ALBUM REVIEW: Psychic Jailbreak – Cancer Bats
Canadian hardcore punks CANCER BATS have been at this for nearly 20 years now; across their six studio albums to date they’ve cultivated both a dedicated following and their own instantly recognisable take on the genre. Borrowing heavily from stoner and even sludge then injecting it with an innate knack for pit-inciting mayhem, they’ve become an institution without ever growing stale, and have made a reputation for their incendiary live shows.
Fans were perhaps understandably concerned when the band parted ways with founding guitarist Scott Middleton as he looked to focus more on production and other ventures. There’s a lot resting on their seventh LP, Psychic Jailbreak, to deliver the goods in his absence now that bassist Jaye Schwarzer has picked up the six stringer too. Fortunately, Psychic Jailbreak is fundamentally still a CANCER BATS record with all the bluesy riffs and punk snarl that entails.
That means one thing they haven’t done is reinvent themselves; less than a minute into opener Radiate and you’d be forgiven for thinking Middleton was still in the band. Riffs that give the impression of a train dangerously close to careening off the tracks, abrasive howls and a healthy dose of swagger give it all the hallmarks of classic BATS territory. When you’ve got a sound as well-defined and refined as the Canadian now-trio do, you can hardly begrudge them for sticking to what they know works.
The BLACK SABBATH (or perhaps their other guise, BAT SABBATH) influences are writ large on Lonely Bong and Crocodiles as the band inject thick-as-molasses sludge into the mix. The Hoof mixes in a love of skateboarding and skate culture, complete with skateboard samples sprinkled throughout the song, another well-worn touchstone of their sound given their love of skate punk. There are very few surprises on Psychic Jailbreak; really the only one is Hammering On which isn’t so much a departure from their sound but because of the presence of Brooklyn Duran who guests and duets with vocalist Liam Cormier, offering a bewitching, occult doom-esque vocal counterpoint.
Expectedly the album trades in themes of the past two years; not just lockdowns, but activism and demonstrations (Friday Night), our own impact on the world (Radiate) as well as the more personal, such as losing touch with friends as we grow older and perspectives change (Crocodiles). The title track itself is a strong choice as the album’s closer, its galloping sludgy punk themed around shifting our concepts of time and space – no small surprise given the changes of the last two years that has seen upheaval across the world, with predominantly live bands like CANCER BATS arguably some of the hardest hit.
From that perspective, and musically, Psychic Jailbreak is ultimately more of the same, but this is no bad thing. Considering their reduction down to a trio, that they sound as complete as ever is no mean feat given that Middleton was central to their hefty guitar tone. It’s even more impressive that after over two years without being able to do what they love most – tour – Psychic Jailbreak is every bit as urgent and raucous as CANCER BATS have ever been.
Rating: 8/10
Psychic Jailbreak is set for release on April 15th via Bat Skull Records/New Damage Records.
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