Psychic Jailbreak

It would be understandable if the 2021 departure of guitarist and co-founder Scott Middleton had rattled Cancer Bats. A versatile player who contributed dinosaur-stomp riffs and thrashing rhythmic leads, Middleton gave these Toronto hardcore punks a distinctly heavy-metal edge. But Cancer Bats\' seventh album isn\'t a sonic reset or break from tradition. If anything, having to regroup as a trio gave the band a shot of adrenaline and made them even more aggressive players. The title track is grimy stoner metal with pummeling riffs, and on standouts like \"Lonely Bong\" and \"Friday Night,\" frontman Liam Cormier screams with abandon. The remaining members of Cancer Bats also keep the old-school headbanger torch burning despite Middleton\'s absence—crank up \"Hammering On,\" a slab of sludgy metal featuring Brooklyn Doran’s hypnotic vocals.

Fuzzed-up Canadian hardcore crew Cancer Bats spread their delectable disease as a three-piece…

Cancer Bats have been an institution in Canadian hardcore for their 18-year existence. Through their punk beginnings on Birthing the Giant a...

The loss of a founding member is always going to sting. In terms of cataclysmic breakups, the departure of co-founding guitarist Scott Middleton from the CANCER BATS ranks last year was a big one. Along with vocalist Liam Cormier, Middleton had helped to steer the band through nearly 20 years of tri...

Will Marshall reviews the new album from Canadian hardcore maestros Cancer Bats. Read the review of 'Psychic Jailbreak' here!