» Blog Archive Live Review: Cancer Bats in Amarillo, Texas! -
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Cancer Bats

When: July 13th, 2015

Where: Friendz Bar/Zombie Burger

Who:
Cosby, Pills, and Hash (working title)
Never The Victim
MOTHERFUCKING GARTHOK
Cancer Bats

Alright, so a day of travelling after this weekend and the It Takes Guts Tour (Child BIte, King Parrot, Superjoint), I still had a thing to do. And that thing was Cancer Bats.

As their tour with Danzig and Pennywise has kicked off, I was lucky enough to live only about an hour and a half from a side date for them, no big names other than CB, so hell yeah I am going! The venue, a combination bar/greasy burger joint, it was perfect. It was a small bar date, with a stage in the front left corner, a full bar, a small door through which you order a damn fine burger (King of Burgers, double everything, with the old fashion diner fries. DO IT.), and I am all set for the evening!

I arrived promptly around 7, got seated after ordering, and began the wait for the first band to set up. That was closer to 8, so I just took in all the ambiance. And calories. So many calories.

2015-07-13 19.40.53

After a fast and nasty soundcheck, the first group kicked off:

2015-07-13 20.31.07
Cosby, Pills, and Hash
A younger band, not fully matured in it’s own idea, they nonetheless proceeded to get the room warmed up with a frantic deathmetal/core style that was vicious, technical, but still very much blooming. They have a rough and fast sound, backed by a young drummer who was blowing away most seasoned guys behind the kit. Coupled with a guitarist who deftly handled the frets (no bassist as of the show), they were a new powerhouse that I was quite happy to have witnessed. The first song was a bit loose on form and cohesion, but as would be the theme, they warmed up very quickly, tightened up, and absolutely shredded the collective venue’s face off.

2015-07-13 21.14.09
Never The Victim
Second on the bill, Never the victim was a bit more core style than CPAH, and probably, to me and my opinion, the least impressive. THey played well, had some cool licks, and the singer nailed the feel of the genre, but I just didn’t feel any life from the performance. Again, just opinion on my part, which is why I am writing this, but I’m also not overly partial to the genre. They handled themselves, the music, and the small stage very well, I just wasn’t caught in the ebb and flow. I would definitely stay and watch if they were on another show I was at.

2015-07-13 21.59.30
MOTHERFUCKING Garthok
Southern doomer sludge! Casting aside the earlier shred fest, we have MOTHERFUCKING GARTHOK who brought the fuzz and riff in spades. THey rumbled and riffed, not even pausing to call out the song titles, simply crushing us with tides of heavy blues and fuzzy southern flair. Again, little loose, finding their rhythm in the first song, but became a 4×4 ripping down the backroads of the soul by the second piece and beyond. Definitely a good showing!

2015-07-13 22.57.20
CANCER BATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, ever since I saw the video for Pneumoniahawk, and their cover of Sabotage (Beastie Boys, of course), I fell in love. Their tours have taken them far and wide from me, so when they started their current tour with Danzig and Pennywise, and had a side show only an hour and a half from me, HELL YEAH I AM GOING. After getting flayed by some excellent openers, the heavens opened, and the metal punks from the frozen north opened up with that raucous sound they are known for. Sadly, not being familiar with everything in their back catalog, I only recognized a few awesome tracks: Sabotage, Trust No One. THese two tracks made my night!

Having forgotten my hearing protection, sometimes I could not hear Liam Cormier serenade my soul, so I couldn’t tell you what was what, unless I recognized a guitar section. I know, I have failed my one true love… But once Trust No One’s sick harmonics kicked in, my spirits jumped the fuck up to like 12. They were clear, you could hear every note from either Scott Middleton (guitar) blazing away with probably the sickest green haze guitar, or Jaye R. Schwarzer (bass) absolutely disturbing the foundation with those gnarly bass throbs. And again, forgetting my ear plugs, I really did lose something to the progressively passionate poundings of their percussionist, Mike Peters. For real, he beat his kit like it owed him money and wasted his time.

If you have a chance to see what these guys can bring to you, seize it with both hands! Remaining tour dates are here!

Grab their newest, Searching for Zero, on iTunes, Amazon, and their Webstore!

*Note: All pics were taken on an old iPhone 5S, and the lens is weird with no issues that anyone can find. This will be rectified soon, so no worries!

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