CANCER BATS RELEASE ANIMATED VIDEO FOR “GATEKEEPER”

Cancer Bats have just released an animated video for their “relentless, raging and rocking” opening track “Gatekeeper”. Directed by Stevie Gee (steviegee.com) and written by Gee and Essy May, who both worked on Mastodon’s “Steambreather”, the super awesome 80s-inspired animated short, features motorbike-riding ghouls, a sorcerer and the motherf**king Cancer Bats performing in a crystal ball.

“Gatekeeper is one of the best tracks off the new album so I was so stoked to be making a video for it,” says Stevie Gee. “I’ve been wanting to make a goofball violent 80s cartoon for a while so I was super happy to do that for my friends, the Cancer Bats. Hail destroyer!”

On the video, lead vocalist Liam Joseph Cormier comments, “We are way too excited to release one of the greatest videos we have had the pleasure of being connected to. We cannot take any credit for it, STEVIE GEE is the creative mastermind behind the whole thing and HE DREW ALL OF IT!!”

Lifted from the bands critically-acclaimed sixth album, The Spark That Moves, “the song is about those people we have the misfortune of crossing paths with in our lives, who use lies schemes and deceit to make their way through this world,” says Cormier. “Everyone has a choice and its theirs to continue down this path that will never work out for them. They are the gate keepers to their own future.”

Choosing to forgo the traditional lead ups and teaser singles, Cancer Bats, with no forewarning, released their latest album The Spark That Moves in its entirety last Friday. Already becoming a critic and fan favourite, the album hit #4 on the iTunes Rock chart and has been streamed over 265,000 times on Spotify. The album is available through the band’s own record label Bat Skull Records in partnership withNew Damage Records in Canada and the US. Purchase or stream the album HERE.

The Spark That Moves follows the bands critically successful album Searching for Zero (2015), which landed Cancer Bats their fourth Juno Award nomination for Metal/Hard Music Album. Recorded in Winnipeg, MB, under the watchful eyes and ears of JP Peters (Propagandhi) at his studio Private Ear and mixed by long-time collaborator and award-winning producer Eric Ratz, (producer of Hail Destroyer, Bears Mayors Scraps & Bones and Dead Set On Living), The Spark That Moves is Cancer Bats at its finest.

Combining all of the elements from their last 5 releases, the 11 tracks that make up the album blend together the bands most melodic moments with their most aggressive, becoming a savage sprint of hardcore, punk, sludge, and metal that leaves the listener craving more. Drummer Mike Peters and lead bass player Jaye Schwarzer seamlessly collide together like two wild beasts, while guitarist Scott Middleton blasts his signature layers of squeals and destruction over top.

All of this thunderously led by singer Liam Cormier’s now fully formed melodic growl as he fires both positive, inspiring lyrics and scorching damnation as displayed on album opener “Gate Keeper”.

Without skipping a beat, they fire on track 2, “Brightest Days”, shifting back to a classic Bats positive party anthem. The record seamlessly keeps this pace of raw, catchy, anthemic, metal and punk. Halfway through it breathes with the melodic standout “Bed Of Nails”, a touch of desert rock they add into the mix before diving back into the chaos that is “Head Wound”. This pace continues right until the crushing album closer “Winterpeg”, an ode to the very city they recorded in, featuring guest vocals from Chris Hannah of the legendary Winnipeg punk band, Propagandhi.

Cancer Bats are currently on tour celebrating the 10^th anniversary of their acclaimed sophomore album Hail Destroyer. The band recently played two sold-out shows in Toronto and four sold-out shows in London, UK. Cancer Bats will return to Canada