Band:	Cancer Bats
Album:	Searching For Zero
Style:	Punk, Hardcore, Metalcore
Release date:	March 2015

01. Satellites
02. True Zero
03. Arsenic In The Year Of The Snake
04. Beelzebub
05. Devil's Blood
06. Cursed With A Conscience
07. All Hail
08. Buds
09. Dusted
10. No More Bull Shit

Why did Batman need mouthwash?

Because he had bat breath. *ba dum tsst!* The worst bat joke is out of the way, but you can expect a couple more, and they all suck - see, that's another one. Thankfully, Cancer Bats' new output blows much less.

Without ever being Joker-level schizophrenic, Malignant Tumour Flying Mammals never released an album that sounded too much like the previous. A few years ago, the Canadian combo surprised their bat-minions by adding sludge/stoner hypnotic gas pellets to their utility belts, and I'm happy to inform you that Searching For Zero grosso modo follows the same direction. One could say that the blending of both strands of the group's DNA is taken even further this time: a fuzzier production, Southern-style riffs and yelling infiltrated the band's signature hardcore. So far it almost borders on Mastodon territory in titles such as "Cursed With A Conscience" or on Black Sabbath* ground in "Beelzebub". There is but one purely hardcore punk track left, the explosive "All Hail," which is so close to flipping the powerviolence switch that it becomes tempting to just put it on repeat.

However, no matter how energetic and catchy this fifth effort is, I couldn't help but think it might be the bleakest of the formation's discography. Not just because the tempo is slower, but also because there is some kind of self-restraint - even in the most balls-to-the-wall pieces. As if the delivery of that violence were more calculated than before, as if the source of that auditory violence we're offered were actual pain, rather than just anger. Liam tearing his vocal cords apart, screaming "too many friends died this year" might be one of the best moments of this album. Although, some - myself included - might miss that punch that made Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones such an authentic and memorable album.

I'm still trying to decide whether I like this album because it is the most varied I've heard Cancer Bats be and showcases a surprisingly emotional and terrific vocal performance all throughout, or to dislike it because the songwriting just feels a bit too "easy", as if simply applying some sort of standardised sludge methodology.

Either way, Searching For Zero is more than deserving of the adjective "enjoyable" and will amply satisfy the fans who had already warmly welcomed the then-new sludge side of their favourite band's personality. Turn off the bat signal, Cancer Bats don't need no help. At least not much.




* Cancer Bats have toured with the legendary band under the "Bat Sabbath" moniker - which is hilarious - and one could see "Beelzebub" as hint at that persona as well as an homage to their idols.