Review Summary: Dead set on living
I haven’t paid much attention to
Cancer Bats in quite some time, despite them having some absolute jams back in the early 2010s. This Canadian hardcore punk band are probably best known for their hardcore cover of the Beastie Boys’ 'Sabotage' — a sick take on an already sick song — and they had plenty of other fun numbers around that time. This is the first album I’ve checked out from them since then, and I was surprised (perhaps I shouldn’t be) by just how much fire they still bring.
Two decades into their career, these Canadian punks are now seasoned veterans who confidently deliver badass, fiery ***. This thing goes hard as hell for almost its entire runtime. Produced by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios, the album sounds more metal than their previous work, with some absolutely MEAN riffs throughout. Frontman Liam Cormier also turns in an excellent performance, barrelling forward with a tonne of energy and urgency.
The guest features all rule, especially Ballou’s
Converge comrade Nate Newton who rips on his verse – and that’s just the opener.
Death By Stereo frontman Efrem Schulz also turns in an aggro, raw showing on the album’s closer.
Thematically,
Give Me Dirt focuses on the destruction of our planet and impending climate disaster, and the performance deliver this message with urgency and abandon. Lots of tasty riffs here, and the title track in particular has been on repeat in my house.
Give Me Dirt does not aim to reinvent the wheel or introduce anything new for Cancer Bats, but at eight records and two decades in, it shows these Canadians still have plenty to say, and their fusion of high octane hardcore, rock n roll swagger and metal is still a blast to crank in 2026.
SCORE: ★★★3/4
HIGHLIGHTS: World Wild Fire Death Race, Stay Stuck, Give Me Dirt, Long Tooth, Fools Like You
FOR FANS OF: Haymaker, Every Time I Die, Kvelertak, mean muggin hardcore riffs
