One of the early entries in the UK death metal scene, Cancer established a presence through their early 90s efforts like To the Gory End and Death Shall Rise – the latter featuring ex-Death/Obituary guitarist James Murphy. Now migrating to Spain since 2022, only vocalist/guitarist John Walker remains from those beginning days – yet the band’s seventh studio album Inverted World sounds as timeless as ever. The group’s down to earth, blue-collar approach to the genre keeps the songwriting gritty, serving up ten tracks of primitive riffs, energetic diversity in terms of a rhythm section backbone, as well as discernible yet chilling growls that keep underground hordes more than satisfied.
Earth shattering rhythms as mid-paced delivery surrounded by savage drumming are key ingredients to the effective hooks the band execute cut by cut. Even when the band choose to transition into half-time measures, they soon follow things up with the adequate pummeling next riff or double kick uplift – “Until They Died” an early example of both aspects at play as the song unfolds, the lead break containing Latin cultural aspects next to a bevy of neoclassical licks and shred fury. John’s deliberate nature in certain songs give his vocals added dynamic tension – the title track as well as frantic meets militant juxtaposed “Covert Operations” two forays into his distinctive phrasing and wise choices for melodies. There’s a keen sense of groove amidst all the songs – penetrating in that circular UK manner that keeps a track like “39 Bodies” top of mind, ‘dressed up for suicide’ an interesting metaphor that sets the ensuing storyline up morbidly next to the musical foundation. “When Killing Isn’t Murder” has that doom-oriented start that sucks you in, before the avalanche up and down riffs next to another fluid drum performance sends bodies hurtling into space.
Seven years beyond their last album Shadow Gripped, Cancer align themselves in a tried-and-true death metal platform that may not distinguish them from the pack – yet gets the job done. Inverted World delivers aggressive, hook-laden death metal in a classic way, and we all know plenty of listeners young to old that will succumb to the maturity of this hard-hitting record.