Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats are a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. They form in 2004 and remain active. The group’s core members are Liam Cormier and Jaye R. Schwarzer, with Scott Middleton on guitar and Mike Peters on drums in the lineup described in their early years.

Style and influences

The band combines hardcore punk with southern rock and draws on a wide range of heavy metal styles. Their sound also includes punk rock and sludge metal elements. They are compared with 1990s metalcore acts such as Converge and Hatebreed. The band’s formation is shaped by influences including Refused, Black Flag, Led Zeppelin and Down.

Formation and early activity

Cancer Bats begin in May 2004, when vocalist Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, formerly of Toronto metal band At The Mercy Of Inspiration, start the project. Andrew McCracken joins on bass and Joel Bath on drums, forming the initial four-piece. The band records songs for a demo that is self-released in January 2005. Mike Peters later replaces Bath on drums, and the group plays shows across southern Ontario alongside acts including Every Time I Die, NORA, Alexisonfire, Haste the Day, It Dies Today, Bane, Comeback Kid, Buried Inside, Attack in Black, Misery Signals and This Is Hell.

Albums and releases

Cancer Bats release four studio albums and six extended plays. Their debut album, Birthing the Giant, is released in 2006 and produced by Canadian producer Gavin Brown. Their second studio album, Hail Destroyer, follows in 2008. Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones appears in 2010 through Distort Entertainment in Canada. The title uses the members’ nicknames: Mike as Bear, Scott as Mayor, Liam as Scraps and Jaye as Bones. Their fourth studio album, Dead Set on Living, is recorded in December 2011 and released in 2012 through Hassle Records in Europe, Distort Entertainment in Canada and Metal Blade Records in the United States.

Recognition and touring

After early critical attention, the band signs licensing deals with Hassle in the UK and Shock in Australia. They win Favourite Hardcore/Metal Group of the Year at the 2007 Indie Awards and Best Independent Video at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards. They tour across Canada in 2006, perform with NOFX and Silverstein, and appear at Rock The Mill festival.

Line-up changes

Andrew McCracken leaves the band to focus on his design company Doublenaut. Jason Bailey, formerly of Figure Four and Shattered Realm, fills the bass role for much of 2007 before Jaye R. Schwarzer joins. Schwarzer has previously played in Left Behind, Hope To Die, Minesweeper and Kover, and also performs with Reefer Cathedral alongside Scott Middleton.

Other appearances

The band appears on MTV Canada’s All Things Rock, where they host an edition of the programme and have a video played at the end of the show. They also take part in a short interview and a free CD release show at The Edge 102.1 (CFNY-FM) in June 2006.