Album Review: Cancer Bats - 'Birthing The Giant'

The "Cancer Bats" are what every rock n roll band should be. Dirty, drunk and ready to bring the party. On their debut full length "Birthing The Giant", The "Cancer Bats" show why audiences in their native Canada have been singing their praises over the last couple of years.

Taking the upbeat style of rock infused hardcore bands such as "The Hope Conspiracy" and fellow country men "Cursed", CB have concocted a sound which is aggressive and in your face.

Throw the band's unashamed appreciation of dirty southern riffs into the mix and you're left with a record which is as unrelenting as it is inventive.

The production on "Birthing The Giant" should definitely get a mention. I was convinced the band had at least 2 guitarists until I read the credits and found that only one man (Scott Middleton) was responsible for the incredibly heavy guitar tone I was hearing. The bass sound gives "The Cancer Bats" such a thick bottom end that they could sound heavy without trying. Although I feel the drums are just a little too low in the mix, every snare, tom and cymbal still cuts through the rest of band's noise to provide a more than adequate backbone to each and every track.

Although the band doesn't have any clean singing parts or obvious melodies, each of the 11 songs on "Birthing The Giant" is memorable - a feat which is rarely achieved in this genre.

After logging some serious miles over the last 12 months with everyone from Alexisonfire to Every Time Die, The "Cancer Bats" have been earning themselves a reputation as being one of the most intense live acts currently doing the rounds. With a local release of "Birthing The Giant" scheduled for May, I'm hoping Australian audiences will be privy to the live carnage that is a "Cancer Bats" show.

A must have for fans of any of the above mentioned bands!

   1. "Golden Tanks" – 3:46

   2. "French Immersion" – 3:10

   3. "Grenades" – 3:51

   4. "Shillelagh" – 3:19

   5. "Butterscotch" – 3:08

   6. "Death