I remember the anti-poser crusades of the ’80s metal scene. Underground thrashers declaring war on sanitized hair metal and guys that spent more time with mirrors than instruments. This was quite a defining moment of those days, with sides taken and lines drawn.
I think we need a new anti-poser crusade in the ’20s. Everywhere you look there are cosplay bands full of guys playing dress up, wearing masks and raiding the Spirit Halloween store for cheap makeup. A lot of these new-wave posers are supposedly in the harder sides of metal. I’m about as bored with monster bands wearing make-up as I can get. That brings us to CANCER CHRIST.
Here we have a guy playing dress-up as Jesus complete with blood and crown of thorns. He’s surrounded by dudes in reptile masks, who call themselves “snakes”. We have Piss Snake, Chain Snake, Apocalypse Snake…probably there’s a Hipster Snake and a Cheeto Snake in there as well. CANCER CHRIST see themselves as the second coming of Saint G.G. Allin, determined to drag Jesus and his followers through the sewer.
Thing is, it meant a hell of a lot more when G.G, did it 30 years ago. Hell, even MARILYN MANSON touched more of a nerve in his time than CANCER CHRIST does in 2024. Blasphemy is so 1998. And these guys are just so obvious with what they do….it’s as easy as shooting Christ in a barrel. Titles like ‘Baptized In Piss And Shit’, ‘God Hates Cops’ and the Butthead-approved ‘Jesus Got a Big Ol’ Cock’ are offensive to old ladies and kindergartners, but anybody familiar with the cover of Tomb Of The Mutilated or the videos of GORGORTH’s Polish show will likely just click their tongue and move on to the next band wearing masks and make-up. God knows there are enough of them out there.
Is there anything interesting in CANCER CHRIST’s music? It’s blasting punk-drunk crossover thrash with lots of speed and shouting and not an awful lot in the way of memorable riffs. It gets old quick, even with the addition of electronic squelching noises that show at least one of the Snakes has got a MERZBOW album in his catalogue.
Yeah, as hard and fast and blasphemous as it is, CANCER CHRIST is basically poser music. Time to start a new crusade…
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
CANCER CHRIST
God Is Violence
Seeing Red Records