Canada’s CANCER BATS make their enthusiastic debut with Birthing the Giant. Describing themselves as a mix of “hardcore, southern metal and punk rock into a lethal rock and roll explosion,” the band play their music with the energy and passion of a band such as REFUSED. Vocalist Liam Cormier sounds like he’s totally stoked as he belts out his vocal lines. There’s plenty of groove and relatively short songs aimed at kicking your ass. The CANCER BATS also dish out hooks and catchy riffs that will get any crowd rockin. However, they just never attain that level of consistent high quality that would take them to the next level. Sure, all 11 tracks are uptempo and written to be as infectious as a MISFITS song, but Birthing the Giant is just not “there” yet. But there are plenty of people out there that will enjoy the album to its intended utmost. The CANCER BATS are surely better than most of the legions of trendy hardcore bands enjoying their two minutes of fame. If they can attain a stronger focus in terms of putting their energies into creating a solid, consistent album that fully utilizes their strong talents, the CANCER BATS will be at the top of their game. (Abacus Recordings)