First
off let’s get this out of the way, I absolutely love this band, they are one of
the best live bands in the world and on record they have never disappointed me.
That being said I have been strangely anxious about this release. The band have
been on somewhat of a roll since the release of Dead Set on living they
are now more popular than ever, add this to the fact that they are working with
Ross Robinson, and I couldn't help but wonder if this would this lead to a
diluted product and pandering to gain commercial acceptance?
Thankfully
the answer is no, the band have clearly recorded the kind of album they wanted
to make, the album feels cathartic at times, anyone familiar with his work will
know this is something producer Ross Robinson specialises at, he really knows
how to get you to tap into that emotion, there has been a lot of loss and pain
for the cancer bats recently and this album feels for want of a better term
necessary.
How
does it sound? Well on a personal level this is everything I wanted from a
Cancer Bats album, massive riffs and skin peeling aggression. It’s
not revolutionary, there’s no re-inventing the wheel here, it’s more about
honing what was already there taking the best out of albums like Dead set
on living and merging them with the Sabbath Worship of the EP Bat-Sabbath,
if you are already a fan then you will love this.
Most
of you will of heard the albums lead track and most accessible tune Satellites,
a fast tempo number with an immediately catchy vocal hook that you just know is
going to absolutely slay live, but there’s a lot more on display here, there’s
catharsis of Arsenic year of the snake paying tribute to the
losses of 2014 and the Sabbath influence of tracks like Beelzebub and Buds which
are both huge moments especially Beelzebub which is an absolute BEAST of
a tune, then there’s the faster tempo numbers like the raging Devils
Blood which comes at you like a freight train and the brutal burst of
energy that is All Hail, a track that smashes into you, rips
your face off and leaves you laying on the floor wondering what in the blue
hell just happened.
Ultimately Searching for Zero sounds
like an album recorded for the bands existing fan base, whilst it does not feel
particularly expansive or the kind of thing likely to bring in new fans who
have been sitting on the fence, there is enough here for this album to be able
to stand on its own merit alongside the bands back catalogue, if you
already buy into this kind of music there’s a lot on offer here, big grooves,
memorable riffs and enough aggression to floor a rhino.
7/10
Listen
to Beelzebub
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