steady the frenzied pace, while bassist Jaye Schwarzer and drummer Mike Peters drive the rhythm dead on target, straight into your head.
‘Darkness’ and ‘Raised Right’, two of the hardcore/southern sludge metal infused songs make themselves feel right at home on this full on hardcore album. Brought down a notch from the mayhem of the rest of the tracks, the breaks these songs provide might just give you time to catch your breath before you go headlong into the mosh pit again.
‘Dead Wrong’ and ‘Trust No One’ are high points of this album, with Liam’s’ vocals in epic form; these songs truly encapsulate the intensity and drive of these talented musicians. They also say something about the commitment of the band to produce good music with relevant lyrics. With fourteen screaming tracks, you might think there would be at least one that you could do without; you would be mistaken.
The pièce de résistance on this album is a cover of ‘Sabotage’ by The Beastie Boys. The boys plunge themselves into this song with plenty of fortitude. It is well laboured and birthed with a brutal vengeance.
Whether you are into Hardcore Punk, Metalcore, Southern Metal, Sludge Metal, (or a healthy combination of all of the above) you won’t be disappointed with this album. PLAY IT LOUD and piss off your neighbours! Go see them live on their upcoming Canadian tour! For a list of dates check out:
Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones is in stores April 13, 2010
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