Cancer Bats really confuse me. On one hand, they are almost astonishingly derivative and terrifyingly hip. On the other hand, there is something infectious about their brand of sludge-tinged groove metal that makes me want to drink, fuck, and party all night. And I don't even drink.
Following the blueprint set down by their first full-length, Hail Destroyer does nothing particularly new take equal parts metal and rock n roll, spin leisurely in a battered leather jacket with some sludgecore and add a dose of in-vogue hardcore flavorings to taste. It's all very 2008, and I'm sure there are countless thousands of trendo-scene kids out there with Cancer Bats badges and Cancer Bats patches and Cancer Bats bloody shirts and Cancer Bats sodding pencil sets. And therein lies the real flaw behind this release. There is nothing new, no fresh angle. All you can hear is the sum of the influences. A hint of Mastodon in one song. A whole heap of Raging Speedhorn in another and a barely hidden stash of Eyehategod stuffed into the guitarist's back pocket. But all, of course, tied in with enough 'in' touches to make it palatable for the masses.
Hell, I don't have anything against these guys. They're genuinely alright and I will probably put this album on again to enjoy it sometime in the future. I shouldn't use a review of one band to vent against an entire genre but this is what is wrong with metal in 2008. This is one of the best things on offer, the second tier behind the true frontrunners. And all it can be is a compilation of the best of other people's sounds.
And breathe.
In summary, then. Despite my rant, this is an okay album. The likes of "Pray for Darkness" (unsurprisingly cult enough to fully quote the tagline from The Lost Boys) and "Hail Destroyer" itself blaze out of your speakers with enough venom to eat away a sufficient part of your face and there is variety on offer with the swaggering power of "Bastard's Waltz" and the roaring melody of "Harem Of Scorpions." But the whole affair speaks of consolidation rather than progress and in the end, that isn't quite enough to move this release out from the upper end of average.
See also
He Is Legend, Raging Speedhorn, Eyehategod, Mastodon
