Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, CANCER is a depressing suicidal black metal band formed in 2016, releasing a debut EP titled "Terminal" that is heavily inspired by the current DSBM scene in general. The followup and debut LP is every bit as a downer as it is atmospheric. Abrasive guitars layered over one another, emotionally charged bellows of anguish and at times, slower riffage that hinges on doom metal, to balance out the standard higher tempo black metal sound. Melodies that possess you and grasp at your heart strings with a satisfying blend of vicious screams and layered clean vocals. It is not that easy in this genre to find clean vocals that work well with the sound, and CANCER excels at it. The album is equal parts emotionally charged, seething rage and overall melancholy and it would be something this reviewer recommends you avoid if you are feeling especially down.

"Ad Nauseam" opens the album with slow beats on the toms and crash, introducing some truly dizzyingly dissonant rifage, in between gut wrenching melodies. The torment continues with a downtempo chord progression that is layered very well on "Modus Operandi." An almost hardcore riff ensues, following with your standard tremolo picking expected from this kind of sound. Beautifully layered clean vocals leave an overall feeling of emptiness. It truly does exemplify their method of operation, all the elements present for a total Debbie Downer. "Aphersis" combines gorgeous atmospheric passages with chord progressions of pure dread. The contrast between John Pescod's well trained singing with extremely chaotic high screams is something that is felt in the soul.

"Shell Over Bone" is a seven minute journey through an oasis of wonderfully blended soundscapes that definitely have a progressive feel to them. Only to continue a frantic onslaught of classic black metal riffage, carry over same on another seven minute gem of dark metal, "Ouroboros." The album closes as bleak as it began, with lesser distorted guitars, soon bringing on the pain with layered, dissonant chords that fit the overall distressing feeling the 51 minute theater of destruction gives off. This band certainly stacks up to the likes of SHINING and LEVIATHAN. It is a release no DSBM enthusiast wants to miss.