LIVE REVIEW: Bat Sabbath @ Rebellion, Manchester

In modern metal, a certain masked outfit seem to have a popular monopoly on pseudo-religious terminology and references. Tonight however, metal fans in their hoards arrive at Manchester’s Rebellion rock club for a sold-out night of worship to the gods of metal – BLACK SABBATH, as performed by Canadian four-piece BAT SABBATH (or CANCER BATS as they are commonly known).

Warming up the room are the long haired, doomy triplet MARGARITA WITCH CULT, leaning heavily into 70s aesthetic but with an uncompromising girthy addition to the tone. They open with instrumental bruiser Aradria, comprising of a looping slow riff that punches you in the stomach as it pummels through the air into willing ears. The entire trio amass for vocals on stomper Diabolical Influence, with guitarist and lead vocalist Scott Vincent’s scratchy vocals leading the groups melodies.

Far from being a one trick pony, the Birmingham three-piece jump between the SLEEP influenced stoner-doom they opened with, to crunching thrash riffs like headbanger Theme From Cyclops, and good old fashioned metal with very 70s subject matter. The room is treated to a singalong few minutes during a belting cover of BILLY IDOL’s White Wedding in their thus far established slow nodding style, before closing with their own singalong of Sacrifice, with repeating chorus hook of the name yelled through the room. The black country has produced yet another belting group in MARGARITA WITCH CULT and justify their position warming us up for the evening dedicated to their hometown’s most iconic outfit.

Rating: 8/10

Faced with the subtly altered iconic typography of the backdrops reading BAT SABBATH, there is an expectant feel in the air that this is something more than a regular gig we are going to bear witness to. The moustachioed instrument section arrive ahead of cape-donning front man Liam Cormier with heavy side burns bursting from his jowls. They launch into the recognisable chugging groove of Children Of The Grave accompanied by Cormier rattling the rhythm out on a drum before taking old of the microphone. His regular hardcore persona is replaced by one of a slow throaty preacher, which sometimes leans pirate-y, and frequently reminds us of our purpose to worship the gods of metal that are BLACK SABBATH.

A few tracks in, we are reminded that this is no regular night, as Cormier reminds the room that this is a setlist that demands “much chaos, much mosh pitting”. As the four-piece trudge into the brutal riff of Iron Man, a huge pit erupts and a member of the floor is raised above the heads of the crowd, and where once there was a crowd, a molten fluid of limbs takes its place, with devil horns raised aloft, singing in full voice along to the climaxing guitar solo. The outfit accept their performative roles comfortably, with bassist Jaye R Schwarzer and guitarist Jackson Landry joining Cormier stage front to lead the choir of voices during the chorus of N.I.B.

“Feel the Sabbath pumping through your veins” we are encouraged as the group rattle through more of the iconic repertoire. By this point in the set, Cormier is dripping in sweat, but he doesn’t let it slow the performance. His head is rarely static, fervently flicking drips across the stage and onto the crowd below as he bangs his head along with the energetic grooves of Fairies Wear Boots, followed by the demonic doomy riffs of the self-titled track Black Sabbath.

There is scarcely a better way to end a show than the iconic War Pigs, the room attempting to clap along with the hi-hat of drummer Joel Johnson during the infamous verses and forming a choir to accompany Cormier throughout the mammoth track. Horns are raised throughout the epic guitar solo performed justly by Landry as well as sung by almost the entire room during the climaxing melodic lines of the eight-minute belter.

They depart the stage for a moment, to a rousing echo of BAT SABBATH accompanied by stomping and clapping and return to greater jeers. Cormier concedes that Johnson, on his first ever visit to Manchester, doesn’t know any more tracks from the lords of metal BLACK SABBATH, so instead we are treated to CANCER BATS’ own Pneumonia Hawk, with trademark crushing riffs and throaty screams devolving the rooms once again into fluid chaos. As the sweat pools and bruises form, the band at last depart to a sea of cheers for a truly unique night. The rousing feeling of BLACK SABBATH in your veins fleeting, BAT SABBATH have truly displayed why a night of worshipping the old gods of metal is still worth it.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action from Jess Robinson here: 

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