Cancer Bats:
- Liam Cormier - Vocals
- Scott Middleton - Guitar
- Jaye Schwarzer - Bass
- Mike Peters - Drums
The Cancer Bats have come to destroy. Fueled by a burning desire to rage harder, play louder and have more fun than any other band, Cancer Bats mix hardcore, southern metal, and punk rock into a lethal rock and roll explosion.
The band originated in May of 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto metal band At The Mercy Of Inspiration. The two wanted to form a project that combined their favorite parts of bands like Refused, Black Flag, Led Zeppelin and Down, among others. The line-up was rounded out with the addition of Andrew McCracken on bass and Mike Peters on drums.
The four-piece wasted no time writing and recording songs for a self-released demo that saw light in January of 2005 (later reissued on Oct 31 2005 on vinyl by Tragicomedy Records). Determined to spread the gospel of rage and get its music heard, the Cancer Bats spent the next year touring extensively all over North America with bands such as Every Time I Die, Nora, Alexisonfire, Haste the Day, It Dies Today, Comeback Kid, A Life Once Lost, The Bled, Misery Signals and This Is Hell. Show after show, from coast to coast, the Cancer Bats, whose explosive live shows inspire floor punching, windmills, and arm spinning, had begun to establish their own devoted legion of fans.
With the hellacious buzz about the Cancer Bats fuelling across North America, the band unleashed its highly anticipated debut album ‘Birthing the Giant’ on the most evil day in history 06/06/06, on Distort Inc. (home to Alexisonfire). Produced by award winning Canadian producer Gavin Brown (Three Days Grace, Billy Talent) the album featured bold, infectious riffage that peaked the interest of audiences and press across the globe. With critical acclaim resonating from all sides of the planet, the year following the debut release saw the Cancer Bats fly to the top of the Hardcore Punk scene. From signing licensing deals with Hassle in the UK and Shock in Australia, to winning the Favourite Hardcore/Metal Group of the year at the 2007 Indie Awards and Best Independent Video at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards, the world had started to take notice of Canada’s favourite flying mammals.
‘Hail Destroyer’ is the Cancer Bats sophomore studio release. Co-produced by Eric Ratz (Big Sugar, Theory Of A Dead Man, Billy Talent), Kenny Luong (Billy Talent), and Greg Below (Alexisonfire) and recorded at Vespa Studios, the album features an edgier, much heavier, and finely tuned collection of songs. From the punchy opening riff of the title track “Hail Destroyer” right to the melodic outro of “Zed’s Dead, Baby,” the Cancer Bats do not disappoint. Integrating more Punk, Stoner Rock, Metal, and Hardcore into the mix and taking a much more introspective approach than its predecessor, ‘Hail Destroyer’ sees the Cancer Bats taking their musicianship to a whole new level. Lead singer Liam Cormier’s heated vocals and heavily personal lyrics keep the energy high throughout the album, while axe-wielding Scott Middleton’s electrifying solos and shredding riffs make you want to rock out like never before. Throw in Mike Peter’s rhythmic ferocity and you have an album that will leave you salivating for more.
