Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats began in Toronto in 2004, when vocalist Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton set out to write music shaped by Entombed, Refused, Black Flag, Led Zeppelin and Down. Hardcore punk remains the core of the sound, but the heavy riffs and sheer weight pull it towards metal, giving the band an abrasive edge that never feels aimless. As of 2021 Cormier was the only original member still active, and the current line-up adds bassist and backing vocalist Jaye R. Schwarzer and guitarist Jackson Landry.

Birthing the Giant appeared in June 2006 through Distort Entertainment, with guest vocals from George Pettit of Alexisonfire. Hail Destroyer followed in April 2008, featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against and Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent, and earned the band a Kerrang! cover that May along with a 2008 Album of the Year nomination. They toured with Bullet for My Valentine and Funeral for a Friend, released Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones in 2010, and under the name Bat Sabbath toured Canada as a Black Sabbath tribute in 2011. Their most recent LP, Give Me Dirt, came out on 7 August 2026.