Cancer Bats '09 Destruction Plans

After touring Europe and Canada a few times over this past year, southern Ontario's heaviest purveyors of punk metal mayhem, Cancer Bats, plan on taking it easy in 2009... Oh, who are we kidding: they'll be hitting the road yet again and will write the follow-up to 2008's sophomore release, Hail Destroyer.

"At this point, 2009 is booked really solid," says frontman Liam Cormier. "Actually, we're taking January off to start writing a new record, and that's our welcome break. But as of the start of February, we plan to be on tour for at least four months."

The band doesn't yet have a firm plan regarding how a new Cancer Bats record might sound, but Cormier figures it could signal yet another slight change from their previous opus. This will be the first occasion where new bassist (for the past year, anyway) Jaye Schwarzer will be fully involved in the songwriting process.

"I've been writing a lot of lyrics on tour and we have a lot of ideas," says Cormier. "But for us, it comes down to when we're jamming together. The four of us are going to be writing, so we'll see how it goes."

After yet another successful foray into the U.K. and Europe, Cancer Bats will finish this year with shows in their native land before hitting the U.S. and eventually returning to the U.K. again in the early part of 2009 opening for In Flames.

"Touring has been our lives for the past three years solid," says Cormier. "Even when we have extended periods of time at home and we're not working, everyone is really antsy to get back out.

"It's funny because we all get along. These guys are my best friends, so even when we're not on tour we're still hanging out in Toronto, which is cheesy. My girlfriend was making fun of us because we spend 300 days a year together on the road, and on our days off we always call each other up to hang out."

Spend your holidays with the Bats, Holly Springs Disaster and Polar Bear Club (and other bands where noted):

Dec. 17 Ottawa, ON @ Babylon
Dec. 18 Montreal, QC @ Underworld
Dec. 19 Kingston, ON @ Time To Laugh Comedy Club
Dec. 20 London, ON @ Rumrunners w/Baptized In Blood, Knife Party
Dec. 21 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club Theatre w/Barn Burner, Dead And Divine