Fuck me ‘Pray For Darkness’ is a tune. It kind of sums up this record for me; it’s one big snarling monster of a record that sounds fucking huge without sounding too slick. There are riffs everywhere and the growls of the lead singer are huge enough to send a shiver down your spine. ‘Hail Destroyer’ is a phenomenal album, one that just has amazing song after amazing song. It reminds me of the the Gallows album and if there’s any justice this record will do as equally well as ‘Orchestra of Wolves’ has.
There are many, many great songs on this record. ‘Regret’ and ‘Let It Pour’ are rollickingly refreshing, aggressive like a battering ram bashing your senses into submission. But beneath all the bluster is an emotional angst; it’s not fake, it’s very, very real. And it’s that raw emotion that not only makes Cancer Bats a passionate proposal in a live setting, but a vital one on record too. Not many bands manage to capture the essence of their live show on disc, but Cancer Bats have not only done it but surpassed it. This is a vital release and will certainly turn up in many ‘best ofs’ come the end of the year.