Cancer Bats review: One of the most entertaining bands on the hardcore circuit
Canadian hardcore-punk rockers Cancer Bats headlining Epic Studios in Norwich. Photo: Paul Jones - Credit: Paul Jones
Canadian hardcore-punk rockers Cancer Bats played to a tight-knit and rowdy crowd last night at Epic Studios in Norwich.
Canadian hardcore-punk rockers Cancer Bats headlining Epic Studios in Norwich. Photo: Paul Jones - Credit: Paul Jones
Eleven years on from their breakthrough Hail Destroyer, one of my all-time favourite albums, they remain one of the most melodic, energetic and fun bands on the harder side of guitar music.
I've always considered their sound to be an extreme version of rock 'n' roll, making them a band accessible to the metal heads and the punk rockers alike.
With Liam Cormier's ferocious vocals alongside Scott Middleton phenomenal guitar playing, Jaye R. Schwarzer's slamming bass and the fill in Belgian drummer's (whose name I missed) tight rhythm keeping, the band as a whole played an absolute blinder this evening.
An added bonus was the genuine and funny between song banter from Cormier, with plenty of 'yeah-ya's and random talk of Norwich's Viking links with Norway. He's a guy who clearly loves performing. And what a performer he is, so different to the polite, mild mannered Canadian guy I briefly chatted to beforehand.
Canadian hardcore-punk rockers Cancer Bats headlining Epic Studios in Norwich. Photo: Paul Jones - Credit: Paul Jones
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First support was from Nepalese metal-core band (there's a sentence I've never written before!) 'Underside'. They made the most of a still half empty space in front of them and tried their hardest to whip up some energy in the room.
Five or so of the more hardcore Norwich music fans obliged with their own mini-mosh pit. I was impressed with the lads from Kathmandu and enjoyed seeing the crazy tribal-masked dancer join them on stage towards the end.
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Second support was from the highly rated Glaswegian Bleed From Within. To be honest they're fully capable of being headliners on their own tour and sounded immense, managing to up the energy in the room with lead vocalist Scott Kennedy delivering some Scottish heavy metal Wednesday night madness to Norwich.
But it was the headliners Cancer Bats who inevitably stole the show. They are world renowned as one of the most entertaining bands on the hardcore circuit and it was an absolute pleasure to see them once again. Hats off to the Epic Studios team for getting them in.
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