Cancer Bats Release Official Music Video for Give Me Dirt

Release Details and Production

The release of the "Give Me Dirt" title track video coincides with the global launch of the eighth studio album from Cancer Bats. Formed in 2004, the band is releasing the project via Bat Skull Records in partnership with New Damage Records in Canada, and through Marshall Records for the rest of the world. The music video was directed by Mitch Barnes, who previously collaborated with the group on the visual clips for the singles "Stay Stuck" and "Long Tooth."

The album serves as the follow-up to the band's 2022 Juno-nominated record, Psychic Jailbreak. To capture their most "sonically inspiring" work to date, the band worked with legendary producer Kurt Ballou (known for his work with Converge and High On Fire) and Zach Weeks at GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts. Vocal tracks were recorded by Ian Romano at Camera Varda Studios in Welland, Ontario. The recording features the current four-piece lineup: lead vocalist Liam Cormier, drummer Mike Peters, bassist Jaye Schwarzer, and guitarist Jackson Landry, who joined the band in 2023 as the successor to Scott Middleton.

Creative Process and Natural Themes

The songwriting for Give Me Dirt was a collaborative effort, with all four members jamming in the same room to lock in the grooves, breakdowns, and riffs. This approach was a carryover lesson from their previous album, focusing on full collaboration to find "the real magic." Following these sessions, Cormier developed the lyrics and vocal hooks in rural Nova Scotia. The environment played a significant role in the writing process, as many songs took shape on winding dirt bike trails, dusty forest roads, and while brewing coffee on secluded beaches along the North Shore.

Thematic elements of the record were inspired by a year of travel, including motorcycle journeys through the Canadian Rockies and a transformative trip through the mountains of Nepal conducted just before recording began. These experiences grounded the album in a deep connection to nature, exploring the transition away from urban life, processing personal loss, and witnessing environmental devastation.

Handmade Visual Identity

In response to the prevalence of digital tools, Cormier opted for a tactile approach to the album's visual presentation. He created a massive four-foot-by-eight-foot mixed-media painting for the front and back covers, utilizing materials such as paint, paper, stencils, and drywall mud. A second large-scale piece was produced for the liner notes, featuring collages and handwritten lyrics.

"So many people I find are so sick of A.I. these days and all things that look too polished. I wanted the artwork to capture the energy of the album but also represent us as a band, we are rough and dirty, our sound is loud and a mix of so many influences. Making art like this felt like such a good visual representation of not only the songs, but also CANCER BATS ourselves."

— Liam Cormier

Musical Direction and Track Listing

While the band is primarily recognized for Hardcore Punk, Give Me Dirt continues to blend these roots with sludge-rock and Southern Rock influences. Critics have described the new material as holding true to the band's principle of making music that is "raw, rambunctious and, most importantly, real." The album ranges from the "caffeine overdose" of "Stay Stuck" to the "psycho-doom" of the finale.

The album features several guest contributors, including Nate Newton, Chris Creswell, Brooklyn Doran, and Efrem Schulz. There are minor discrepancies in track titles between sources; for instance, the fourth track is listed as "Bright Eyes Of Gold" in some documentation and "Bright Eyes Of God" in others, while the final track is referred to as both "Fool Like You" and "Fools Like You."

Give Me Dirt track listing:

• 01. World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)

• 02. Stay Stuck

• 03. Don't Trip

• 04. Bright Eyes Of Gold / Bright Eyes Of God (feat. Chris Creswell)

• 05. Give Me Dirt

• 06. Long Tooth (feat. Brooklyn Doran)

• 07. Speed Wizard

• 08. Ocean Crash

• 09. Positive Grid

• 10. Prognosis

• 11. Fool Like You / Fools Like You (feat. Efrem Schulz)

Context

Since their 2006 debut Birthing The Giant, Cancer Bats have been known for eschewing polished metalcore in favor of a sound built from "rough edges and broken bones." Now 20 years into their career, the band continues to operate outside the mainstream metal grain. Give Me Dirt is considered one of their heaviest recordings, with tracks like "Don't Trip" featuring riffs reminiscent of Poison Idea and "Speed Wizard" blending doom-core with Black Flag-inspired fuzz.