ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS – “Bright Eyes of Gold”, “Give Me Dirt”, “Long Tooth”, “Fools Like You”
Almost exactly two years ago, on 8th August 2024, Cancer Bats played Conne Island in Leipzig – a choice they would live to regret. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the centre had slowly become renowned for its radical politics and, more recently, the ban on Palestinian keffiyehs worn on the premises. Eyebrows were raised and fans were quick to comment on the band’s decision – prompting quick clarification that they were unaware and did not want anyone to feel unsafe or unwelcome at their shows.
For the most part, the Toronto natives escaped this catastrophe unscathed, bouncing back over the next two years with a predictably hectic schedule and embarking on an extensive world tour. They also somehow found space to continue playing as their alter-egos: Bat Sabbath – a long-time, semi-tongue-in-cheek side project in honour of the heavy metal heavyweights of a similar title.
Now, having firmly established a place for Canadian metal on the map – and celebrating their twenty-second year in the business, they’ve returned with eighth studio album, Give Me Dirt, on Marshall Records. Frontman Liam Cormier mentions how spending time in his new home environment (rural Nova Scotia) has helped him in gathering inspiration for the record – which centres around going back to basics and returning to nature. The album artwork (his own creation) reflects this too. It might not look much, a largescale compilation of cut-and-paste, jagged textures, but the one non-negotiable was to not get AI involved, joking that “AI can’t make bad art the way that I made bad art”. The fact remains: there is something satisfying, particularly in today’s world, about the DIY approach. Whether you succeed or fail, human creativity is one of the few unique qualities left. Reflecting on the writing process, in an interview with Exclaim: “I’m at my most creative when I’m jetlagged. (…) You’re in that state of underthinking; you’re too tired for your brain to think of anything, so all the best ideas float to the top.” If only it was that easy for all of us, eh?
The epically titled “World Wild Fire Death Race” begins proceedings with a tense buildup and soaring, enveloping guitar, over a thick wall of crunchy rhythm. Cormier’s vocals are Hetfield-esque and utterly exasperated. Listeners are immediately treated to his full range, with lyrics matching the same intensity: “Path of the wasted, they’ll never make it / Only the sacred remember the faceless”. The midpoint drop is anticipated by an audible guitar manifestation of a kettle manically boiling over a blistering stove. Guesting with additional riff work is Converge’s Nate Newton. It’s not the only connection this record has to the metalcore band. Newton’s bandmate Kurt Ballou co-produced it – and he’s done a good job, achieving a high-quality sound without sacrificing any of that passion or brash edge.
Lead single “Stay Stuck” is a mosher guaranteed to have your head banging in seconds, with plenty of irresistible riffs and accented guitar shrieks. Delivery is continually agitated: snarling and half-screeching either side of catchy choruses of “I’m not wasting any more time”. The track’s closing breakdown is powerful and 90s-style sludgy, evocative of Alice in Chains. Again, passion is painfully evident as the last line is spewed into existence: “You can pry my dreams out from my cold dead hands”.
“Don’t Trip” launches with energy already bubbling over. Heroic riffs, death screams and crashing drums are as regular as buses here. It’s one to play loud. Chris Cresswell, of Ontario punk band the Flatliners, joins for “Bright Eyes of Gold”. It’s infectious, complete with a suspenseful intro, top-notch vocals and a larger-than-life drop that rounds it all off.
It’s always a disappointment if the title track doesn’t live up to the rest of the record, though this one certainly does. In fact, it’s probably the highlight of the whole LP. Beginning with temple bells – an otherwise soulful sound (but in this case more like the simulation of sharpening knives), vocals grow in anger, Zack de la Rocha-style – intensified with Cormier’s earthy poetry: “Give me dirt, the bark, the grit, the sky / The grass, the earth, we live, we die”. It’s punchy and guttural but also speaks of the healing experience the band gained from bonding with nature. The whole song is reminiscent of metal from their heyday – just under fifteen years ago, and the styles of similar bands of the time, like blessthefall, the Architects and Sempiternal-era Bring Me the Horizon.
“Long Tooth” features some neat guitar, and gravelly shouts remind me of the raucous, gritty rasps of While She Sleeps’ “Loz” Taylor. Indie-folk vocalist and familiar live collaborator Brooklyn Doran joins the boys on co-lead vocals. After a few spins, you realise just how listenable this is. Doran’s predictably calmer interludes add another dimension, providing rare moments of (almost) peace amongst surging guitar sequences. It complements the Bats’ signature sound and distinguishes it from the other songs – something that can’t be said of them all.
“Speed Wizard” plays like a rocked up “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, embroiling the riff amongst its catchy hooks. Fittingly, you feel physically submerged beneath a giant tidal wave during the swinging, Metallica-like guitar crunch of “Ocean Crash”, with a midpoint breakaway that strips everything back to give way to suspenseful, stomping drums. “Positive Grid” and “Prognosis” benefit from a few listens to fully appreciate them, though they’re not set far enough apart from other, similar entries.
Cancer Bats redeem themselves in the incendiary final track, “Fools Like You”. Featuring the mighty Death By Stereo’s Efrem Schulz on lead vocal duties, contrasting beautifully with an interesting chant-like backing – reminiscent again of While She Sleeps – the band, here, really lean into their inner hardcore punk. The manic yet melodic solo, above furious riff-thrashing, is utilised the same way that 80s hardcore maestros Bad Brains exemplified. A similar tale to its opening, the record ends on a high-energy, electrifying note.
Give Me Dirt gives you what Cancer Bats do best: Sabbath-style breakdowns, piercing screeches and relentless, chaotic energy aplenty. Admittedly, there’s nothing new here – but then that’s largely been the feeling across their fanbase for the last few albums. It isn’t an issue though – they demonstrate they’ve not lost their bite and are still at the top of their game. You know all these tracks will perform well live, also. Though, personally, their Bat Sabbath material feels more appealing to me, these days. The album’s first half holds up best, somewhere in the middle it falls off slightly, but recovers just in time for a big finish. It would have been great to see more variety throughout. The Bats seemed to touch on this in their guest appearance tracks – all of which were strong highlights. Maybe they’ll continue this exploration next time.
