Bio-Cancer - Revengeance - Metal Epidemic

Bio-Cancer – Revengeance
Release Date: 8th September 2023
Label: Hammerheart Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Thrash, Melodeath.
FFO: Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Kreator.
Review By: Mark Young

And more thrash! Bio-Cancer wear their influences on their battle vests and with their third full length they move beyond these with a storming collection of modern thrash metal, given a Death Metal veneer. Hammerheart Records have something special on their hands, no doubt about it.

Citizen…Down! begins in a typically urgent manner, trem picking and double bass as you like it, that explodes into a more Death Metal attack than traditional thrash bands of before. It is a pretty effective fusing of both styles with more of a nod to Death than thrash if I’m honest. And this is in no way a bad thing, taking from your influences and pushing them through a personal filter is the only way to go. As starting tracks, it’s a banger. Everything is in place – bottom end when required, solo breaks, and that superb mix of genres that means it’s not derivative of what has come from before. 44 Days in Hell picks the baton up via a touch of Swedish Melodeath and is a ripper, urgent riffing and drums on full bore. Brilliant stuff that doesn’t let up and despite its 6-minute length it doesn’t feel like it at all. And there’s more, as Footprints on My Back has no intention of letting you catch a breath, bringing in opening triples you will hear this year. Some cracking riffs. It’s full on, full speed and just screams along, giving us one of the best

Title track Revegeance dials in a bit more of that classic thrash style without sounding old hat. Possibly the greatest compliment I could pay is that this could sit comfortably with some of the classics of yesteryear, it hits that well. There is a freshness and vitality on display here as we are now at half-way point, I’m confident that they can maintain it for the second half.

Dream Merchants comes in and dismisses any fears I might have that they blew themselves out. It comes to mind of being the same method of attack as At the Gates, that synchronicity between instruments and vocal attacks. It just absolutely flies and live, this would be something else, especially when they bring the hammer down for a thrash out with harmony guitars that are just pure 1986 and then top that off with some over-the-top solo breaks that evoke a ‘YES’ moment. It’s just brilliant. Swiping Life Away wisely opts for a more measured attack in the initial start and then its ‘Fuck it’ as the pedal is pushed to the floor, taking us to the closing duo of Underdog (Against the Odds) and Bludgeoning Skullcrushing Mayhem. Can you guess how they play out? Well, Underdog just takes a huge grab from the bag of ‘What makes metal great’ and puts it all together in a 5-minute and 57-second battering. You might be able to take it.

I am running out of ways to say it…but this rules.

It has something for everyone, apart from those who lean into slow, doom. The final track, Bludgeoning Skullcrushing Mayhem takes the intensity displayed at the start and says ‘We can go harder’ so they do. They take no prisoners, none at all.

So, in trying to find anything remotely negative with this, I really can’t. The vocal style won’t be for everyone, but so what? They have lived up to the press release with this album, and you should start paying attention because this should be regarded as one of the best releases this year.