Album Review: Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones

Three albums in and fans of Cancer Bats should pretty much know what they're going to get from the Canadian rockers' fierce, aggressive tracks mixed with equally as angry vocals. 'Sleep This Away' sets the tone with its fuzzy, bass driven sound but its 'Trust No One' is when the album really comes alive; frantic, spiraling guitars and driving drums compliment Liam Cormier's growls and screams perfectly, as he sounds very pissed off with the world.

Tracks like 'Dead To The World' and 'Doomed To Fail' keep up the momentum with their brutal, pounding and dark delivery, whilst 'Black Metal Bicycle' is powerful and 'Scared To Death' and 'Darkness' follow nicely, with the former being a chaotic mess that fans will eat up in a live environment.

At fourteen tracks long, you start to find the band a little repetitive towards the end, as 'Fake Gold' sounds brilliant on its own with its mighty guitar riffs and end-of-the-world delivery but in the albums context, it loses its importantance. 'Raised Right' stomps its way to the albums conclusion, as the band to an extent slow down the pace, but the bands powerful, brutal sound is very much still in tact, whilst the bands cover of Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' provides a light relief at the end, as their take on the track is pulled off well and fits their style perfectly.

On the whole 'Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones' is more of the chaotic, heavy sounds that Cancer Bats have firmly established in recent years. Whilst some may not call it their best work, it will please fans as the band do not exceed their reach and stick to what they know. However musically the band are tighter and at times more intelligent in their approach and delivery.

3.5/5

'Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones' by Cancer Bats is available now on Hassle Records.

Sean Reid