ALBUM REVIEW: Cancer – Shadow Gripped

Here I review the new album of Death Metal titans CANCER released via Peaceville Records!

1. Down The Steps opens with bleak guitars and slower drum patterns, setting a beautifully dismal atmosphere. The tasteful chugging of guitars soon join us for an avalanche of brutality that really packs a punch, using amazing production to accentuate every section of the band. The vocals are gruesomely glorious and incredibly well performed. This song really drives the nail in and shows the band are still on top form. An excellently grisly and perfectly balanced opening song with grinding riffs and pummelling drums to spare!
2. Garrotte was released prior to the album, thus I have listened to this track many more times than anything else. The morbid muted riffs absolutely slay while the intricate drums guide everything along perfectly. The vocals are more aggressive and the pace is much more upbeat and in your face than the previous track. I absolutely adore this song and its barrage of brutality that really is so perfectly put together! A furious masterpiece that is really catchy in the darkest possible way. The solos are really smooth with a truly soulful essence to them before shredding mania begins. Another fantastic piece.
3. Ballcutter (feat. Anders Nystrom) brings more doomy riffs, chaotic patterns of Death Metal with so much bite ensue with full throttle. The violent assault of this piece is absolutely astounding and really enjoyable. This is some truly epic Death Metal that really catches you off guard with its sheer attack, letting the music speak volumes to the bands with its more primal aggression that is incredibly well written and performed. A true headbanging soundtrack right here with a chorus you cannot help but join in on and some really nice technical guitar work too!
4. Organ Snatcher is a violent attack from the off, bringing groovy menace right into the foreground of the album. The crawling pace of the song is absolutely epic with such a harshly morbid feel to it that I am immediately immersed in the patterns of the intricately woven piece. The drums on this piece stand out with uniquely paced beats that are so perfectly timed and executed. The more laid back guitar solo really did a great job of adding to the song without taking away from the monstrous momentum, which is what a good solo should do. Great stuff!
5. The Infocidal hammers in with mental drums, thrashing riffs and just so much ferocity. I love it. This track from the off is just mosh pit fuel, evidently invigorating chaos to just create some maniacal Death Metal. The tremolo riffs are so damn groovy and mesmerising, on true Old School Death Metal form they just take you into this world of cascading brutality. The Bolt Thrower vibe to this track was absolutely incredible and I received it really well. The lyrics on this were stunningly written too. Incredible!
6. Half Man Half Beast opens in gladiatorial style with epic orchestral sections that sound huge and ready for battle! I really liked that touch. The more hard attack of Death Metal soon follows with rejuvenated ferocity. The guitar leads soar over the absolutely gorgeous rhythm riffs before going into a dismal grind of menacing tones. The drums once more are perfectly punctuating every section while the vocals are timed to really make a punch. This was an absolutely classic track that I think will really resonate with me for a while.
7. Crimes So Vile follows up with rich tones, driving riffs and so much melody that the piece seems to truly soar. The songwriting and ability to make all of these diverse tracks work so well together on an album is truly impressive, everything has flowed together with a really natural and organic feeling. This track soon descends back into furious assaults that are just so perfectly heavy and crushingly dismal but in a really enjoyable, well performed manner. Another fantastic song that truly encompassed the old school Death Metal vibe to perfection, plus lyrically it is a very fascinating track too, so listen carefully!
8. Thou Shalt Kill fires right in again with gnarly riffs, reading to tear your head off. The drums blast away with such precision that the intimidating force of the piece really knock you off guard. The menacingly chanted vocals are hypnotic to me while everything else is just flusteringly brutal and just brilliantly played. This song is just packed with such vitriolic aggression and I loved that. There were some more dissonant sections that were unsettlingly great and just so much variety within this individual track, but most importantly it all worked well together. Truly fantastic.
9. Shadow Gripped really brings things in without any holds barred with this one yet again. The grisly attack is just completely monolithic, with huge soundscapes creating a wall of Death Metal macabre that hits you right where it should. The more doomy sections within this piece are totally crushing with a simplicity that then accentuates the faster sections beautifully. There is plentiful melody and more laid back sounds within this song that allow us to take a rest, of sorts, before the final track which will presumably be just as heavy as ever. Another well paced, patient and totally decimating piece of music!
10. Disposer is the finale of this excellent record, sadly. Starting off with slow burn riffs, thunderously punchy drums and a more sombre feel to the vocals, things feel like they are being drawn out nicely. The more bleak vibes really haunting and chilling while setting the closure of the album up perfectly. The spoken word vocals are really eerie too, perfectly adding to this grisly haunt of a piece. All of this abruptly changes as if the band said “nope, lets decimate the listener one more time with Death Metal”. I am incredibly glad though, it is a fine last bout of ferocity from the band with some killer lyrics and musicianship, a blistering solo and a truly gracious feeling of closure.

Cancer are back, with what I think is one of their strongest records to date. I love the mixed up aggression, groove and dismally dark vibes this album had throughout. Overall it packed a tight punch full of emotive mayhem and just totally delivered the goods. Wonderfully put together album that all old school Death Metal fans need to check out! -8.5/10