Cancer Bats Give Me Dirt
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Cancer Bats's Give Me Dirt lands as a raw, high-energy collection that leans into metal-infused riffs, sludge-rock heft and the band's hardcore roots with palpable urgency. Across three professional reviews the record earned a 68.33/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to an album that trades polish for gr
The best song is the opener because its swirling, suffocating guitars and climate-change reflection make it the album’s most immediate statement.
The album’s core strength is its raw, bare-bones production, but execution is uneven across tracks.
Best for listeners looking for raw hardcore punk and sludge-rock, starting with Stay Stuck and Don't Trip.
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Full consensus notes
Cancer Bats's Give Me Dirt lands as a raw, high-energy collection that leans into metal-infused riffs, sludge-rock heft and the band's hardcore roots with palpable urgency. Across three professional reviews the record earned a 68.33/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to an album that trades polish for grit while delivering several standout moments that validate the approach.
Critics consistently praise the ferocious opener “World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)” and the bruising title cut “Give Me Dirt”, with frequent nods to “Don't Trip” and “Ocean Crash” as best songs on the record. Reviewers note Kurt Ballou's stripped-back production foregrounds Liam Cormier's urgent vocals and wrenching guitar tones, so the themes of nature versus urban ruin, climate disaster and touring-born storytelling come through as lived-in, immediate material. Praise centers on the album's relentless aggression, authenticity and moments of sludge-drenched catharsis that recall the band's fiercest work.
At the same time professional reviews acknowledge uneven execution: DIY flags stretches that feel laboured, and some critics wish for tighter sequencing or more consistent hooks. Still, across the reviews the consensus suggests Give Me Dirt is worth hearing for fans who prize raw hardcore punk and visceral songwriting rather than reinvention. For those asking whether Give Me Dirt is good, the critical consensus points to a record with thrilling highs, a few rough edges, and enough standout tracks to make it a must-listen for the faithful and curious alike.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Stay Stuck
1 mention
"Stay Stuck" is a caffeine overdose in sonic form"— Blabbermouth
Don't Trip
1 mention
"Don't Trip" is a fiery exercise in adrenalin-sodden brute force"— Blabbermouth
World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)
2 mentions
"World Wild Fire Dance Race, featuring Give Me Dirt producer Kurt Ballou’s Converge bandmate Nate Newton, this reflection on climate change has guitars that swirl around the listener like thick, suffocating smoke"— Kerrang!
World Wild Fire Dance Race, featuring Give Me Dirt producer Kurt Ballou’s Converge bandmate Nate Newton, this reflection on climate change has guitars that swirl around the listener like thick, suffocating smoke
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)
Stay Stuck
Don't Trip
Bright Eyes of Gold (feat. Chris Cresswell)
Give Me Dirt
Long Tooth (feat. Brooklyn Doran)
Speed Wizard
Ocean Crash
Positive Grid
Prognosis
Fools Like You (feat. Efrem Schulz)
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
Cancer Bats sound as ragged and punishing as ever on Give Me Dirt, and the best songs on Give Me Dirt prove why. The fiery “Don't Trip” and the bruising title cut “Give Me Dirt” supply some of the heaviest moments the band have recorded, combining sludge, doom and hardcore into a thrilling, barbaric roar. This is a record that wears its scars proudly and still sounds like a four-piece with nothing to prove but everything to unleash.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are raw production, relentless riff-driven sludge, and uncompromising hardcore energy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Cancer Bats have bottled grit and determination on Give Me Dirt, and the best tracks - particularly “World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)” and “Ocean Crash” - do the album’s nature-driven fury the most justice. James Hickie’s prose is punchy and visceral, noting how the opener’s guitars “swirl around the listener like thick, suffocating smoke”, and how “Ocean Crash” builds into a guttural, seawater-surging chorus. That combination of primal force and lived-in substance makes these songs the standout tracks on Give Me Dirt, their intensity serving the record’s thematic core. The album’s production and performances keep the band’s two decades of mayhem sounding immediate and alive.
Key Points
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The best song is the opener because its swirling, suffocating guitars and climate-change reflection make it the album’s most immediate statement.
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The album’s core strengths are its primal intensity, thematic focus on nature, and concise, visceral songwriting honed over two decades.
Themes
Critic's Take
Cancer Bats sound like a band attempting to strip back to basics on Give Me Dirt, and when it works it really lands; the reviewer's voice finds the bare-bones punches recall their best. The criticism is blunt and specific, noting moments that deliver the throat-punch energy fans want while also flagging stretches that feel laboured. This assessment frames the best songs as those that channel raw hardcore force, and explains why tracks with that immediate impact stand out among more uneven attempts.
Key Points
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The best songs are those that harness the band’s stripped-back, explosive hardcore energy.
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The album’s core strength is its raw, bare-bones production, but execution is uneven across tracks.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a candid, conversational tone that mirrors the interview, Cancer Bats' Give Me Dirt comes off as a scrappy, authentic record born from travel, nature and lived experience. The reviewer leans into the visceral stories behind songs like “Stay Stuck” and “Don't Trip”, noting how jet lag and a near-death motorcycle ride fed the best songwriting. Overall, the piece frames the best tracks on Give Me Dirt as immediate, experiential snapshots that reward listeners seeking rawness and sincerity.
Key Points
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The best song, exemplified by 'Stay Stuck', channels authentic creativity born of jet lag and intuitive flow.
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The album's core strengths are its human texture, nature-inspired themes, and scrappy, tactile artistry.
Themes
Critic's Take
Cancer Bats on Give Me Dirt sound like veterans still having fun, the record roaring with mean riffs and urgency. The reviewer singles out “World Wild Fire Death Race (feat. Nate Newton)”, “Stay Stuck” and the title track “Give Me Dirt” as highlights, noting the title track has been on repeat. Produced by Kurt Ballou the album leans more metal, and Liam Cormier's urgent performance pushes songs like “Long Tooth (feat. Brooklyn Doran)” and “Fools Like You (feat. Efrem Schulz)” over the top. It does not reinvent the wheel, but for best tracks on Give Me Dirt the record delivers high-octane hardcore anthems that hit hard and often.
Key Points
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The title track “Give Me Dirt” is the standout because the reviewer says it has been on repeat and encapsulates the album's urgency.
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The album's core strengths are mean metal-tinged riffs, Liam Cormier's urgent vocals, and effective guest features.