There’s a real buzz building up about Cancer Bats right now and ‘Birthing The Giant’ goes to show why. This is one hard rockin’ bitch of a record, all boozy guitar riffs, attitude and energy in abundance. Although the band come from the same Canadian stable as Alexisonfire, their sound is more akin to He Is Legend – a southern, alcohol fuelled, rock and roll explosion.
‘Birthing The Giant’ is a brilliant record, full of hooks and catchy songs, yet hard hitting and full of attitude at the same time. The guitars are especially good, switching between heavy riffs and some brilliant lead guitar parts that really set the songs apart from their peers. ‘Golden Tanks‘ and ‘French Immersion’ get this record off to a riotous start, with Liam Cormier’s vocals taking centre stage. But it’s the riffs that make this album so damn good. ‘Firecrack This’ is immense, while the gritty ‘Death Bros’ is a potential rock and roll classic.
There’s a dirty feel to this record and that makes it sound even better. Some bands get hyped without justification and eventually fall flat on their ass. With Cancer Bats, you just get the feeling that not only is the hype justified, they’ll actually pull off exactly what they deserve. This is fresh sounding and an absolute blast to listen to. They’re going to be tearing up UK venues very soon – and you’d be an idiot to miss out.