Cancer Bats - Dead Set On Living review
| Band: | Cancer Bats |
| Album: | Dead Set On Living |
| Style: | Punk, Hardcore, Metalcore |
| Release date: | April 16, 2012 |
| A review by: | Doc G. |
01. R.A.T.S.
02. Bricks And Mortar
03. Road Sick
04. Breathe Armageddon
05. Dead Set On Living
06. The Void
07. Old Blood
08. Drunken Physics
09. Bastards
10. Rally The Wicked
11. New World Alliance
It's strange, a band does something to make you love them, then they go and do the exact opposite with the next release, and yet it sounds just as great, if not better. That's right ladies and gentlemen, your favourite hardcore band is back for what feels essentially like a rejuvenated re-working of their last album, Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones.
Here's where things differ - B.M.S&B was a rough edged album that homogeneously combined a bit of that southern rock-tinged sludgy stoner metal with some modern hardcore. This time around, those two sides of the band are almost held completely separate from one another. Granted, the heart and soul of the beast is still essentially the same as last time. It's still hard, dirty, sharp and aggressive, but instead of having a distinctly sludged-out undertone to the whole thing, it feels like there's the sludge-stoner moments, then the hardcore moments.
When it comes right down to it, Dead Set On Living feels distinctly more like hardcore punk this time around, more along the lines of something like Comeback Kid interspersed with a bunch of southern-fried stoner riffs. This may come as a disappointment to some, but worry not, a fair exchange has been made! A simpler approach makes for what is probably Cancer Bats most aggressive album to date. The type of album that will leave you gnawing on half your keyboard whilst using some form of instantaneous osmosis to insert the other half into your skull.
What does this all add up to for you knuckle-draggers who have naught the keen perceptual intellect of one such as myself? Probably not a whole lot, so I'll state things in a succinct language you'll all understand. Dead Set On Living = Bears Mayors Scraps & Bones.
Comments
| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Listened to the Cancer Bats loads of times to find out what makes them so special for Doc. Also listened to this one many a time and still nothing special at all. A 6 would be the score I'd give this.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Kwis Posts: 133  |
Cancer Bats are a type of band I normally wouldn't give 2 figs about, but for some reason they are one of the few hardcore bands I listen to. Their energy is so catchy.
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| Zealot644 Posts: 157  |
Whoah, was not aware they had a new album out o.O Will definitely be looking this up now...Love these guys.
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| Dogsbreakfast Posts: 33  |
I heard these guys at Heavy TO last year (I think it was last year!) and they impressed me with their live performance but their album (Hail Destroyer) didn't have the same impact. While I found some great tunes and high intensity, I didn't see much diversity. I'm still going to check this one out. If I can judge the book by its cover, perhaps they put all of their creative energy into the music and had nothing left over for the artwork.
---- dogsbreakfast@hotmail.com
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Branzig Posts: 891  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.04.2012 at 12:38 Yep, agreed. I'd give it a 4.5 myself. But that is a biased, bigotry score 
---- In Grind We Crust
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| Absak Posts: 189  |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Cancer Bats have always struck me as an MTV punk band and I doubt this album will change my perception. They did a few shows here a couple years ago and the only people who enjoyed them were the hardcore-dancing scene kids. Not that I judge the band based on their fan base, but it wasn't really a surprise seeing the "alternative" kids kicking and punching the air when these guys performed.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.04.2012 at 05:51 MTV punk band?...I suppose if you judge entirely on some bands they've toured with, because their metal elements (especially with their more recent albums) are a lot stronger than the punk elements. When I saw them it was a bit of a mix in the crowd, there was a bit of hardcore slam dancing, but not nearly as much as I anticipated. It was mostly just regular dudes that didn't really fit into your "alt kid" or "metal head" type image.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9181  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.04.2012 at 05:51 Those are the kids you roundhouse while in the mosh. D:< But seriously, this is a good band/album Get off your kvlt throne 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Doc G. on 12.04.2012 at 03:17 Maybe MTV metal band then. I dunno, they've always struck me as this kind of "punk for the masses" project. :/ I know you love them and I'm not trying to attack you for that in any way, I just really fail to see what's really metal about these guys.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9181 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.04.2012 at 16:15 There really isn't anything metal, maybe some alternative or metalcore vibes, but it's still good music,
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| Absak Posts: 189 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 12.04.2012 at 23:32 How bout them sludge/southern/stoner/watchamacallit groove laden moments? Either way, I don't care how you label these guys, I like it regardless.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.04.2012 at 05:51 Listening to this right now, I like it. I understand those who don't... But I definitely do not see anything here that says "MTV". I also want to add that Comeback Kid rules.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9181 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 30.05.2012 at 18:28 Written by X-Ray Rod on 30.05.2012 at 18:28  uughh, you're like my sister in 19 year old man form. She listens to every mediocre hardcore band under the sun, talks with them on Twitter, looks at show pictures, and worst of all, plays their music. The stuff that she shows me from each band all sounds the same, and it's just boring as fuck. The worst part is that she got it from me listening to teh Cancer Bats >>
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.05.2012 at 22:04 Ehmmm... No, Comback Kid is pretty nice, dynamic and well done hardcore. I don't find nothing mediocre about them. Shut the hell up kiddo. Nice try though, specially with that meme picture, didn't see it coming at all!
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9181 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 30.05.2012 at 22:29 I wasn't refering to exactly just the one band (which I haven't heard) but I just know thats one of the bands she listens too. I don't know, just felt like ranting about my fucking sister, sorry if ou took offense
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.05.2012 at 23:58 You can rant about your sis, but it felt like you were comparing with her. Comeback Kid is a great band actually, I'm still surprised she doesn't like Converge though, what a shame.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9181 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 31.05.2012 at 00:02 Naw, she just think's shes a musical god because she listens to demo's and stuff that isn't mainstream, and it pisses me off. Anyway, Converge is awesome.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 30.05.2012 at 18:28 They obviously don't receive the same kind of promotion outside of North American (or, most likely, outside of Canada), so it's natural a resident of Sweden wouldn't understand a comparison to MTV punk. My statement still stands though - Cancer Bats don't offer anything that hasn't already been done better.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18389 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 31.05.2012 at 01:11 Well, we can just agree to disagree then. Not exactly in the "hasn't been done before" because I've heard this stuff before. But I do think these guys do it pretty good.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Darkside Momo Retired Elite Posts: 9089  |
I can't understand the hate this band gets. They're not teh bestest band evaaa but they do have so viciously catchy riffs on this album for sure. And they're quite kickass live.
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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