WELL when it comes down to bats, they're a protected species in Northern Ireland - which we suspect is why Cancer Bats keep coming back here for their share of good old fashioned rock 'n' feckin' roll.
May in Belfast seems to have a bit of bat theme going - what with the Cancer Bats appearing in the Stiff Kitten on May 31st, and that old vaudevillian rock icon, Meat Loaf drawing his battiness to a close with his May 14th show in the Odyssey as part of his Last At Bat tour (more of which later).
Cancer Bats are currently touring in support of their monstrously grooveladen, feel good in a nasty way album 'Dead Set on Living' and their Black Sabbath tribute ep 'Bat Sabbath - Bastards of Reality'.
One thing can be assured of a Cancer Bats show is intensity. This is high octane performance, with a DIY punk ethos, hardcore style and a metal heart, even if they don't always want to let you see that beating you down.
Cancer Bats have produced some memorable shows in Belfast, but one moment sticks in our mind - when supporting Funeral for a Friend in the old Spring and Airbrake, vocalist Liam Cromier arrived on stage at the opening of the set and stagedived off the old boards, straight into a crowd of scenesters who didn't know what to do when this Canuck pile of punk angst landed squarely on top of them.
That moment summed up the Cancer Bats ethos - here we are, and if you don't like us deal with it because we are gonna beat you down until you love every bit of our vibe.
With four albums behind them, and a splatter of eps and bootlegs, this is perhaps the perfect time to see Cancer Bats. Tickets for the Stiff Kitten gig on May 31st are £12 (Ex booking fee) and available from Ticketmaster, shine.net etc etc.
On to weightier matters... We're not sure why we linked Meat Loaf with the Cancer Bats; it just seemed right and wrong at the same time. They are at opposite ends of the rock and metal spectrum, with Meat Loaf but there's a bat theme here...
We've seen several Cancer Bats shows and our principal editor admits to have seen Meat Loaf one night and a death metal set the next - well we do have diverse tastes here at our metal mansions!
Having said that Mr Loaf always delivers a show as well as the music. Memorably at Knebworth, when on the bill with Deep Purple and a host of others Meat maintained dignity and humour when initially pelted with a storm of plastic bottles - by the end of the set he had the entire crowd behind him despite fans ranging from ageing hippies, through to metalheads and southern boogie devotees (Blackfoot were on the bill too).
Meat Loaf plays the Odyssey Arena on May 14th in a 'Concert in Two Acts', the first being a selection of hits, the second being performing the entire 45 millions selling Bat Out of Hell album in full.
Tickets available from the Odyssey booking office and Ticketmaster.
Showing posts with label Cancer Bats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer Bats. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Friday, July 30, 2010
Here's a wee Trash Talk exclusive for ya!
ON Monday the support for the awesome Cancer Bats' November 4th Limelight appearance will be announced as Trash Talk and Vera Cruz...and we have to say that this is shaping up to be a tasty autumn night of full on noise.
Trash Talk - for the uninitiated - were a nominee for Kerrang!'s besy international newcomer. Normally that would have most of you running for cover, but bear with us here: Trash Talk are a nice, thrashy hardcore band, and one perfectly fitting with the Cancer Bats trademark anarchy. Check out the track Explode off the Eyes and Nines album to see where we are coming from.
So, November 4th: Cancer Bats, Trash Talk, Vera Cuz - all at the Limer for a measly £12...another heavy night in store in a long year of neck breaking, liver killing, ear bleeding 'heavy fuggin metal.
Come this weekend 'twill be time try and sum up all that is coming up...if you see me bealry eyed at the Spring and Airbrake at Soulfly on Monday it will be not because of the beer but as a result of trying to list everything coming up!
Trash Talk - for the uninitiated - were a nominee for Kerrang!'s besy international newcomer. Normally that would have most of you running for cover, but bear with us here: Trash Talk are a nice, thrashy hardcore band, and one perfectly fitting with the Cancer Bats trademark anarchy. Check out the track Explode off the Eyes and Nines album to see where we are coming from.
So, November 4th: Cancer Bats, Trash Talk, Vera Cuz - all at the Limer for a measly £12...another heavy night in store in a long year of neck breaking, liver killing, ear bleeding 'heavy fuggin metal.
Come this weekend 'twill be time try and sum up all that is coming up...if you see me bealry eyed at the Spring and Airbrake at Soulfly on Monday it will be not because of the beer but as a result of trying to list everything coming up!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Been away a while...but back with a vengeance...
For various (boring reasons) and not least owing to dangerous levels of blood in my alcohol stream, Belfastmetalheadsreuited has been down for a while...now it's back, and back with a vengeance.
Over the next few days there's much to catch up on...here's a flavour:
Countervela, Triggerman and Gacys Threads. Auntie Annies on Thursday (tomorrow!)
The Metal Blade Assault tour lands in Belfast on April 4th with The Rotted, Malefice and Anterior in the Limelight;
Charity metal with Residual Effect and others on April 7th at The Black Box (in aid of the Haematology Unit at the RVH);
Cancer Bats/Rolo Tomassi/Psychic Kids at the Spring & Airbrake on 23rd April;
Paradise Lost, Grim Reaper and a host of others ripping apart the Mandella Hall for an all ages Full Metal Racket at the Mandella Hall on April 25th;
Saxon and Sweet Savage...the next night!
The new A Little Bitter album (New Dawn Evolution) launched on May 2nd at The Limelight
Firebirds/Gentlemen's Pistols/Skypilot descending on Belfast on 5th June;
Prong playing the Spring & Airbrake on 14th June; and...and....
Therapy? in Derry (May 14th), The Answer in Belfast (20th April), Tesla (June 11th), UFO (June 12th), the possibility of a November Deep Purple Belfast show (keep that one to yourself...), Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction playing Oxygen in July...Onslaught coming to Belfast on August 28th
Damn there's so much more to catch up on, so much more to share we're off to share a shandy, batter a brandy and intimidate a Jagermeister (though not necessarily in that order!)
More and more posts coming your way...thanks to everyone who commented, emailed, complained, nagged, whined and gave off that the blogs were not coming as think and fast as y'all wanted!
Over the next few days there's much to catch up on...here's a flavour:
Countervela, Triggerman and Gacys Threads. Auntie Annies on Thursday (tomorrow!)
The Metal Blade Assault tour lands in Belfast on April 4th with The Rotted, Malefice and Anterior in the Limelight;
Charity metal with Residual Effect and others on April 7th at The Black Box (in aid of the Haematology Unit at the RVH);
Cancer Bats/Rolo Tomassi/Psychic Kids at the Spring & Airbrake on 23rd April;
Paradise Lost, Grim Reaper and a host of others ripping apart the Mandella Hall for an all ages Full Metal Racket at the Mandella Hall on April 25th;
Saxon and Sweet Savage...the next night!
The new A Little Bitter album (New Dawn Evolution) launched on May 2nd at The Limelight
Firebirds/Gentlemen's Pistols/Skypilot descending on Belfast on 5th June;
Prong playing the Spring & Airbrake on 14th June; and...and....
Therapy? in Derry (May 14th), The Answer in Belfast (20th April), Tesla (June 11th), UFO (June 12th), the possibility of a November Deep Purple Belfast show (keep that one to yourself...), Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction playing Oxygen in July...Onslaught coming to Belfast on August 28th
Damn there's so much more to catch up on, so much more to share we're off to share a shandy, batter a brandy and intimidate a Jagermeister (though not necessarily in that order!)
More and more posts coming your way...thanks to everyone who commented, emailed, complained, nagged, whined and gave off that the blogs were not coming as think and fast as y'all wanted!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Cancer Bats don't desert Belfast
The In Flames show may have went tits up, but the Cancer Bats - who were scheduled as main support - haven't abandoned Belfast.
The Batty ones will be playing at the Spring & Airbrake on Apri 23rd. Support for the rest of the UK has been announced as SSS and The Plight, but it hasn't been confirmed who will be on the undercard here.
All together now - HAIL DESTROYER!
The Batty ones will be playing at the Spring & Airbrake on Apri 23rd. Support for the rest of the UK has been announced as SSS and The Plight, but it hasn't been confirmed who will be on the undercard here.
All together now - HAIL DESTROYER!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top 10 CDs of 2008
IT’S that time of year when it is time to look back – that is the end of the year – at what the past 12 months provided. And in metal terms it was a bumper 2008. A host of fantastic gigs, a bumper crop of songs and a superb basketful of albums.
It would be a tough task to gather all the highlights, but rather than bore all the constant readers, better to focus on one – our take here on the top 10 albums of the year. After all, every magazine, TV channel and radio station picks their top 10.
So below is our choice of Top 10 albums of 2008. We’re sure to have left one or two out, maybe left out your favourite platter of the year. Or you might think we’ve gotten it all wrong. Anyway, enjoy the choice and leave your comments.
Number One: Metallica – Death Magnetic.
After years of seeming wilderness twiddling the kings retook their throne at the top of the global metal tree. Only Iron Maiden are on a par. Death Magnetic was both a return to the progressive thrash roots and an evolution. Complex changes and simple riffing sit side by side, but above all it is simply a damn fine metal album.
Number Two: Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God.
Amon Amarth promised much in the past, but inconsistent albums hindered them. Twilight is a different proposition. If Vikings sounded like this then no wonder they kicked medieval ass: a surging triumph of battle metal that knows its thrash heritage – fearless and victorious.
Number Three: Airbourne – Runnin Wild.
Hell – small Australians, the Young brothers, Angry Anderson, and now the O’Keefe led Airbourne show that small Aussie rockers know how to provide a soundtrack for a good time. Runnin Wild is a soundtrack to a good time.
Number Four: Slipknot – All Hope is Gone.
The Nine aren’t the most optimistic bunch of extreme metallers. All Hope is Gone is a slavering beast of noise. Intermittent melody mixed with brutality. Simply superb.
Number Five: Cancer Bats – Hail Destroyer.
Swinging, angry, humorous, demons flying – Cancer Bats delivered a hilarious and nasty album, replete with anthems and irate tirades. But above all it was a chant-a-long party of metal.
Number Six: Trivium – Shogun.
Okay – it has been fashionable to slag off the Floridian crew, but Shogun finally saw Trivium throw off the training wheels. Approach this album with an open mind and you’ll find melody and aggression coupled with musicianship of the highest quality.
Number Seven: Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown.
Only included here because it always makes us smile: yeah it isn’t much different from any other Dragonforce but it is fun as hell to listen to
Number Eight: Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted.
When the Cavalera’s got together they delivered a brutal, back to basics sound storm of riffs and primal beats. Not easy on the ear, but damn fine metal listening.
Number Nine: Alice Cooper – Along Came A Spider.
Vincent Furnier’s alter ego delivered a tasteful tale of murder and slaughter, all with his usual poignancy and evil take on life – who said the son of a preacher man couldn’t rock out.
Number Ten: AC/DC – Black Ice.
Much overdue DC provided us with a reminder as to what straight forward hard rockin’ is supposed to sound like. And this was it. More bluesier in some parts, and even with a singalong anthem in Anything Goes.
It would be a tough task to gather all the highlights, but rather than bore all the constant readers, better to focus on one – our take here on the top 10 albums of the year. After all, every magazine, TV channel and radio station picks their top 10.
So below is our choice of Top 10 albums of 2008. We’re sure to have left one or two out, maybe left out your favourite platter of the year. Or you might think we’ve gotten it all wrong. Anyway, enjoy the choice and leave your comments.
Number One: Metallica – Death Magnetic.
After years of seeming wilderness twiddling the kings retook their throne at the top of the global metal tree. Only Iron Maiden are on a par. Death Magnetic was both a return to the progressive thrash roots and an evolution. Complex changes and simple riffing sit side by side, but above all it is simply a damn fine metal album.
Number Two: Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God.
Amon Amarth promised much in the past, but inconsistent albums hindered them. Twilight is a different proposition. If Vikings sounded like this then no wonder they kicked medieval ass: a surging triumph of battle metal that knows its thrash heritage – fearless and victorious.
Number Three: Airbourne – Runnin Wild.
Hell – small Australians, the Young brothers, Angry Anderson, and now the O’Keefe led Airbourne show that small Aussie rockers know how to provide a soundtrack for a good time. Runnin Wild is a soundtrack to a good time.
Number Four: Slipknot – All Hope is Gone.
The Nine aren’t the most optimistic bunch of extreme metallers. All Hope is Gone is a slavering beast of noise. Intermittent melody mixed with brutality. Simply superb.
Number Five: Cancer Bats – Hail Destroyer.
Swinging, angry, humorous, demons flying – Cancer Bats delivered a hilarious and nasty album, replete with anthems and irate tirades. But above all it was a chant-a-long party of metal.
Number Six: Trivium – Shogun.
Okay – it has been fashionable to slag off the Floridian crew, but Shogun finally saw Trivium throw off the training wheels. Approach this album with an open mind and you’ll find melody and aggression coupled with musicianship of the highest quality.
Number Seven: Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown.
Only included here because it always makes us smile: yeah it isn’t much different from any other Dragonforce but it is fun as hell to listen to
Number Eight: Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted.
When the Cavalera’s got together they delivered a brutal, back to basics sound storm of riffs and primal beats. Not easy on the ear, but damn fine metal listening.
Number Nine: Alice Cooper – Along Came A Spider.
Vincent Furnier’s alter ego delivered a tasteful tale of murder and slaughter, all with his usual poignancy and evil take on life – who said the son of a preacher man couldn’t rock out.
Number Ten: AC/DC – Black Ice.
Much overdue DC provided us with a reminder as to what straight forward hard rockin’ is supposed to sound like. And this was it. More bluesier in some parts, and even with a singalong anthem in Anything Goes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
More batty action
Total Rock is reporting that Cancer Bats will support In Flames' Belfast Mandella Hall appearance on 23rd April...more soon
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Breaking Boundaries
Funeral for a Friend’s return to the tour circuit saw a genre defying line-up, but they kept their Welsh roots to the fore in the line-up with fellow countrymen Attack Attack opening to a sold-out Spring and Airbrake.
Their Jimmy-Eat-World tinged emo brought a few cheers although the crackly guitars and singalong choruses ultimately were too samey, both on the night and in terms of too many bands that sound the same.
Portadown’s In Case Of Fire were always guaranteed rousing local support, but the band’s sub-Muse panderings took too long to get going, and it was crowd favourite Parallels that finally saw them warm up and begin to really engage with the packed front rows.
Their experience of touring with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Ash is beginning to pay off for the trio, but the use of samples between songs only breaks the flow of the set.
Toronto’s Cancer Bats have no problem with engaging the crowd – from the unpretentious tuning of their own gear on stage through to the manic arrival of singer Liam Cormier they knew which part of the crowd they were playing. And that was the part swirling in the mosh pit as they kicked off with Let It Pour.
Cormier’s commitment to the cause ran to literally joining the crowd, held aloft crowd surfing, and from the middle of the crush at the front. Highlights were mainly from their most recent new album, with Lucifer’s Rocking Chair prompting old style headbanging. Set closer and album title track Hail Destroyer kicked off a manic pit and mass chanting. What the younger fans made off it was beyond saying as they tried to make it to the front amid flailing bodies.
Funeral for a Friend are accomplished performers; and they have been open about the sometimes dark journey that dogged periods of their career
Tonight the darkness was dispelled in what was a performance that owed as much to re-connecting with fans as to airing tracks off new album, Memory and Humanity.
From which there were a precious few – highlight being Maybe I Am.
This though, was as much about giving fans a tour through the back catalogue – reminding them why they became fans and why the band enjoy hitting the stage even in the darkest of times.
Matt Davies clearly was enjoying himself on stage in a well paced that ranged from the impassioned Juneau through the plaintive Your Revolution Is A Joke to hitting the audience with full-on version’s of She Drove Me To Daytime Television, and Novella.
They have shrugged off the emo/scremo tag, shrugged off the lighter moments off their last album to morph into a simply damn fine hard rock band; and a band that may be able to retain its fanbase when many contemporaries have fallen by the wayside.
As they left the stage with a powerful version of Escape Artists Never Die, Funeral for A Friend left contented and left the Belfast crowd eager for the Welsh band’s return.
Their Jimmy-Eat-World tinged emo brought a few cheers although the crackly guitars and singalong choruses ultimately were too samey, both on the night and in terms of too many bands that sound the same.
Portadown’s In Case Of Fire were always guaranteed rousing local support, but the band’s sub-Muse panderings took too long to get going, and it was crowd favourite Parallels that finally saw them warm up and begin to really engage with the packed front rows.
Their experience of touring with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Ash is beginning to pay off for the trio, but the use of samples between songs only breaks the flow of the set.
Toronto’s Cancer Bats have no problem with engaging the crowd – from the unpretentious tuning of their own gear on stage through to the manic arrival of singer Liam Cormier they knew which part of the crowd they were playing. And that was the part swirling in the mosh pit as they kicked off with Let It Pour.
Cormier’s commitment to the cause ran to literally joining the crowd, held aloft crowd surfing, and from the middle of the crush at the front. Highlights were mainly from their most recent new album, with Lucifer’s Rocking Chair prompting old style headbanging. Set closer and album title track Hail Destroyer kicked off a manic pit and mass chanting. What the younger fans made off it was beyond saying as they tried to make it to the front amid flailing bodies.
Funeral for a Friend are accomplished performers; and they have been open about the sometimes dark journey that dogged periods of their career
Tonight the darkness was dispelled in what was a performance that owed as much to re-connecting with fans as to airing tracks off new album, Memory and Humanity.
From which there were a precious few – highlight being Maybe I Am.
This though, was as much about giving fans a tour through the back catalogue – reminding them why they became fans and why the band enjoy hitting the stage even in the darkest of times.
Matt Davies clearly was enjoying himself on stage in a well paced that ranged from the impassioned Juneau through the plaintive Your Revolution Is A Joke to hitting the audience with full-on version’s of She Drove Me To Daytime Television, and Novella.
They have shrugged off the emo/scremo tag, shrugged off the lighter moments off their last album to morph into a simply damn fine hard rock band; and a band that may be able to retain its fanbase when many contemporaries have fallen by the wayside.
As they left the stage with a powerful version of Escape Artists Never Die, Funeral for A Friend left contented and left the Belfast crowd eager for the Welsh band’s return.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wednesday night in Belfast
They've been dubbed screamo, emo and even post-hardcore pop (seriously!) but as they move into a mature phase in their writing and performing Funeral for a Friend are proving that they are simply a damn good hard rock band.
Tonight they play at the Spring and Airbrake. Support comes from another genre-defying act, Cancer Bats, who have already played Belfast recently. Cancer Bats are one of the most underrated acts on the circuit at the moment, and their Hail Destroyer album could be the breakthrough platter they deserve.
Also on the line-up are Portadown's In Case of Fire and Attack Attack!
Tonight they play at the Spring and Airbrake. Support comes from another genre-defying act, Cancer Bats, who have already played Belfast recently. Cancer Bats are one of the most underrated acts on the circuit at the moment, and their Hail Destroyer album could be the breakthrough platter they deserve.
Also on the line-up are Portadown's In Case of Fire and Attack Attack!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Busy week of hard rock and metal ahead!
As if Saturday's awesome double bill of metal, when Dragonforce and Turisas laid waste to the crowd at the Mandella Hall, wasn't enough there's a helluva busy week of hard rock and metal ahead!
Tomorrow (Tuesday) Raging Speedhorn, backed by local noisenicks Residual Effect and Stand-Up Guy, blast the Bunkers.
On Wednesday, Funeral for a Friend (new darker, harder album out today), Cancer Bats, In Case of Fire, and Attack Attack are at the Spring and Airbrake.
And on Thursday The Answer play the same venue before heading off to support AC/DC on their Black Ice US tour!
Tomorrow (Tuesday) Raging Speedhorn, backed by local noisenicks Residual Effect and Stand-Up Guy, blast the Bunkers.
On Wednesday, Funeral for a Friend (new darker, harder album out today), Cancer Bats, In Case of Fire, and Attack Attack are at the Spring and Airbrake.
And on Thursday The Answer play the same venue before heading off to support AC/DC on their Black Ice US tour!
Monday, August 11, 2008
FFAF supports confirmed
As predicted earlier the support slots for Funeral for a Friend on 15th October at The Spring and Airbrake have been confirmed as Cancer Bats, In Case of Fire and Attack Attack.
Sounds like a competitive line-up to say the least...odds being laid already as to who will blow whom off the stage...
Sounds like a competitive line-up to say the least...odds being laid already as to who will blow whom off the stage...
Friday, July 04, 2008
Funereal support
It won't be wake when Funeral for A Friend play Belfast in October...as well as local hopefuls In Case of Fire playing support Cancer Bats will be on the line-up. All together now...HAIL DESTROYER!
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